There was great fun, and fund-raising, at last Saturday night’s Race Cars and Superstars for Big Brothers Big Sisters at RPM Speedway in Hays.

RPM announcer Dustin Armbruster gave a big thanks to the donors and the volunteer race drivers:

From the National Weather Service in Dodge City:

Even with all the recent rainfall, much of western Kansas is still in a severe to exceptional drought.

You undoubtedly noticed a lot more traffic in Hays Thursday morning.  It’s a big day.

Fort Hays State University students are moving into their residence halls and the school year is underway for USD 489.

Parents dropping off their children at O’Loughlin Elementary School are adjusting to a new design in the traffic flow.

Representatives of the TMP-Marian and USD 489 boards agreed Tuesday for access to O’Loughlin from the TMP-Marian Victory Road.  The road, just north of O’Loughlin, was closed by TMP earlier this summer because it needs repairs.

For now, O’Loughlin parents will enter the TMP-Marian property on Victory Road, travel to the Monarch baseball and softball complex parking lot, turn around and return to Victory Road where students will be dropped off or picked up on the south side only of Victory Road. No parking is allowed on the road.

The agreement also calls for a joint study to determining whether Victory Road should be repaired or re-constructed.  A longer-term agreement will then be developed clarifying safety, access, upkeep and maintenance cost sharing.

Thursday was a half-day of classes for USD 489 students; Friday is a full day.

It’s Move-In Day at Fort Hays State University.

Campus volunteers from the Residence Hall Association, Greek Life and other areas are helping direct freshmen to their living quarters.  Freshmen are required to live on campus or they can live with a relative off-campus.

Move-ins are underway from 8a.m. until noon, and then will resume this afternoon at 2p.m. until 6p.m.

Classes start Monday.

 

 

Two local law enforcement officers are among the 52 people recently graduating from the Kansas Law Enforcement Center Training Center.

Emmett Casey is a patrol officer with the Ellis Police Department; Josh Fleenor is a patrol officer with the Fort Hays State University Police Department.

They are members of the 223rd basic training class at the center located near Yoder.

The graduates began their training February 18 and represent 41 municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas.

About 300 officers enroll annually in the 14-week basic training program. Funding for the training center is generated from court docket fees from municipal and state courts.

Classes start Monday, August 19 at Fort Hays State University and many students, along with some faculty members, will be new to the campus.

They’ll also be new to Hays.  Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Jana Jordan says the city want to make sure the new residents feel welcome and at home:

Jordan says the new Core To Campus  event August 29 is designed to better introduce the community’s core, downtown Hays, to Fort Hays State students and new faculty.

Core To Campus is sponsored by our own Eagle Communications.  The fun includes free hog roast, scavenger hunt, live music, and more.

Event intern Leah Shry-Wise says everything starts with a “March to Main”, with FHSU president leading the crowd on a walk from the campus quad to downtown Hays.  “We want Fort Hays students to understand that downtown Hays and all the shopping, dining, and entertainment it offers, is within walking distance from campus,” she explains.

Becca Kohl is the other event intern.  She and Shry-Wise are both FHSU students.

Kohl hopes the entire community will participate and get to know the history and people of downtown Hays:

Participating downtown businesses will also begin offering a discount to customers wearing gold on Fridays, part of the Tiger Gold On Friday spirit program launched last year.

USD 489 is considering health insurance options for its employees.  The current contract expires at the end of the year.

About 30 school district employees attended Tuesday night’s special session with consultant Julie Yarmer of Freedom Claims Management in Great Bend.

Two of seven companies contacted by Yarmer offered quotes.

Preferred Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield  are both one-year plans with three options in choosing deductibles and coverages. The Hays district’s plan is for three years.

Yarmer is suggesting the district move toward a partially self-insured plan.  Board members requested more information from Yarmer before a decision is made.

Negotiations scheduled for this week between USD 489 and the Hays NEA were postponed.

DRAFT COPY NOT OFFICIAL UNTIL APPROVED BY COUNCIL

ELLIS CITY COUNCIL  SPECIAL MEETING

Minutes  August 8, 2013

CALL TO ORDER

Council President Jolene Niernberger called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. Present were Council members John Walz, Stephen A. Ferland, Terry Redetzke, and Loran Gottschalk. Also present was Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman, City Clerk Amy Burton, Police Chief Taft Yates, and City Attorney Olavee Raub. Mayor Lyle Johnston and Council member John Leiker were unable to attend.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG

AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA

None

PUBLIC PRESENT

Annie Sandmeier, Scott Ross, Ron Johnson, Julie Kohl, Matt Windholz, Dan Freese, Luke Fanshier, Rusty Redding, Joyce Carthew, Jim Carthew, Dean Gottschalk, Neil DeWerff

PURPOSE OF SPECIAL MEETING

Council President Jolene Niernberger stated the purpose of the special meeting was to have guest speakers present to discuss the water exploration process, consider a request for a water variance from Ellis Golf Club, and to consider an ordinance on conservation water rates.

Water: Special Meeting

Rusty Redding, Layne Christensen, stressed to Council the importance of rehabilitating existing wells to increase efficiency. Certain contaminants such as iron and manganese can coat the screens of the well which slows production by making it harder to pump the water out. Mr. Redding also explained three different water sources – 1) the alluvial aquifer is the least expensive option because it is close to the surface, but water flow is slow because the aquifer is shallow; 2) the Ogallala aquifer is the next depth and contains quality water but also is high in iron and manganese, and sometimes arsenic; 3) the Dakota aquifer is the most expensive to explore because it is the deepest layer and is high in chlorides, sulfates and fluorides, which Ellis’ water treatment plant isn’t capable of cleaning out.

