After more than six years, the wind farm project for Fort Hays State University is finally “off the ground.”

During a Friday morning news conference, university president Dr. Ed Hammond announced the signing of a contract for two wind turbines with Vestas, the world leader in wind turbine manufacturing.  This will be the sixth Vestas project in Kansas.

“We expect the system to become operational by late June in 2013, and we are projecting annual savings on our energy bill in the range of $600,000 to $1 million, ” said Hammond.

Dr. Hammond and Michael Estes, a vice president with HTWN, signed an assignment agreement at the news conference conveying the rights and responsibilities of turbine ownership to FHSU.  Harvest the Wind Network LLC, headquartered in Greensburg, is a national leader in turnkey distributed wind energy solutions.

The president said the final cost of the project was estimated at $8.8 million to $9 million.

The two turbines will be located on land leased from a private citizen, near Golf Course Road and 210th Ave, southwest of campus.  The project includes 3.5 miles of underground transmission line from the turbines to the Akers Energy Center on campus.

 

Hays Police were kept busy overnight, with a 2a.m. Thursday morning armed robbery at Burger King, 1212 Vine Street.

Detective Dave Bunger says an unknown man, wearing black pants and a brown jacket with his face covered by a mask, entered the restaurant.  The suspect pointed a handgun at two employees, and took an undisclosed amount of money from the business office.

There were no reported injuries

If you have any information about the Burger King robbery, contact Bunger at the Hays Police Department at 785.625.1030 or [email protected].

From Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler:

“On December 19, 2012 at 3:32 p.m. the Hays Police Department received a call that a man had threatened a family member with a rifle. Officers from the Hays Police Department and the Fort Hays State University Campus Police responded to the area where the incident occurred. The suspect, 53 year old Bobby G. Nix, who resides at 407 w 4th Apt #3, refused to speak with officers.

The Hays Special Situation Response Team and the KBI Response Team were notified to respond. A perimeter was set up around the residence and a portion of the neighborhood was evacuated. Attempts to have Mr. Nix voluntary surrender were unsuccessful. Officers were eventually forced to physically take Mr. Nix into custody. Mr. Nix was not injured during the arrest.

One officer received a minor cut to his hand during this incident.

Mr. Nix is currently being held in the Ellis County Jail for Aggravated Assault.”

Don Scheibler
Chief of Police
Hays Police Department

7:20 pm:  SWAT team deems suspect’s building is now safe.

7:06pm:  Male suspect in custody of SWAT team

6:56pm:  Due a suicide threat with a gun in the 400 block of West Fourth Street, Hays police are evacuating the area, including part of the Stadium Place residential complex on the Fort Hays State University campus.

5:15p.m:  All doors are locked at the Hays Area Children’s Center as a SWAT team deals with a man threatening suicide by gun in a nearby house on Elm Street.

USD 489 reports all HACC children are safe. Police are using the HACC parking lot as a staging area.

(Photo courtesy Stephen Schleicher)

The Friends of the Hays Public Library group is holding its first ever  “Scholastic Book Fair” this month.  Appropriately, the event is upstairs in the Young Adult Department.

Friends President Marjorie Mueller says Thursday afternoon from 3-6p.m. is the final chance to purchase books for appropriate for children and teens.  “Books make good Christmas presents.  We’ve had parents and grandparents in buying them as gifts,” she says.

The group hosts several used book sales throughout the year as primary fundraisers for various library programs, including the children’s summer reading program.

Watch the story tonight on Eagle Local News, ECTV Channel 14.

By ordinance, the Hays City Manager can declare a declare a Winter Storm Traffic Emergency.

The declaration is made when snow has accumulated,  or when there is a possibility snow will accumulate to a depth that will require clearing/removal operations.  When this occurs, it’s against city ordinance to park a vehicle on any street designated as an Emergency Snow Route.

City officials urge residents who live or work on an Emergency Snow Route to plan ahead.  Your vehicle could be towed at your expense.

If a Winter Storm Traffic Emergency is issued, the Hays Police Department will activate an auto-dial system to alert residents and businesses on Emergency Snow Routes to move vehicles to alternate sites.

 

The city of Hays de-icer truck coats the streets Monday afternoon with an anti-freeze agent in preparation for tomorrow’s expected snow storm.

The Dodge City National Weather Service has updated Ellis and Trego Counties to a Blizzard Warning from a Watch for Wednesday.

The Blizzard Warning is in effect from 2p.m. until midnight.

Predictions are for 1-3 inches of snow with daytime highs in the mid-to low-30s.  Winds will be 35-45 miles an hour with gusts of gusts of 55-65 mph.

There is not expected to be any ice prior to the snow.

 

The 10^th annual “Battle of the Badges” Community Blood Drive is closing in on week one at the American Red Cross Blood Donor Center in Hays.

Ellis County law enforcement, fire and E-M-S personnel are helping to raise awareness about the need for blood during the holidays.

All donors get a t-shirt, are entered to win a Traeger Grill courtesy of Crawford Supply Company, and get to vote for their favorite civil servants.

The winner will get bragging rights for a year and the traveling trophy.

As of Friday, says Donor Recruitment Representative Catherine Younger, the fire division is in the lead with 48 pints of blood donated in their honor, closely followed by Ellis County E-M-S with 43 pints.  The police department is in third place with 30 pints.

The Battle of the Badges blood drive kicked off December 11 continues through December 28.

Domestic violence and sexual assault service provider, Options, has moved its administrative offices.

The new location,  2716 Plaza Avenue, Hays, is a  building previously owned by Farm Bureau.

According to Options Board President Kenton Olliff, the building has been unoccupied since 2010 and the Farm Bureau Board agreed to reduce the building price.  “With the sale of the previous Options office on East 23rd Street, the use of reserve funds, and a modest loan, Options was able to purchase the building,” says Olliff.

Executive Director Charlotte Linsner says the increased space allows Options to “provide critical services in a more sensitive and professional setting,” as well as increasing the amount of private meeting space and staff work areas.   There is also a dedicated children’s room.

Options serves 18 counties in northwest Kansas with the main office in Hays and an outreach office in Colby.

Hays firefighters responded to a garage fire Saturday afternoon just before one o’clock.

According to Chief Gary Brown, a small fire was burning in the garage attached to the house at 309 East 8^th Street.  The fire was brought under control within 15 minutes.

Brown says the fire was likely caused by excessive heat from friction in a rubber tire spinning on a stationary vehicle inside the garage.

As part of the Northwest Kansas Technical Rescue Team, the Hays Fire Department is undergoing advanced training this week in building collapse rescue procedures.

Captain Justin Killian says it helps the firefighters be better prepared for any emergency.  “This course also includes rescue from confined spaces, high angles and trench cave-ins, ” he says.

The three-day program, which started Tuesday in the classroom, is taught by the University of Kansas Fire and Rescue Training Institute.

The hands-on training has been at the Hays Waffle-Crete production facility.