For the first time, Kansans must provide photographic identification when they vote this year.  Several types of photo IDs are acceptable, with driver licenses the most commonly used.

Election official in several states are concerned the closing of mail-processing centers and post offices will disrupt vote-by-mail balloting this year.

The U-S Postal Service is moving ahead with plans to close another 223 processing centers, including Hays, and thousands more post offices as part of a cost-cutting strategy.

Russell County Clerk Mary Nuss doesn’t anticipate much difficulty.  She says it’s mostly a matter of timing and anticipating deadlines, both by voters requesting an advance ballot and by her office.

Nuss and her staff wore special T-shirts Tuesday  during a Russell Chamber of Commerce morning coffee to remind residents about the changes .

Oregon is the only state where residents are required to vote by mail.

Find out more tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.

Medical emergencies can happen at any moment, and most often, they happen at home.

Hays Med wants community members to know what to do if someone is in cardiac arrest.  The hospital recently offered free C-P-R training classes.  This was the 12th consecutive year for the project.

Nearly 200 participants, age 8 and older, learned the basics from 30 certified volunteer instructors in the Center for Health Improvement.

This year, according to  Hays Med program coordinator Deb McClaren, the event drew a lot of grandparents and Girl Scouts.  The grandparents, she says, spend a lot of time with their grandchildren and the Girls Scouts are preparing for their first babysitting jobs.

Funding from DeBakey Heart Institute and the Hays Med Foundation provides the students with CPR kits that include an instructional  DVD and practice dummy.

Participants also learned the Heimlich maneuver for choking victims.

You can see more tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.

It’s been 14 months in the making.   The city of Hays’ new comprehensive plan is nearing completion.

An open house will be held March 14 for public input about the community’s future growth map.  Residents are asked to comment on plans for land use, street connections, open spaces and public facilities.

Assistant City Manager Paul Briseno says the consultant, RDG, suggests a reconfiguration of the I-70 Vine Street exit making it easier for visitors to find and drive to desirable locations where they might linger longer, ultimately spending more time and money in Hays.

Plans have also been drawn for an 18-mile hike and bike trail encompassing every elementary school and city park in Hays.

The open house is next Wednesday,  5:30-7:30PM,  in the FHSU Robbins Center.

Eagle Community TV will also livestream the consultant’s presentation on Hays Post.com.

Find out more tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.

Hydraulic fracturing, a method of enhancing oil and gas recovery from wells, dates back to 1947 and started in southwest Kansas.   The first experimental treatment in the United States took place in the Hugoton gas field in Grant County.

Kansas Corporation Commission Conservation Director Doug Louis talked about the 60-year evolution of  “fracking” During Thursday’s annual Kansas Water Office Issues Forum in Hays at the K-State Ag Research Center.

There have been recent media reports about environmental concerns with the technique in other states.  According to Louis, Kansas hasn’t had any problems.  He says there are no reported documented cases of fracking contaminating fresh water in the state.

The Kansas Geological Survey reports 99.51% of a typical fluid used in hydraulic fracturing is comprised of fresh water and sand.  The remaining 0.49% of additives usually come from compounds found in common household goods, such as swimming pool cleaner and cosmetics.

The KCC governs hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas wells, and the subsequent management of fluids and chemicals.

Watch Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14 tonight for more.

A new convention center is proposed to be built in Hays.

Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development Executive Director Aaron White talked about the plans Friday with the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce.  The city asked the coalition to form a taskforce for the project.

The convention center will be located just south of the Holiday Inn Express north of I-70 and is projected to open in 2014.

Fort Hays State University is leading the effort as developer.

White says the 20-thousand square foot, $5 million facility will be funded with a Community Improvement District.  A 1/2 cent sales tax will be assessed within the CID participating properties for an anticipated  11 years.

CID members will consist of motels and restaurants both north and south of I-70, as well as Wal-Mart.

Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Jana Jordan estimates a new convention center will draw another 4 to 5 thousand visitors to Hays each year.  She says the average conventioneer spends 175 dollars a day in the host town.

The convention center will also be available for private functions, and will be part of a new Culinary Arts program at North Central Kansas Technical College.

Watch the story tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.

 

For 23 years, the fourth graders at Holy Family Elementary School in Hays have marked “Fat Tuesday” with their own pancake races.

Similar to the traditional rivalry between women in Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England, the students, parents and faculty celebrate the final day of feasting before Lent starts for Catholics.

The races are run in heats on the school playground.  Each contestant dons an apron, grabs a skillet containing  a pancake made by fourth-grade teacher and event organizer Teresa Schrant, and off they go, flipping all the way, noisily cheered on by the entire school population.

Crowd favorite this year–Father Kevin Weber, who won the Faculty and Staff division.

Find out who the other winners were tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.

 

A majority of residents in east Hays adjacent to one proposed location  for a new dog park say they support “Friends of the Hays Dog Park” in their project, but also say “NIMBY-Not In My Back Yard.”

About 20 people met Tuesday night in Hays City Hall to hear an update on the project from Friends president Dr. Kim Perez, chairman of the FHSU History Department, along with several other group officers.

More than a dozen locations have been scouted with the assistance of Hays Director of Parks Jeff Boyle.  The best site is east of the Kiwanis park at 13th and Harvest Road.

Most of the neighbors are concerned about a possible decline in their property values.  They also say there’s a problem with stormwater runoff in the area  and fear a buildup of trash and possibly dog feces.  Perez  says Friends of the Hays Dog Park  would vigilantly keep the park clean.  Dog walkers would be required to clean up after their pets.

Boyle will report the meeting’s discussion points  to Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty.  The issue is expected to re-appear in an upcoming city commission work session.

Tune in tonight for more on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.