She got her own horse at the tender age of 4.  And now 21-year-old Kara Hackney is Miss Rodeo Kansas 2013.

Her official coronation was Saturday at the Ellis County Fairgrounds.  The Ellis native is a Fort Hays State University senior majoring in communication with a minor in agriculture.

Hackney won her title at the Miss Rodeo Kansas Pageant at the Dodge City Roundup PRCA Rodeo in August.

Her duties will be mainly as an ambassador in travels across the state and nation.

When she’s not busy signing autographs, Hackney will help with the production of many rodeos by carrying sponsorship flags and pushing cattle out of the arena on horseback. She will also be called on to speak in schools and at other venues to promote rodeo, agriculture, animal welfare, Kansas and agriculture.

Hackney will compete in the Miss Rodeo America Pageant in December in Las Vegas.

The Kansas Legislature will experience its largest freshman class in more than 40 years when the 2013 session opens Monday, January 14 in Topeka.

Hays resident Sue Boldra, a Republican, is the newly elected 111^th   District Representative, which following last year’s redistricting,  is now comprised of Hays and Victoria.

Boldra is a mother and grandmother, has been a small business owner, taught government classes for more than 30 years, and is still a farm owner.  She believes these life experiences match well with the Kansas House committees she’s assigned.

“Agriculture and Natural Resources, Education, Energy and Environment, and Utilities and Telecommunications.  They were my top four picks of the 9 committees I was interested in,” says Boldra.

Of the 125 Kansas House members, 49 of them, including Boldra, have never served in the legislature.

See more with Sue Boldra tonight on Eagle Local News, ECTV Channel 14.

Tuesday is the final day for Hays residents to drop off their “formerly live” Christmas trees at the free disposal site north of the water plant.  If you don’t get that done, you can still place your tree in the alley for pick-up.

Hays city crews will make one trip through the alleys beginning Monday, January 14, to collect the discarded Christmas trees.  Again, be sure to first remove all decorations from the tree.  Crews expect to be done with the special collection within two days.

Midwest Energy personnel will use their equipment to chip the trees to make mulch.  The mulch will be placed at the Parks Department on the Highway 183 by-pass and is available for pick-up free of charge.

 

 

 

The United Way of Ellis County 2012 campaign is on track for meeting its goal within a couple of weeks, says campaign chairman Derek Gerstner.

Fundraising kicked off in September with a goal of $475,000.   So far, 86% of that, $400,000 has been raised.

Pacesetter companies, including Eagle Communications, raised nearly $148,000, or 31 % of the total, before the kickoff.

There are 14 Ellis County United Way member partner agencies:

• Western Kansas Chapter of the American Red Cross
• Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Ellis County
• Cancer Council of Ellis County
• CASA
• Catholic Charities
• DSNWK
• First Call for Help
• Girl Scouts of the Kansas Heartland
• Hays Area Children’s Center
• Kansas Legal Service
• Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Service
• United Cerebral Palsy of Kansas
• Western Kansas Association of Concerns of the Disabled
• Parents and Children Together

Have you taken down those Christmas decorations yet?  No? Well, here’s something that may spur you.

Through Tuesday, January 8^th, you can take your Christmas tree, with all decorations removed, to the free disposal site north of the Hays Water Plant on Vine Street.  Trees should be placed within the orange snow fence.

The trees will be ground for mulch.

 

 

Between 1865 and 1880, Kansas attracted immigrants at a faster pace than anywhere else in the United States.

The state’s population grew from 107,205 in 1860 to 1,428,108 in 1890 thanks to the irresistible promise of a better life through land and jobs.

In 1870, 13 percent of Kansas’ total population was foreign-born.

Today, 6 percent of all Kansans are foreign-born. And, each year, the U.S. District Court, District of Kansas, conducts more than 20 naturalization ceremonies where individuals who have completed the requirements for citizenship take the Oath of Allegiance and become U.S. citizens.

This is the unique story told in Americans by Choice: The Story of Immigration & Citizenship in Kansas, a new exhibit now touring the state. It will open to the public Jan. 3 at Forsyth Library on the Fort Hays State University campus.

Admission is free. The exhibit closes Feb. 20.

The exhibit was commissioned by the U.S. District Court, District of Kansas, to highlight the court’s role in the naturalization process. A permanent exhibit of the same title is installed at the Robert J. Dole Courthouse in Kansas City, Kan.

Hays city commissioners will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday at city hall for a work session.

Agenda items include:

* 27th and Indian Trail intersection signalization.

* Configuration of 27th Street between Fort and Hall streets.

* Term limits and possible disbandment of advisory committees.

* City commissioner term on Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development board.

 

Hays firefighters were called to the scene of a fire at 9:16 Wednesday morning at 629 East 8th Street.  According to Chief Gary Brown, crews found a fire burning in the electric meter box attached to the rear of the building.

The building occupants had used a fire extinguisher to control the fire before the arrival of firefighters.

Firefighters checked that the fire had not spread into the building and stood by until a Midwest Energy service technician cut the power to the building.

Hays city commissioners will consider approving a proposed pay increase for city employees during their Thursday night meeting.

The meeting was rescheduled from December 26 to January 2 at 6:30p.m.

The regularly scheduled January 2 work session will follow the meeting at 6:40p.m, both in the City Commission Chambers of City Hall, 1507 Main.

Below are links to the meeting and the work session agendas.

Hays City Commission meeting 1-2-14

Hays City Commission work session 1-2-14

Every kid wants a bike for Christmas, especially the “Littles” who are part of Ellis County’s Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.

“We just can’t thank the community enough,” says BBBS Executive Director Nancy Jeter.  “This year, 23 bicycles were donated to very deserving kids.”

Some of the bikes are brand-new; 13 of them were restored to “just like new” by inmates at the Norton Correctional Facility through its “Free Bikes for Deserving Tykes” project.

“This is the 8^th year for our program,” says bike shop coordinator Joe Annon.  “Anybody can donate bikes.  If we can’t fix and restore them, they’re recycled for the metal.”

Other BBBS bike donors include Wal-Mart and Alpha Delta Kappa sorority.  The kids also received bike helmets.