HFD

The Hays Fire Department will be inspecting and flow testing fire hydrants on Wednesday in the area of Vine to Willow between 27th and 33rd streets, and also Hall to Highway 183 Bypass between 41st and Interstate 70.

This is part of a coordinated effort by the City of Hays to inspect all fire hydrants in the city and flush all water mains annually.

By KIRBY ROSS
Phillips County Review

PHILLIPSBURG — Anybody who drives along Phillips County highways on a regular basis occasionally will see orange-clad Kansas Department of Correction prisoner work crews picking up trash along ditches.

One such crew of convicts was working Highway 183 immediately north of Phillipsburg last Thursday when they came across something that didn’t fit in the category of being ordinary run-of-the-mill roadside garbage.

With some of the inmates being experts in the identification of drug manufacturing paraphernalia, they immediately recognized the unusual “trash” they came across as being components for the manufacture of methamphetamine — aka, a meth lab.

The guards overseeing the operation immediately called in Phillips County law enforcement, which secured the site a stone’s throw north of the old Groendyke truck yard not far beyond Phillipsburg city limits.

Phillips County Sheriff Charlie Radabaugh then contacted the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, which sent up a unit of its Clandestine Laboratory Response Team from Great Bend.

With the evidence recovery operation getting underway by mid-afternoon, KBI-technicians suited in full body hazmat suits that look like something an astronaut might wear on Mars in a 1950s science fiction movie began working the area.

Soon they recovered a number of items that looked suspicious and transported them back to their own laboratories for testing.

In the meantime, Phillips County Sheriff’s deputies combed the ditches along Highway 183 further up the road and found an additional item of interest a couple miles north of the site of the original discovery.

Commenting to the Phillips County Review at the scene as the KBI investigators were working in the background, Sheriff Radabaugh stated “the prisoners immediately recognized the items for what they were and had it called in to us. Funny, some of them seemed to be experts on what they were looking at.”

For this find and for any other crimes occurring in Phillips County, the Sheriff’s Office offers a reward up to $1,000 for information which leads to an arrest. Call or text 785-251-3809 anytime. Callers can remain anonymous.

The following press release relating to the meth lab discovery was issued the same day:

This afternoon, dangerous components of a meth lab were located north of Phillipsburg.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation Clandestine Lab Response Team was contacted and responded to neutralize the hazard and collect evidence.

Sheriff Radabaugh made an exerted effort when he took office just over two years ago to rid the county of methamphetamine. This resulted in some known meth users moving from the county and 18 arrests which have all resulted in convictions. Methamphetamine has been very difficult to find in Phillips County since.

“As I publicly stated when I took office, meth is not welcome and will not be tolerated in Phillips County, I am offering a reward up to $1,000 for information which leads to the arrest of meth users and dealers in the county,” said Sheriff Radabaugh. “I will not stand around and watch this county return to what it was prior to my administration,” continued Radabaugh.

Anyone with information of illegal drug activity are encouraged to call or text 785-251-3809. This is a special number which will be answered by deputies working narcotic cases. You may remain anonymous.

Submitted

The Wonder Women League of the United Way of Ellis County will be hosting the third-annual Power of the Purse event from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 2  with doors opening at 6 p.m. at the Smoky Hill Country Club.

There will be a multitude of upscale purses/handbags for raffle and a select few of them for auction.  All purses/handbags are donated from local businesses and individuals.

The guest speaker is Phyllis Burdge. She will be sharing her inspiration of what brought her to where she is today.

The Wonder Women League is a group of volunteers who bring together their time, talent and resources to make impacts in Ellis County. Their mission statement is inspiring and empowering women to affect change in our community. The Wonder Women League has developed community impact projects such as: The Born Learning Trail in partnership with Adams, Brown, Beran, and Ball, in Sunrise Park near Roosevelt School; self-defense training through the Fort Hays State Tactical Group; and most recently, Matthew’s Gift with Hays Medical Center, part of The University of Kansas Health System.

The United Way of Ellis County and the Wonder Women League is grateful for the businesses who are sponsoring the Power of the Purse event: Werth Wealth Management, Auto World, First Kansas Bank, Eagle Communications – Hays Radio Group, Kaiser Liquor and those who have donated purses.

Tickets are going fast and space is limited.  Tickets can be purchased online www.liveunited.us through the Events tab on the United Way of Ellis County website or through Facebook at “United Way of Ellis County”. The various purses are also featured on Facebook.

FHSU University Relations

About 200 people turned out Monday for an open house and ribbon-cutting at Stroup Hall on the Fort Hays State University campus to see new lab spaces and equipment in a rebuilt section of the building.

A $250,000 grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation funded the renovation, which was a partnership between the FHSU Department of Nursing and HaysMed.

“Today, we celebrate the opening of the Stroup Hall Simulation Center made possible by our partnership with HaysMed, part of the University of Kansas Health System, and the generous support of the Dane G. Hansen Foundation,” said FHSU President Tisa Mason.

“The Stroup Hall Simulation Lab brings together resources and community partners in order to provide an innovative education that meets the needs of students, our region, and world,” she said. “Together, we are putting learning into action to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving workforce and empowering students with the skills and experience to thrive.”

Edward Herrman, HaysMed president and chief executive officer, also praised the partnership on display at the open house.

“For us, as the only tertiary healthcare facility in western Kansas, we have a commitment and responsibility to our community to provide care at an excellent level,” said Herrman.

“For us to really do that, we know that our best resource is western Kansas kids, and the best place for them to get educated is right here at Fort Hays State. We enjoy our relationship with the university and appreciate everything that they provide our community. This project and our partnership benefits all of us. We end up with better prepared nursing staff, and more students who are exposed to looking at nursing or IT in healthcare as careers.”

Among the equipment for the simulation lab are 20 Reality Works Babies. The babies mimic infants and track how often they are fed, have their diapers changed and cry.

Other funding was for a pediatric manikin named Hal that has facial movements, cries, sweats, suffers seizures and produces heart and lung sounds. Additional equipment included a fetal heart monitor, a 24-week newborn manikin and funding to record activities in the simulation lab.

The video system will allow students to visualize themselves in practice and get feedback on ways to improve performance.

The renovation included constructing observation and control spaces with one-way windows to allow faculty to control the functions of the manikins as students are working in the examination and hospital room labs.

CITY OF HAYS

The March 28 Hays City Commission meeting has been canceled. The commission will next meet in a work session April 4.