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Author: Becky Kiser

“Runnin’ Revs” Hit the Courts

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This traveling basketball team only plays twice a year, during school breaks for Christmas and Easter.

The “Runnin’ Revs,” wearing black t-shirts, play junior high and high school teams in the Salina Catholic Diocese.

They were in Hays Tuesday evening at Kenned Middle School, playing a local team coached by Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Youth Minister Rick Binder.

The purpose, says Brad Stramel, Secretary of the Ellis County Heartland Vocations Commission, is to show the public that devout holy and religious people relax and have fun just like anybody else.

Stramel says the “Runnin’ Revs” also promote awareness of the call to a religious vocation.

Team members include several western Kansan men: Fr. Jarrett Konrade, Director of Vocations for the Salina Diocese;  Deacon Gale Hammerschmidt- Seminarian, Manhattan;  Deacon Brian Lager-Seminarian, Angelus; Justin Gengler- Seminarian, Beloit; Luke Thielen- Seminarian, Quinter; Ryan Allen- Seminarian, Brewster; Javier Ibbara- Seminarian, Salina;  Shawn Kuhlman- Seminarian, Oakley;  Ryan McCandless, Seminarian- Wichita;  and Brent Lehman- Seminarian, Manhattan.

Both Hammerschmidt and Lager will be ordained as priests next month.

Watch the “Runnin Revs” in action tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.

Two Record-Breaking Fish Caught Within 3 Days

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PRATT—On March 7, Tony Melkus of Topeka caught the biggest rainbow trout he’d ever laid eyes on. In fact, when he had it weighed on certified scales, Melkus knew his 14.28-pound trout would be listed in the Kansas record books as the largest rainbow trout ever taken from Kansas waters. He didn’t know that before the ink would dry on his state record fish certificate, his record would be broken.

On March 10, Nicole Wilson of Topeka caught a rainbow trout eclipsing Melkus’ fish, and it now stands as the Kansas state record — as of this writing.

Wilson’s trout was huge, weighing in at 15.43 pounds, more than a pound heavier than Melkus’. Her fish was 33 inches long and had a girth of 19 inches. Both anglers caught their record fish from Lake Shawnee in Topeka.

Rainbow trout are stocked in select Kansas waters each winter to provide an alternative fishing opportunity during months when most warm-water sport fish are tough to catch.

Leadership By Kansas Young Professionals

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When you think about your community’s future, what concerns you the most?

That’s the first question Ed O’Malley, Kansas Leadership Center(KLC) President/CEO, asked the Hays Area Young Professionals (HAYP) during Tuesday’s Eagle Communications Professional Development Series at Fort Hays State University.

The HAYP group, and members of the Leadership Hays 2012 class who were also in the audience, listed a number of concerns, ranging from declining population, to affordable housing and job creation and retention.  O’Malley noted these are areas  likely crying out for leadership.  Then he asked the audience what keeps them from making progress in those areas of concern.

O’Malley oversees all KLC operations.  It’s funded with a $30 million grant from the Kansas Health Foundation.  The Wichita-based KLC is charged with cultivating civic leadership all across Kansas to ultimately improve the health of all Kansans.

O’Malley, 38, says leadership can be learned by people of any age, starting with children who can be taught the concepts through team sports.

We’ll find out more about the Kansas Leadership Center tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.

More Than an Easter Egg Hunt at St. John’s Via Christi Village

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Lots of Easter egg hunts Saturday with lots of kids enjoying the fun, and lots of adults enjoying watching the kids.

It’s hard to say who had the most fun at St. John’s Via Christi Village in Hays.

This is the sixth year the assisted senior living complex has organized the hunt. The children are relatives of the residents and employees.

It’s a lot of work, admits Activity Director Sandy Glassman, but says  seeing the inter-generational sharing is rewarding and worth it.

Three-year Mia Baltodano found several eggs.  Her favorite is colored pink.  Mia had a special invitation to the Easter egg hunt.  She’s  the great-niece of St. John’s Easter Bunny, aka Sherry Schmidt.

