The first hard freeze of the season Wednesday night in Hays as the overnight low dropped to 26 degrees and it stayed below freezing for 6 hours.
A reminder that winter will soon be here, and in preparation the 14th annual coat drive is Saturday. Coats, hats, scarves and gloves have been donated and will be given away at Top Notch Cleaners and Master Cleaners in downtown Hays between 9a.m. and 2p.m.
There are no income guidelines for receiving a coat.
Elections for new members of the Ellis County K-State Research and Extension Council are underway today in Hays. The Council consists of 24 members. Six members are elected to represent each of the four core mission areas: Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences, 4-H Youth Development and Community Development.
Every citizen 18 or older who resides in Ellis County is eligible to vote. The poll is open at the Extension Office, 601 Main, until 4p.m. and again from 5 to 7 tonight at the Farmer’s Appreciation Event at the KSU-Ag Research Center.
Work continues on the update of the city of Hays comprehensive plan with four public meetings next week.
Consultant group RDG invites residents to participate in any of the “Design Studios” October 24-26th at the Hays Arts Council. The hands-on workshops will engage residents in designing the future of Hays.
The focus concepts, according to Project Manager Amy Haase, include reinvestment opportunities for the downtown and 8th Street corridor to FHSU, Vine Street phases, and development near the Mall. More information is available online at www.planhays.com.
Help Plan Hays Design Studios:
Monday, October 24 5:30-7:30p.m.(Downtown & 8th Street corridor to FHSU)
Tuesday, October 25 11a.m.-1p.m.
Wednesday, October 26 8-10a.m.
Wednesday, October 26 3:30-5:30p.m. (Follow-up & Steering Committee Meeting)
The Associated Press
GREAT BEND – The suspect in the death of a 14-year-old Great Bend girl has asked a judge to pay jurors at his upcoming trial their current wages and reimburse those with small children for day care.
The defense request was filed Wednesday in Barton County for the capital murder trial of Adam Longoria. The 37-year-old Great Bend man is charged with killing Alicia DeBolt, whose charred body was found in August 2010 at the asphalt plant where Longoria worked.
His attorneys argued that wage earners and caregivers often are granted hardship requests excusing them from the jury pool. The defense argues jurors who have experienced the same financial circumstances understand the predicament of people like Longoria and may be especially well suited to judge him.
No trial date has been set.
Alicia DeBolt and her family are former Hays residents.
A Hays couple charged in connection with sex crimes involving a child will have a joint preliminary hearing scheduled for December 9 in Ellis County District Court. Before then, both 46 year old Clinton Eugene Snavely and his wife, 51 year old Beverly Ann Snavely, will be examined to ensure they are competent to stand trial.
Both face multiple counts of sex-related crimes involving a child. This is the second time Clinton Snavely has faced charges stemming from incidents involving children.
Domestic violence victims lose nearly eight million days of paid work per year in the United States. That’s just one of many alarming statistics highlighted during the 2011 Domestic Violence Summit at Fort Hays State University Tuesday and Wednesday.
Hays-based “Options” Director Charlotte Linsner says quality training and information need to be provided locally to all professionals who respond to domestic violence.
Representatives from the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, the attorney general’s office, and the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center are talking about legal issues, including Kansas House Bill 2517 (DV Designation Law), Protection from Abuse Orders, Protection from Stalking Orders, and Prosecutor and Law Enforcement Response.
The federal government mandates that all states have a mental health services planning and advisory council. The Governor’s Mental Health Services Planning Council (GMHSPC) fulfills that mandate for Kansas. The GMHSPC is actively involved in planning, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and advising state government regarding Kansas’ mental health services.
Two area residents are among those just appointed to the council by Governor Brownback :
Planned power outage for the city of Ellis tonight…according to Ellis County Emergency Manager Bill Ring, Midwest Energy will be doing work on the lines feeding the city of Ellis starting at midnight and lasting about 4 hours.
The Hays High School Industrial Tech Association finished its fall race season with a first place win. HHITA won the standard car class in the Hodgeman County ElectroRally Saturday at Hanston. Another car took fourth.
The first-place car was driven by senior Spencer Hitchcock, who went 101 laps in one hour, outdistancing second-place Stockton by five laps. Sophomore Brett Hertel, who drove 92 laps, was just three laps behind the third-place car from Haysville-Campus.
The students, along with drafting instructor Chris Dinkel, will spend the winter months preparing for next spring’s competition.
Another tradition that will go by the wayside once Kennedy Middle School closes next May, is the annual “Hays City Super Bowl.” The middle school football match-up between Kennedy and the Felten Falcons started in 1957. The final game was played last Thursday at Felten, where former coaches and players joined the fans in cheering on the last Kennedy Fighting Irish football team.
The final Hays City Super Bowl victory went to Felten in a shutout win over Kennedy, 22-0.
Next week during Parent-Teacher conferences, parents will be asked to complete a computer survey with their input about changes in the look and name of the new single middle school.
He’s a perfect example of the great “American Melting Pot.” Fang Wong was born in China, immigrated to the United States as a 12 year old in 1960, and became a naturalized citizen in 1963. He volunteered for the U-S Army, serving 25 months in Vietnam, and retired as a chief warrant officer. Today, Wong is the National Commander of the American Legion and is touring each state.
In Kansas Monday, Commander Wong started his day at Fort Riley and ended it at Hays Post 173. Since taking office just six weeks ago, Wong has testified in Washington about the need to keep the military defense budget strong and veterans’ benefits intact.
Wong is a member of American Legion Post 1291 in New York City’s Chinatown. He coordinated relief efforts during the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks in 2001.
TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Commerce has announced the winners of the Main Street Awards of Excellence at the annual Kansas Downtown Symposium at Memorial Hall in Independence.
Among the winners was Phillipsburg. First National Bank and Trust won a community award, while an excellence in fundraising award was given for the community’s commemorative playing cards. Excellence in architectural design awards were given to Couli Kaffee and Erik and Nicolina Coulimore.
The event is sponsored by the department’s Kansas Main Street program and provides community developers and business leaders a chance to network, attend workshops and discuss downtown development in Kansas. The annual event typically draws nearly 200 business and community leaders interested in downtown development, including city and county officials, entrepreneurs and small-business owners, as well as Main Street directors, board members and volunteers.
The Kansas Main Street program helps community volunteers revitalize their city’s historic business district.
An inmate at the Ellis County Jail in Hays committed suicide Sunday morning, according to a news release Monday morning from the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office.
The death is being investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
No other details were immediately available.
