St. Fidelis, Victoria’s “Cathedral of the Plains,” celebrated its centennial Sunday morning with the unveiling and dedication of a monument and time capsule.  The centennial monument was designed by Daren and Taylor Lang, with masonry work by Deloyd Sander.  A blessing of the monument was lead by Bishop Emeritus George K. Fitzsimons.  This was the final event in a three year observation.

The limestone church was named as one of the “8 Wonders of Kansas” in 2008 by then-governor Kathleen Sebelius and the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

St. Fidelis was dedicated August 27, 1911.

The 2011 fundraising campaign for the United Way of Ellis County kicked off Friday at the Smoky Hill Country Club in Hays with the introduction of a new executive director.  Jason Rauch is from St. Joseph, Missouri.  The campaign is already at 35% of its $475,000 goal, thanks to companies in the Pacesetters group, who’ve  raised $170,405.

The father of radio and television at Fort Hays State University after whom Heather Hall was named, died Friday morning at Ellis Good Samaritan Center. Heather, 86, developed the radio curriculum at FHSU in 1950. The program that started in a room in Malloy Hall experienced a big expansion in 1982 with the building of Heather Hall.  Heather retired in 1988 as director of radio-TV-film.

Ellis County American Red Cross volunteer Pete Peterson gets final instructions from Hays Service Center Manager Meagan Carver Thursday afternoon as the ERV deploys to Middletown, NY, site of the ARC staging area for Hurricane Irene.

Peterson will meet a Wichita teammate in Salina and arrive in New York Monday. The Red Cross is preparing for flood victims along the East Coast.

This is the second time the Ellis County Emergency Response Vehicle has been deployed.

Starting Monday, August 29^th, the City of Hays will begin its routine bi-yearly water distribution system burn out to control  biofilm.  According to Utilities Director Bernie Kitten, bibiofilm must be eliminated to ensure proper water infrastructure maintenance and quality.  Biofilming occurs as a slight light film growing inside distribution pipes, causing water to have a bad taste and smell and lead to nitrification and corrosive water.

Residents can expect a slight chlorine odor as the procedure moves through the system.  The odor should not last more than a couple of days.  The water is not harmful and is perfectly safe to use and consume.

Once the burn out is completed,  the city will return to its normal process of combined chlorine.  Hays previously used the burn out procedure in 2009 and 2006.

Local military members deploying overseas in the next few months will have one extra item with them as a reminder of home.  The servicemen and women will be given pocket flags provided by the Hays VFW Post 9076 Ladies Auxiliary.  Members recently folded 300 8 by 13 inch flags military style into much smaller 3 by 2 inch flags.  Then they were placed in plastic zip bags along with a note of thanks and encouragement.

Members of the 388^th Medical Logistics Battalion based in Hays will deploy at the end of September.

A former bank in Dorrance is now in the National Register of Historic Places after nomination by the Kansas Historical Society.

The one-story, freestanding limestone building was erected in 1905 on Main Street to house the Citizens State Bank, which later became the Dorrance State Bank.  It was a popular lending institution for Russell County farmers and merchants during the early 1900s when Dorrance thrived as a small farming community.  The building was sold in 1936.  The Dorrance Telephone Company used the building as a switchboard facility, and later it served as a barbershop.  The current owner is rehabilitating the building.

The Friends of the Hays Dog Park group continues to raise money and expects to meet next month with the city to request land for the proposed project.  The first major fundraiser, a two-day garage sale in mid-August netted about three-thousand dollars.

The group is looking at an area near Kiwanis Park in east Hays where the city grows alfalfa.  President Kim Perez says supporters are more willing to give if they know a location has been secured.  That would also allow the Friends group to apply for grants.  In the meantime, yard signs are being sold to supporters for $18 .

So far, Friends of the Hays Dog Park has raised about $6,700 of the 38-thousand dollars Perez estimates it will take for a basic park.

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

The cities of Hays and  Russell are looking to the future and to the southwest for longterm water supplies.  Both governing bodies voted last week to proceed with exploring options at the Circle K Ranch in Edwards County, which is jointly owned by  Hays and Russell.   The two towns comprise Public Wholesale Water Supply District #15.  Chairman Joe Glassman, a former Hays City Commissioner, is encouraging both entities to start the process.

Wilson Lake is another top alternative water source for Hays and Russell, but would be more expensive to acquire.  Engineer estimates are 84 million dollars for Wilson; 62 million dollars for Circle K Ranch.

Glassman says the water district will meet in September and then report back to each city council on recommendations for moving forward.

USD 208 in WaKeeney has a new superintendent.  George Griffith comes from Northern Valley, where he was superintendent and high school principal the past four years.   Griffith is also a science teacher with advanced degrees from Fort Hays State University and K-State.  He’s also taught in Almena and Fort Worth, Texas.