St. John’s resident Howard Reynolds, who just moved in Friday, watched with delight as the 75 or so children swarmed around the complex, searching inside and out for Easter goodies.

While Reynolds enjoyed the fun there,  a first-ever Easter egg hunt was also underway  at the Sternberg Museum’s nature trail.  It’s named after Reynolds,  who is curator emeritus of botany for the museum.

There’s more tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.

Kansans Encouraged to Remove Dead Pine Trees

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TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Agriculture is encouraging Kansans with dead pine trees to properly remove the trees during the month of April.

Pine trees that are killed by the pine wilt disease could be a host for the pine sawyer beetle that moves the disease from tree to tree. Pine sawyers are a fast moving parasite that burrows into pine trees feeding on resin canals. Pine sawyers generally emerge from dead pine trees in May and continue through July.

Kansas Department of Agriculture Plant Pathologist Jon Appel says homeowners should take the dead pine trees to a nearby landfill where the trees will be burned. The wood may also be chipped or buried to stop the cycle.  However, these chips should not be used as mulch on pines. Wood from a removed pine tree also should not be used for firewood.

Pine wilt is a disease specific to pines.  Pines affected in Kansas include Scotch, Austrian, Mugo (shrub pine) and a few others.  The disease is generally not found in native North American pines such as the Ponderosa and Eastern White.

Pine wilt disease is established in the eastern half of Kansas but can still be controlled. The disease has been successfully eradicated in several communities of western Kansas.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas Forest Service, Kansas State University and Extension Service, landowners and horticulture groups are working to limit, delay and mitigate the spread of pine wilt disease into the western half of Kansas through the Pine Wilt Initiative.

In addition to removing dead trees, Kansans with pines displaying pine wilt symptoms should notify their local extension agent or the Kansas Department of Agriculture Plant Protection Program at 785-862-2180.  Symptoms include wilting and needles turning a dull green.  If conditions are hot and dry, the tree rapidly dies, with needles turning brown and resin stopping to flow.

Driver Exam Stations to Resume Issuing/Renewing Licenses Thursday

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TOPEKA – Kansas driver exam stations will resume issuing and renewing driver’s licenses and identification cards Thursday morning.

“We realize this outage has been a great source of inconvenience and frustration for many people,” said Director of Vehicles Donna Shelite late Wednesday afternoon. “The vendor responsible for the 8-year-old server is continuing work to ensure we do not have an unplanned outage like this again.”

KBI SWAT Training Utilizes Hays, Russell and Victoria

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Russell County is hosting a basic SWAT school this week for about 60 law enforcement officers from across the state.

They were in Hays Tuesday, practicing building entries and clearings at the former Hays Pathology Lab on east 13th Street.

The 45 hours of training is conducted by the Kansas Bureau of  Investigation.  Longtime KBI Agent Doug Younger is the team leader.

Younger and Russell County Sheriff John Fletcher say it’s important different types of buildings are used for practice to make their jobs  safer in a variety of circumstances.

Classroom lectures are being held in the Russell 4-H Building.

The officers will make training entries into some Russell houses Thursday.  Fletcher says Advantage Reality has allowed the use of four homes it has for sale.

The SWAT training has also utilized the vacant Victoria Grade School.

See more tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community Channel 14.

Midwest Energy Performing Leak Checks

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Midwest Energy’s “Annual Yard Line Natural Gas Leak Survey” is underway in Hays.

Midwest Energy and Southern Cross crews will be surveying all the lines in the city served with natural gas for the next few weeks.  Several rural lines will also be checked.

Homeowners are asked to keep their dogs leashed and their yards accessible for the surveyors.

According to Bob Helm, Manager of Corporate Communications, “The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires that all lines be surveyed for leaks every three years.  Midwest Energy has chosen to survey yard lines every year throughout the system.”

Helm says the areas checked in Hays last year are in really good shape, with few leaks, and those leaks found were very small.

Leaks are classified in several different categories.  Those that need immediate attention, if found, are repaired immediately.  Other leaks are repaired as necessary.

