It was likely the shortest Hays city commission work session on record.
Commissioners spent just three minutes and 1 second on the single agenda item presented Thursday night by Jeff Crispin, director of water resources.
Several older areas of Hays have sanitary sewer lines in need of repair.
Some locations are an easy fix, where protruding taps and large vegetation root balls can be cut out by city workers without having to dig up the sewer.
But 26 other places will require replacement of sections of the line, according to Crispin.
“Other abandonments are caused by pipe collapses, holes or joint offsets can only be fixed by digging down to the failure spot and replacing a section of the line,” Crispin explained. “Basically the area is south of 27th Street and west of Vine Street.”
One abandoned area of sewer line due to a hole in the pipe.
The cleaning of the portions noted by Crispin and subsequent video examinations could not occur.
Crispin presented four bids for the project. The low bid by M&D Excavating of Hays is for $198, 380, which will be considered by commissioners at their meeting next Tuesday.
The commission will meet Nov. 20 due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Vice-Mayor Henry Schwaller was absent from the work session.
Several older areas in Hays have sanitary sewer lines in need of repair because of pipe collapses, holes, or off-set joints, according to Jeff Crispin, director of water resources.
The annual sewer cleaning and inspection program has identified 26 locations where the lines are impassible and can’t be cleaned or examined by a video camera, Crispin wrote in a memo to Hays city commissioners.
Some of the abandonments, due to protruding taps and large vegetation root balls, are an easy fix and can be cut out internally without having to dig up the sewer. The abandonments caused by pipe collapses, holes or joint offsets can only be fixed by digging down to the failure spot and replacing a section of line.
Bids to replace sections of sanitary sewer line in 26 locations were received Oct. 23 from four bidders. The low bid was made by M&D Excavating of Hays for $198,380, which would be funded out of Water Reclamation Capital.
Crispin will present the bids during Thursday’s work session.
The only other item on the agenda is review of the Nov. 1 work session minutes.
The snow started early Sunday afternoon in Hays and ultimately dropped 3.5 inches, according to the official report from the K-State Agricultural Research Center south of town.
Sunday’s high temperature was 39 degrees, allowing for some melting of the snow which resulted in icy streets and parking lots as the overnight low dipped to 22 degrees.
The snowfall yielded 0.27 inches of moisture, with 0.45 inches of precipitation so far in November.
Year-to-date moisture in Hays is 34.89 inches, more than a foot above normal for the entire year. The average amount of annual precipitation for Hays is 23.46 inches.
“I’m just one of roughly 400 members, men and women who compose VFW Post 9076 here in Hays. Our post is a great group. We have several heroes among us. In fact, some of them are here in the first few rows. But I want to make clear that I do not consider myself one of them.”
That was how retired Hays Lt. Commander Mike Morley, who served in the U.S. Navy for 23 years, introduced himself to the crowd gathered Saturday for the annual Hays VFW Veterans Day observation.
As the program’s featured speaker, Morley, who is communications coordinator for Midwest Energy, focused on what he called “my heroes, invisible veterans.”
He started with a reflection back to the devastation of World War I in which 20 million people were killed on all sides.
“Twenty-one million were wounded. And that’s significant because it was the first war where more men came home injured, surviving their combat wounds, than dying from them,” Morley noted.
There were horrific physical injuries. But other injuries were not so obvious.
“For example, shell shock. That’s a polite term for what we call today PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Or nerve and brain damage from widespread use of chemical weapons.
Flag-raising ceremony Saturday at the Hays VFW
“H. G. Wells famously wrote that World War I will be ‘the war that will end war’ because a rerun would be just to horrific to contemplate. Of course, we know things didn’t turn out that way.”
Morley recalled the wars since then, several other smaller actions and places today where troops are fighting in small numbers.
“In the 100 years since the end of World War I, November 11th, 1918, tens of millions of men and women have worn the uniform of their country and all of them to a greater or lesser degree, have been changed forever by that experience.”
Life is just a little bit different for those invisible men and women who made it home, just like those in World War I, he said, whether they served in combat or not.
Morley talked about his friend Brian. “He doesn’t have any ships or places named after him, but his sacrifice is every bit as real as those who do.”
The two met 26 years ago as young sailors. Brian was from Texas; Morley was from Topeka, Kansas.
“We had three things in common: a love of heavy metal music, a love of Japanese beer and a curiosity about amateur boxing.”
