Flags fly high at the Bank of Hays, 27th and Hall Streets, which participates in the Kiwanis American Flag Project.
Red, white and blue decorate Hays on this cool cloudy Veterans Day.
U.S. flags can be seen all across town, installed early this morning by Kiwanis members for their American Flag Project.
Kiwanis Club volunteers for the fundraiser, chaired by Jerry Ubert, place flags in yards and in front of businesses for Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Veterans Day.
“We started with 50 flags a few years ago,” says Ubert. “Today we put out 869.”
Ubert says it take about 40 Kiwanis members to install and remove all the flags.
Pheasant hunters in Edwards County Saturday morning (Pictures courtesy Casey McAvoy)
As predicted by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KWDTP), hunters in southwestern Kansas saw few pheasants opening day.
A group of friends headed out Saturday morning north of Offerle in Edwards County, had little luck.
“We saw two roosters and one hen in the first two hours of hunting,” said Casey McAvoy, Hays. “In a good season, we’ll see that many in the first five minutes.”
The men, who’ve hunted in the area for years, weren’t expecting much.
“We really just walked the fields this season to see how the pheasant population is, and as we figured, the numbers continue to decline,” said.
“I hope hunters keep in mind this weekend that just because there is a limit, you don’t have to get it. We really need to repopulate so we can continue to carry on this tradition to the next generation.”
Corey McAvoy, Offerle, takes aim during Saturday during Opening Day of pheasant hunting in Kansas
Pheasant populations in Kansas continue to suffer from the extended drought, according to KDWPT.
Breeding populations dropped across their range from 2012 to 2013 resulting in fewer adult hens in the population to start the 2013 nesting season. KDWPT predicts the best areas this year will likely be pockets in northwest and northcentral Kansas.
Josh Konrade, J.J. Konrade, Roger Konrade, Jeff Stauth, Andy Stegman, Brian Stegman, Corey McAvoy, Casey McAvoy, Jay Chamberlain and Connor Chamberlain hunt together in northern Edwards County.
Ceramics. Paintings. Journals with handmade paper. Jewelry.
Artwork of all types is available for purchase during Saturday morning’s annual art sale at Fort Hays State University. The sale features work by students, faculty and area artists. Proceeds help fund art scholarships.
The FHSU Art Department is also hosting tours for prospective students and their families as part of Tiger Day. High school juniors and seniors, as well as college-transfer students are invited to come and experience all FHSU has to offer.
The contractor’s flags went up last week and work is now underway on the new Hays Dog Park at the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.
According to Kim Perez, president of Friends of the Hays Dog Park, the fence posts are going in and cement will soon follow.“They couldn’t set the posts in the back part of the park because of the rain.I do know they’re doing everything they can to make it happen as soon as possible.”
An anonymous donation of $7,000 was given to FHDP recently, says Perez.“We have the money in place for Phases 1 and 2 of the park, and are on the way to Phase 3″:
Work is underway on the new Hays Dog Park. (Pictures courtesy Kim Perez)
Many children use computers and are online often, where Internet predators are just waiting to prey on young people.
That’s a concern for the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office. After the first of the year, they’ll be distributing 500 DVDs to parents. Detective Brad Ricke says the free program, “Computer Cop,” allows parents to know which online sites their kids are visiting:
Ricke says parents should also check their kids’ cell phone apps. He attended a recent meeting of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Wichita, where the top concern was an app called “Kik.” Ricke says it’s “easily used for ‘sexting’.”
The “Computer Cop” program has been available for about five years and it’s fairly expensive. Ricke says the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department decided to “foot the costs because it’s an important tool in the arsenal to keep kids safe from online predators.”
1st District Congressman Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) talks to constituents following Wednesday’s town hall meeting in Hays.
First District Congressman Tim Huelskamp’s (R-KS) stop in Hays Wednesday afternoon was his 201st town hall meeting.
About 70 people attended the session in the Rose Garden Banquet Hall (formerly the Fanchon Ballroom), including a dozen or so TMP Marian High School students.
The first question from the audience involved the Affordable Care Act and abortion coverage in the health plan exchanges:
The law requires health exchanges to have at least one plan that does not include elective abortion, so that abortion opponents could avoid purchasing policies that cover the procedure. But the information has not been on the federal website healthcare.gov.
