Demolition work is in high gear Wednesday of  several buildings at 22nd & Vine Streets in Hays, property owned by Ellis County and former site of the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Hays Commerce Bank will build a new facility at the location and the downtown bank will become the new home of most Ellis County offices.

The Ellis County courthouse, where the jail is now located, would become the primary location of the court system.

The county’s space needs committee is meeting Wednesday night to hear proposals from three jail consultants that address current overcrowding of prisoners in the jail.

Retired 23^rd District Judge Tom Toepfer of Hays died Monday at his home, less than two months after stepping down from the bench due to health reasons.

Toepfer’s funeral is Thursday morning at 10 in Saint Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church.

Ellis and Trego County District Court offices will be closed  until 2p.m. Thursday to allow staff to attend the funeral.

The 61-year-ld Toepfer served in the 23^rd district for nearly 12 years.  Prior to his election to the bench, he was in private practice for 24 years, and was the Hays City Prosecutor for 23 years.

Tuesday’s ordination of a new bishop will fill a vacancy in the Catholic Salina Diocese that’s been open more than a year.  Bishop-elect Edward Weisenburger will be ordained in Salina’s Sacred Heart Cathedral.

The installation ceremony starts at 2p.m. Tuesday and can be seen live on E-W-T-N, Eagle Cable TV Channel 44.  Commentary will be provided by a Hays priest, Father Fred Gatschet of the Catholic Campus Center.

The 51-year-old Weisenburger has been serving as vicar general of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and rector of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Oklahoma City.

His mother, Sally Walters, was a Catherine native, and met her husband in Hays.  Weisenburger lived in Hays for two years of his childhood.

The new bishop will conduct a mass May 27 at Saint Mary Church in  Ellis .

It’s been four years in the making, and Saturday afternoon the Hays Fire Department Museum finally  celebrated its grand opening.

The new museum is a partnership with the Hays Firemen’s Relief Association and the Ellis County Historical Society.  It’s the newest addition to the Historical Society complex at 100 West 7th Street.

The building was actually constructed by Hays firefighters, and much of the material was donated.  Lieutenant Darrin Myers who headed the project, says the history of HFD dates back to 1885 when some of the town’s men organized a bucket brigade.

Taking center stage in the museum are the first two motorized fire engines owned by the Hays Fire Department, a 1927 International, and a 1936 Ford.   Myers says he  started thinking about a museum  because there was no permanent home for the two engines which had to be moved and relocated many times to various buildings around town.

Visitors will also see other types of firefighting equipment used by HFD over the years.  The family of Bill Dechant, a Hays firefighter from 1945-1975, recently donated his Class A uniform.

Fundraising for the museum began in early 2008.  Ground breaking was in August 2009.

WASHINGTON D.C. — Institute for Organization Management, the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, announced Friday that Tammy Wellbrock, Executive Director of the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce, has been awarded a Regent Scholarship.

Given to 102 professionals across the country, the Regent Scholarships recognize each recipient for their involvement in industry professional organizations, community service, and professional background.

“Regent scholarships offer executives the opportunity to attend Institute  and learn about emerging industry trends, expand their organizations’ influence, and grow their peer network,” said Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE, vice president of Institute for Organization Management, U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Institute’s curriculum consists of four, weeklong sessions at five different university locations throughout the country.

Participants receive training in leadership, organization management competencies, as well as targeted curriculum in membership, technology, and financial management.

At the completion of the four-year curriculum, Wellbrock will receive the IOM recognition, signifying completion of 96 hours of course instruction in nonprofit management.  In addition, all credit hours earned through Institute may be applied toward the Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) industry certification.

The Kansas Department of Revenue is upgrading to a new, more efficient system for titling and registering vehicles beginning Monday, April 30 late in the evening.

Kansas vehicle registration records, all 6.8 million,  will be converted to the new system, a process that will take about 100 hours.

So plan ahead, advises Kathleen Brenner of the Ellis County Treasurer’s Office. There will be no processing anywhere in the state of vehicle title work, vehicle registration renewals, nor issuing of driver’s licenses and other identification cards May 1-7.

The new system is expected to be online May 8.

They’re back.  Miller moths are making their annual spring migration across western Kansas to the cooler Colorado mountains where they’ll feed during the summer.

Most of us call the insects millers.  They’re actually army cutworm moths.

Most of us also call them a nuisance.  They crawl into cracks and crevices seeking dark areas for shelter before resuming their travels at night.

According to Ellis County Extension Agriculture Agent Stacy Campbell, they also like to feed on alfalfa and wheat.  During outbreak years, miller moth flights typically last five to six weeks, generally starting between mid-May and early June.

The millers will return in the fall to deposit their eggs, but usually they’re less noticeable because they’re fewer in number after many are eaten by predators.

The new Hays Fire Department Museum will host its grand opening Saturday at 3p.m.   A ribbon cutting will be conducted Friday at 4p.m.  by the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce.

The museum is a partnership with the Hays Firemen’s Relief Association and the Ellis County Historical Society.

It’s been in the works for four years, and is located in the Historical Society Museum complex.   Groundbreaking was August 31, 2009.

Visitors will see an array of firefighting equipment and gear as well as vintage 1927 and 1936 fire engines.  Admission is free for the grand opening.