One evening after work the two put on sparring gloves. “It wasn’t pretty,” Morley said with a wry grin.
Morley was knocked down in about 40 seconds. Brian had neglected to mention he was a Texas high school Golden Gloves boxer. Rather than rub it in, Brian taught Morley how to improve his boxing skills.
They kept in touch over the years by email and Facebook.
While Morley stayed on active duty, Brian went inactive and into the Navy Reserve, moving to Manhattan, Kansas, and taking a job at Fort Riley to raise his family.
Brian volunteered for his first combat deployment to Afghanistan in 2008. While on patrol with a Marine squad, a teenage boy approached them with a smile, said hello in English, and then detonated the explosive vest he was wearing.
The bomber was killed instantly. The blast scattered the Americans who suffered various injuries, including lost limbs and eyes. Brian was sent into a wall, knocked unconscious and shattered three vertebrae in his back.
After a long convalescence stateside, Brian received the Purple Heart and re-enlisted in the Navy Reserves.
“I was stunned when he volunteered for a second tour,” Morley recalled.
This time, Brian’s base was hit several times by Taliban rocket attacks. During a nighttime attack, Brian fell from his bunk, hitting his head hard on a metal table. He was knocked unconscious and re-injured his back.
His tour was again cut short and he was sent home to recover.
Brian’s wife reported something was different after that event; his normally happy-go-lucky personality had changed. “He became short-tempered, suspicious. His mood swings at work became more pronounced and he couldn’t deal with stress very well,” she said.
Brian ended up losing his job at Fort Riley.
His medical care was also different the second time. Instead of the long inpatient stay at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, he received after his first injury, Morley said, “Brian was given cursory outpatient treatments at the VA [hospital] in Topeka.”
Brian was on 26 prescription medications in 2010, according to his wife. He was taking anti-psychotics, anxiety drugs, sleeping pills, stimulants and pain pills, all at the same time.
The VA twice scheduled and canceled the back surgery Brian needed for permanent pain relief. There was a surgeon shortage and more severely injured veterans took priority.
“So Brian was simply given more and stronger pills, and the chemical mix made him more and more unpredictable.”
In July 2011, when Brian’s mood swings were at their highest, his wife and children moved out.
“For seven months, Brian rarely left the house, only for food, doctor’s appointments and to pick up prescriptions. His Facebook posts had gone from fun and edgy to being an incoherent mix of statements and paranoid rants.”
On Feb. 11, 2012, Brian received a mail-order prescription for 90 pain pills, double the dosage of an earlier prescription.
That evening he took 10 of the new pills along with the cocktail mix of his regular meds.
When Brian didn’t show up for his son’s track meet the next afternoon, his son went by the house and found him on the basement couch.
The chief petty officer was just 39 years old.
“Ironically, Brian was not among the 22 veterans who would take their own lives that day, or the next day, or every day since,” Morley said.
Brian left no note. His death was declared “respiratory arrest by accidental overdose.”
“He died as he lived his last few years, as an invisible veteran,” said Morley of his longtime friend.
Brian’s story is not unique.
“This country, its VA system, and dozens of non-profit groups have bent over backwards to ease the transition for severely [physically] disabled combat vets. These guys are true heroes,” Morley declared, “and they really deserve to be cared for as such.
“But for the thousands and thousands of invisible veterans whose injuries are less obvious or poorly documented, they fall through the cracks trying to navigate a system that wasn’t designed for them, and this is not new.”
There are Vietnam War Agent Orange vets with cancer, veterans with Gulf War Syndrome, and more recently, veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries from non-fatal blasts or severe PTSD from events they’ve experienced but can’t unsee.
“They suffer in silence for years on end, hoping and praying that a slow-moving bureaucracy will someday validate or at least acknowledge that they are now different from before they served.
“So H.G. Wells was dead wrong when he predicted an end to war a hundred years ago,” Morley declared.
“Today, we’re in a war against faceless, nameless terrorists with no end in sight, which means we are continuing to make these invisible veterans.
“As we pause today to remember the veterans we’ve lost, let us also remember those we still have with us, especially the invisible ones. Let us vow to never again minimize their service or minimize their symptoms. Instead, let’s embrace them and their families with dignity, compassion, and most of all, understanding,” he concluded.
Morley’s speech was met with a standing ovation by the audience, filled with veterans, family and friends.
Several Hays city employees were introduced to city commissioners Thursday night by their supervisors.