According to information from the Guttmacher Institute, Kansas is one of 23 states to pass laws banning all plans in their health exchange from offering coverage for elective abortion. Eight of those states, including Kansas, have also banned private insurers from offering coverage for abortion. In Kansas there is an exception for endangerment of the mother’s life. Kansas does allow abortion coverage to be sold as a separate policy.
Founded in 1968, the Guttmacher Institute institutes integrating nonpartisan social science research, policy analysis and public education to provide a factual basis for the development of sound governmental policies and for public consideration of the issues involved in the promotion of reproductive health and rights.
More than 100 pounds of Halloween candy was collected in less than an hour during Monday’s Candy Buy Back at Lifetime Dental Care.
Within just 45 minutes Monday evening, Hays dentist Dr. Jeff Lowe, Lifetime Dental Care, paid out $100 for 100 pounds of Halloween candy brought in by youngsters.
Two brothers handed over 23 pounds of treats. In return, they got cold hard cash, and, new toothbrushes.
“This is the fifth year for our candy buy back program,” says office manager and CFO Jana Lowe. “It’s also an opportunity to talk to then and their parents about brushing their teeth at least twice a day and watching how much sugar you eat.”
Six-year-old Alisha picks our her toothbrush after selling her candy for $6.
Six-year-old Alisha is in kindergarten at Wilson Grade School. She says it wasn’t hard for her to sell her treats, and she already knows where her money is going.
“I’m saving it to buy my doll,” says Alisha.
Thecollected candy, minus the chocolate, which would melt, will be shipped overseas to Kansas servicemen and women. Lowe wants to “spread the sweets” as much as possible:
You can make your mailing request for the candy through the end of the week at Lifetime Dental.
KASB consultant Max Heim talks Tuesday with a focus group for the USD 489 superintendent search.
The eleven people attending the second and final focus session soliciting public input in the search for a new USD 489 superintendent talked a lot about the school board members.
Many of the participants feel the board is “too business-minded” rather than education-minded and that the “perception of the board dynamics feels confrontational and rigid.”
School district staff and teachers as well as site council members were specifically invited to Tuesday night’s meeting. Monday night’s event was open to parents and community members. Both were held at Hays High School
USD 489 has hired Kansas Association of School Board consultants Gary Sechrist and Max Heim to conduct the superintendent search. Heim previously served as a school superintendent for 28 years.
“It’s a tough job and the most difficult aspect is working with the board,” said Heim.
Heim will present the public feedback findings at the November 11 school board meeting.
Applications for the superintendent job are due January 6.
Below is the feedback from Tuesday’s meeting as compiled by Elizabeth Jaeger, USD 489 assistant to the superintendent and public relations coordinator.
Rick Santorum and Howard Dean answer questions from the media prior to their debate Monday night as part of the FHSU Sebelius Lecture Series.
It’s going to hurt young people. No, it’s already working.
The Affordable Care Act is just one of the topics discussed by former presidential candidates Howard Dean, a Vermont Democrat, and Rick Santorum, a Pennsylvania Republican. The pair were in Hays Monday for a debate in the Keith G. Sebelius Lecture Series at Fort Hays State University.
Santorum and Dean met with the media prior to their debate, moderated by Hays mayor Kent Steward, who is also director of FHSU University Relations.
Dean is a medical doctor, a former Vermont governor, and the former Democratic National Committee chairman. Santorum is a former U-S senator:
The next speaker in the Sebelius Lecture Series features Karl Rove, a Republican strategist and pundit. Rove will be in Hays February 4.
KASB consultant Gary Sechrist hears from Hays residents during a focus session about hiring a new USD 489 superintendent.
About a dozen community members attended the first of two focus sessions involving the search for a new USD 489 superintendent.
Those participating in Monday night’s session, organized by consultants from the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB), gave their input to four questions about what a superintendent should know about the Hays school district:
The group also talked about the importance of maintaining neighborhood schools and need for a smaller student/teacher ratio at the elementary level.
A second session will be held tonight for school staff and site council members at 6p.m. in the Hays High School lecture hall.