Scott Ross, Division of Water Resources, presented Council with a map of the different types of wells currently in surrounding counties. He said the City could probably find water rights, but finding water could be another story. Ellis sits on the edge of one of the “fingers” of the Ogallala aquifer and he doubted the City would be able to find a big producing well. Mr. Ross also cautioned the City on mixing alluvium water and Ogallala water as the water chemistry can conflict. Water should be tested first to determine compatibility.

Rusty Redding noted that securing a supplemental water source could take a minimum of 3-4 years so it is important to continue to maintain the wells the City has and to continue to encourage residents to be good stewards of the City’s water.

Dan Freese, Layne Christensen, gave a presentation on the importance of implementing a well maintenance program. Wells should be routinely tested and rehabilitated to increase efficiency in the wells and detect well or pumping problems. Mr. Freese recommended the City implement a well rehabilitation rotation schedule to maintain efficiency and possibly head off major repairs and down time. The City should plan on rehabbing the wells and also explore additional water sources.

The consensus of the speakers was that the City should start looking into the exploration of new water sources and to also start thinking about financing. The process of purchasing land for a well, obtaining water rights, drilling the well and piping the water could cost the City several million dollars. Even if the City would purchase land with an existing well on it, a new well would have to be drilled in order to meet municipal supply standards. Certain grants could be available to help with the costs involved, but the City would still have substantial expenses for the process.

Water: Policy

The Council then considered a letter of request for a water variance from the Ellis Golf Club. Council President Jolene Niernberger stated Council is in limbo because the golf course straddles two classes of water use, one of which is prohibited from watering under Stage 3 water restrictions. City Attorney Olavee Raub stated the conservation plan definitions need to be clarified, but a short term solution could be setting parameters of what to allow. Councilmember John Walz suggested setting a limit on gallons of water allowed until the conservation plan is revised. Council expressed a desire to come to a reasonable solution agreeable to both parties. Councilmember Loran Gottschalk made a motion that Council recognizes that due to the commercial nature of the Golf Club and the services provided to the public, that some water use is necessary, and that the Ellis Golf Club be allowed to use water to maintain the greens only at an amount not to exceed 40,000 gallons of water each month at the standard water rate. Councilmember Terry Redetzke seconded the motion. Upon further discussion the Council asked if a Public Works employee could read the Golf Club’s meters every two weeks to keep them apprised of their usage to date. Attorney Raub suggested establishing an ending date for the variance. Therefore, Councilmember Gottschalk amended his motion to add an ending date of March 1, 2014 for the watering variance. Councilmember Redetzke amended his second. Upon a call for a vote, motion passed 5-0.

Water: City Code

Council performed a second reading of the proposed ordinance implementing conservation water rates for usage in excess of each customer’s base usage. Wording has been added under section (b) to apply the conservation water rate only during Stage 3 of the water conservation plan. John Walz moved and Steve Ferland seconded a motion to approve Ordinance 1356 as presented. Motion carried 5-0.

ADJOURNMENT

Councilmember Terry Redetzke moved to adjourn the meeting. Councilmember Steve Ferland seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

 

 

FROM USD 489 AT 4P.M.

Representatives of the TMP-Marian and USD 489 boards have reached an agreement for site access to O’Loughlin Elementary School from TMP-Marian property beginning this week.

The short-term agreement identifies site access for parents and students of  both schools and allows for supervision and traffic control on Victory Road. The short term agreement will ease site congestion and safety concerns that caused Victory Road to be closed earlier this summer.

O’Loughlin parents will enter the TMP-Marian property on Victory Road, travel to the parking lot of the Monarch baseball and softball complex, turn around and return to Victory Road where students will be dropped off or picked up on the south side only of Victory Road. No parking or stopping will be allowed on the Victory Road.

TMP-Marian students and parents will enter and exit TMP-Marian property at the 17th Street entrance before and after school.

The agreement also calls for a joint study that identifies the best alternative to repair or re-construct Victory Road to an appropriate standard that will withstand daily vehicle traffic. Once the best alternative is identified, a longer term agreement will be developed that clarifies safety, access, upkeep, and maintenance cost share agreements going forward.

Requests for comment from TMP should be directed to Father Daryl Ohlmstead.  Requests for comment from USD 489 should be directed to Elizabeth Jaeger.

Editor’s note:  TMP-Marian classes start Wednesday morning; USD 489 classes start Thursday morning.

 

Despite the light rain, the 2013 sewer cleaning project got underway in northwest Hays this morning.

Contract crews started on 33rd Street and will clean 19 miles of sewer line.

The work will continue into the first week of October.

 

 

UPDATE at 11:30a.m.  That didn’t take long.   The electricity is back on, and EPL is open.

 

The rain waited until this morning to make its appearance in Ellis County.

Ellis residents report a deluge with lots of lightning Continue reading “UPDATE: Lightning Strike Closes Ellis Public Library”

Hays firefighters are raising money today for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Crew members are in the Wal-Mart parking lot asking for customers to fill their boots with donations for MDA.

They raised the fire ladder at 11a.m. with the U-S flag waving from the very top, so you can’t miss them.

The “Fill the Boot” campaign continues until 3 o’clock.  Donors receive a special “I Helped Fire Fighters Help MDA” sticker.

Monies go directly to MDA to help research to stamp out over 40 neuromuscular diseases as well as to send children to MDA summer camps.

Firefighter unions have been supporting the Muscular Dystrophy Association since 1954 and have donated more than $300 million.

 

 

Perfect weather prevailed as Ellis s’mores fans labored over a hot campfire to get that perfect golden hue on their marshmallows.

National S’mores Day, August 10, was celebrated in style Saturday evening at the Ellis Lakeside Campgrounds.

Marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers were provided for the participants.