Jesse Rohr, public works director, brought three men who were recently promoted: Jake Erickson, Equipment Operator; and Mike Pfannenstiel and Orion Orth who have both been promoted to Maintenance Worker II.
Don Scheibler, police chief, introduced new officers Nicholas Kleiber and Lane Hoffman.
Veterans who are members of the Hays Senior Center and the Hays VFW Honor Guard were honored Friday.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Don Bickle and Harold Kraus
The Hays Senior Center honored its members who are veterans with a patriotic program and lunch Friday.
Men who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War were escorted to their seats of honor at the front of the room as their service branch and years of service were read. They were members of the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force.
Also honored were three visiting veterans, Don Bickle, Harold Kraus, and Leo Knoll.
Navy veteran Bickle served in 1945 in WWI and again in the Korean War in 1950. Kraus was also in the Navy, serving from 1951-1960 in the Korean War and what’s known as the “Cold War.”
“I flew over some beautiful places during the Cold War, and later took my wife to see those countries as a tourist,” Kraus said during lunch with his wife Virginia beside him.
Knoll served in the Army from 1963 to 1966.
All the honorees were given a small U.S. flag and bright red fabric poppy to wear as the group posed for pictures.
The event was an early observation of Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day.
In 1918, World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month with a signed armistice declaring the “war to end all wars” was finally over. The next year, the U.S. declared Nov. 11th Armistice Day in memory of the men and women involved in WWI.
Many soldiers were buried in Flanders Field, site of a bloody WWI battle in Belgium. Poppies thrived in the battle-scarred soil strewn with rubble, which provided lime deposits and made the soil rich. The site became a stark contrast of white crosses and vibrant red poppies.
Nancy Augustine
“Today, the poppy represents all the people who died in the service of their country,” explained Nancy Augustine, monthly activity coordinator for the center.
The Hays VFW Post 9076 Honor Guard posted the colors and patriotic music was song by the Victoria trio “Trilogy,” comprised of brothers Jerry and Leroy Schmidtberger and a brother-in-law, Rick Rupp.
Several tables were filled with pictures and memories of servicemen from Hays and Ellis County.
Food server Angela Moxter, who also helped escort the honorees, provided pictures of her father, Robert H. Meyer, a Pearl Harbor survivor. Meyer served in the Navy from 1939 to 1945.
Meyer is first seen in a large, black and white group picture of sailors in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The photo was taken Nov. 30, 1941, one week before the Dec. 7 bombing that spurred the United States to enter World War II.
A second, color picture shows Meyer in his Pearl Harbor survivor cap attending a military remembrance ceremony.
Meyer died two years ago.
Nancy Augustine
Angela Moxter hands a flag to Norman Giebler, USN 1956-58.
ELLIS – Campground Committee member Verda Flinn appeared before the Ellis City Council during its Monday evening meeting asking the city to begin soliciting bids for water and electrical work for the campground expansion project. After some discussion, council members voted to first solicit bids for an engineer to develop detailed plans for the expansion.
In other business, Alan Scheuerman, public works director reported nearly 29 tons of material was collected during the recent citywide cleanup.
The complete meeting minutes follow.
ELLIS CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING
Minutes
November 5, 2018
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor David McDaniel called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Present were Council members Holly Aschenbrenner, Susan Eaton, Jolene Niernberger, and Dena Patee. Also present were Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman, City Clerk Amy Burton, Police Chief Taft Yates, and City Attorney Olavee Raub. Council members Bret Andries and Bob Redger were absent.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA
None
PUBLIC PRESENT
Barbara Perkins, Glen Keller, Verda Flinn, and Steve Ferland.
CONSENT AGENDA
Council member Jolene Niernberger moved to approve the consent agenda containing the Minutes from the Regular Meeting on October 15, 2018 and Bills Ordinance #2056. Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded the motion. The Council approved the consent agenda 4-0.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
None
PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)
None
SPECIAL ORDER
None
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Campground: Special Project
Verda Flinn, representing the Campground Committee, requested approval for the Committee to solicit bids for water and electrical contract work for the Campground Expansion Project. Council discussed various grants that might be available to help fund the project. Entire project bids would be necessary to include on any grant applications as well. Council member Dena Patee moved and Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded a motion to allow the Campground Committee to solicit the needed bids for the Campground Expansion project. Upon a call for discussion, Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman inquired who should draw up the specifications for the project in order to solicit bids. An engineer would need to provide detailed plans in order to solicit utility bids. Upon a call for the vote the motion carried 3-1, with Council member Holly Aschenbrenner voting opposed. Council member Holly Aschenbrenner then moved for the Campground Committee to solicit bids for an engineer to develop detailed plans for the Campground Expansion Project. Council member Dena Patee seconded the motion. The motion carried 4-0.