Back 9 Irrigation Project Completed

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He says it “looks like it never happened,”  and Hays Parks Department Director Jeff Boyle is delighted.

As of Monday, the back 9 irrigation project at the Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course is complete.  All that was left to do Tuesday morning was set the computer controls for the watering program.

Boyle says the problem was due to old pipe that kept breaking.  It was replaced with special HDPE pipe which Boyle describes as “nearly indestructible.”

Contractors finished the project two months ahead of schedule.  The city paid cash for it from the Special Parks and Recreation Budget, which is funded with the Ellis County alcohol sales tax.

There’s more tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.

SWAT Training in Hays Tuesday

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Police tactical training will be held Tuesday, April 3 at 1300 East 13th Street in Hays.  About 30 law enforcement officers will participate, says Hays Police Sergeant Tim Greenwood.

It’s part of a Basic SWAT Operator School conducted by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).

The training will occur between 9a.m. and 6p.m.   Greenwood says there is no danger to the public and traffic flow will not be affected.

Lawnmower Clinic Gets Motors Running

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More than an inch of rain last week, plus above normal temperatures forced a lot of Hays residents to get out the lawnmowers for the first time this year.

Knowing their machines hadn’t been revved up for many months, some people took advantage of the Lawnmower Clinic and Safety Fair Saturday morning at Fort Hays State University.

The premiere event was organized by the Agri-Business Club and “The Green Team,”  a Leadership 310 class.

For $30, the ag students performed full-service maintenance on walk-behind mowers.  That included an oil change, blade sharpening, changing spark plugs and cleaning the air filter.   They also did an overall safety check.

FHSU Technology Studies Associate Professor, Dr. Robert Howell, explained the dangers of lawn mowing while speaking at the related Safety Fair inside Davis Hall.  He talked about some personal experiences, including pulling the mower over his own foot when he was a teenager.  Three of his toes were deeply cut, but doctors were able to save them.

The agri-business students spruced up about 70 lawn mowers.  They hope to make it an annual fundraiser for their club.

See more tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.

Haulmark Named SRS Deputy Secretary

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TOPEKA – Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services Secretary Phyllis Gilmore on Monday named Gary Haulmark (pictured center)  as Deputy Secretary for the Department’s Division of Disability and Behavioral Health Services.

Haulmark, who has been acting deputy secretary since January, has extensive experience in state and federal government. A former Kansas State Representative, Haulmark earlier served as legislative director for SRS.

SRS’s Disability and Behavioral Health division provides care and services to 157,000 clients and patients statewide.

The division supervises the state’s mental health, physical disability and developmental disability services, oversees addiction and addiction prevention programs, as well as being responsible for the state’s institutions: the Kansas Neurological Institute, Larned State Hospital, Osawatomie State Hospital, Parsons State Hospital and Training Center and the Rainbow Mental Health Facility.

Farmers Preach Safety to Area Teen Workers

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Agriculture ranks among the most dangerous industries.   According to OSHA, 440 farmworkers died from work-related injuries in 2009.  The leading cause of death between 1992 and 2009 –tractor overturns.

An Ag Safety Awareness Program earlier this month at the Hays KSU Ag Research Center, brought together area high school F-F-A students and professionals who talked about injury prevention.  Two Barton County men told their personal stories about being hurt on the job, even though they’ve been farming all their lives.

Claflin farmer Don Feist was hospitalized for six weeks after his leg was smashed when his tractor rolled over on him.  He then was treated for several more weeks for a major staph infection which developed from unseen dirt still left in his leg after surgery.

David Wirth was run over by his tractor.  His teenage employees were too shocked to call 9-1-1.  The Ellinwood farmer had to do it himself.  He was airlifted to a Wichita hospital suffering injuries that included a crushed foot.

Wirth told the F-F-A students an accident “will happen” to them if they don’t work safely and slowly.

The students also learned about anhydrous ammonia hazards, electrical and natural gas safety and how to safely use skid steers.

OSHA statistics show that every day, about 243 ag works suffer a serious lost-worktime injury.

 

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