At the October 1st Council meeting, Council requested that a letter be drafted to the Girl Scouts regarding concerns noted during their annual event in September. It was the consensus of Council to not send the letter and to just address the concerns prior to approval of next year’s event.
NEW BUSINESS
Parks/Streets: Event Request
Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved to approve the Public Property Permit Application and the Request for Traffic Control for the annual Ellis Polar Express event. The event will be held on December 1st from 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. in Playworld Park. Council member Susan Eaton seconded the motion. The motion carried 4-0, with Council member Dena Patee abstaining due to perceived conflict of interest.
General Government: Special Project
Council member Dena Patee moved and Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded a motion to authorize Mayor David McDaniel to sign the letter of support for ACCESS Public Transportation to assist the organization with their grant funding. The motion carried 4-0.
Sewer: Acquisition
Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman presented one bid for the purchase of aluminum chlorohydrate for the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Council member Dena Patee moved to approve the purchase of aluminum chlorohydrate from Brenntag in the amount of $1,260.30 with funds to come from the Sewer Utility Fund. Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded the motion. The motion carried 4-0.
Streets: Acquisition
Mr. Scheuerman continued by requesting approval to purchase winter mix asphalt. Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved to approve the purchase of 15 ton of winter mix asphalt from APAC in the amount of $2,300 with funds to come from Capital Improvement-Streets. Council member Dena Patee seconded the motion. The motion carried 4-0.
General Government: Financial
Security Bank of Kansas City has contacted City Clerk Amy Burton regarding the remaining TIF funds held in the City’s Project Fund. The City is now able to close out the Project Fund and transfer the remaining monies to the Debt Service Fund to help pay off the Special Obligation Bonds. Council member Jolene Niernberger moved to authorize Mayor David McDaniel to sign the Certification of Completion for the TIF Project. Council member Dena Patee seconded the motion. The motion carried 4-0.
Fire: Acquisition
Council member Jolene Niernberger moved to ratify the invoice from VLS Communications in the amount of $1,378.50 for the purchase of three pagers and battery packs for the Fire Department. Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded the motion. The motion carried 4-0.
REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS
Public Works
Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman updated Council on the annual sewer cleaning performed by Mayer Services. The Department received some complaints from residents since the contractor was a day late in arriving. Council discussed adding a range of dates to the doorknockers, rather than just a start date.
Mr. Scheuerman reported that almost 29 tons of material was collected during the City Wide Cleanup. The City incurred $2,168.25 in landfill fees.
Police
Police Chief Taft Yates presented the Monthly Activity Report for October and the November Staff Calendar.
City Clerk
Council reviewed the draft minutes from the recent Campground Committee meeting. City Clerk Amy Burton reminded Council of the work session on November 7th to review the 2019-2023 Capital Improvement Plan.
City Clerk: Training
Council member Jolene Niernberger moved to allow City Clerk Amy Burton to attend the annual Master Municipal Clerk’s Academy on November 15-16th in Wichita. Council member Dena Patee seconded the motion. The motion carried 4-0.
Attorney
City Attorney Olavee Raub reported the second contract with the landowner has been successfully negotiated. After the Mayor and the landowners have signed the contracts, Ms. Raub will schedule the closing date.
Mayor Update and Announcements
Mayor David McDaniel and Council member Jolene Niernberger updated Council on pressing issues discussed at the annual League of Kansas Municipalities Regional Supper in Oakley.
ADJOURNMENT
Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved and Council member Dena Patee seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 8:34 p.m.
Pete enjoys digging in the garden after Thursday’s snowfall.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
The cold weather brought the season’s first significant amount of snowfall to Hays.
According to the official report from the K-State Agricultural Research Center, 1 inch of snow was measured Thu., Nov. 8, yielding 0.11 inches of moisture. In October, 0.03 hundredths of snow fell for a total of 1.03 inches so far for the season.
October was a wet month in Hays with 6.72 inches of precipitation measured. The normal amount for October is 1.45 inches.
Precipitation for the year-to-date is also ahead of normal. At the end of October, 34.44 inches had fallen; the average is 21.26 inches. The usual amount of annual precipitation in Hays is 23.46 inches, which was exceeded back in August.
2019 reconstruction planned for portions of Ash, Fourth and Elm streets. (Click to enlarge)
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Following reconstruction of Allen Street this year, the next priority street construction project for the city of Hays is to reconstruct portions of Ash Street, Fourth Street, and Elm Street near Fort Hays State University’s Lewis Field Stadium.
It’s one of the older residential areas of Hays, and is past the point of spot maintenance according to John Braun, city project manager.
The project is included in the Capital Improvement Plan for 2019, budgeted at $1.64 million. Water Resources and Storm Water funds are available for associated water line and storm sewer improvements.
City commissioners Thursday night approved the $39,185 low bid for engineering design by Driggs Design Group of Hays and Manhattan. It will be funded from Commission Capital Reserves.
The total project length is approximately 3,100 linear feet and includes removing and replacing pavement with 8 inches of reinforced concrete; removing and replacing areas of failed curb and gutter; upgrading sidewalks and curb ramps as necessary to meet ADA requirements; remove and replace or rehab storm sewer inlets along the project; upgrade approximately 1,100 feet of old 4-inch water main to new 8-inch water main along Ash Street; and extend new waterline connections under the new pavement at other locations along Elm Street.
“The road widths would remain the same,” said Braun, “but the intersection geometrics would be improved, particularly [the curb radius] at Fifth and Elm, giving more room for traffic to get through around that curve.”
The city has had preliminary discussions with Fort Hays State about converting existing parallel parking to angle parking on the west side of Elm between 4th and Lewis Drive.
“Should Fort Hays want to proceed with that, they would cover the extra costs of [pavement] making that conversion,” Braun told commissioners. FHSU has estimated it would gain 8 extra parking spaces.
Because the project is near the university and there is a high density of housing rented by students in the area, construction would take place during the summer between late May and early August.
Vice-Mayor Henry Schwaller was absent from the meeting.
Recently Fort Hays State University had the opportunity to host the Kansas Board of Regents for a campus visit. I was very grateful to have time set aside for the Regents to focus on FHSU and for us to demonstrate our remarkable success and innovative, hands-on education. The visit included getting to know two new Regents – Hays’ very own Allen Schmidt and Mark Hutton (Wichita). I faced one major problem: Which of our many forward-thinking programs should we highlight?
The visit began with a dinner hosted in the Center for Applied Technology – a spectacular building and the new home for students studying industrial technology, technology and engineering education, and sculpture. Students can learn in engaging spaces such as computer CAD labs, instructional and graphic labs, STEM labs, woodworking labs, metalworking labs, plastic labs, power and energy labs, robotic labs, construction management labs, sculpture studios, and metal foundry studios.
The Center for Applied Technology was the perfect location for a theme of educational innovation. The Regents witnessed an aluminum pour and the demonstration of an in-progress recreational charging station. They had the opportunity to interact with students, who showed the Regents how to manipulate drones, 3-D printers, robots and more. Regents could also explore the FHSU Maker Van.
Experiences the next morning featured the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Department of Allied Health and the innovative learning technologies available.
Students in communication sciences and disorders gain practical, real-world experience with clients through the Herndon Clinic. The Regents observed a live demonstration of a tympanometry and otoacoustic emissions (OAE) procedure. Tympanometry tests how well the eardrum moves and the middle ear functions. The OAE test is used to find out how well the hair cells of the inner ear, specifically the cochlea, works. It measures otoacoustic emissions – the sounds given off by the inner ear when responding to a sound.
Regents were also able to watch a live demonstration of a fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). The scope is introduced through the nasal cavity in order to view the laryngeal and pharyngeal structures (i.e., the throat) and function during swallowing. The state-of-the-art technology with which faculty teach and students learn here was truly impressive – and I sincerely hope the student who volunteered to be scoped received extra credit!
Staying with the theme of the healthcare industry, the Regents attended classes in the Allied Health Department. Imaging technologists operate sophisticated equipment to assist physicians in diagnosing and treating a range of health problems. As highly skilled employees in a growing field, imaging technologists often work in multiple specialty areas, including radiologic technology, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, sonography, cardiovascular-interventional technology, bone densitometry and mammography.
I loved how the students spent a lot time in the roles of both patient and practitioner. Students earning a degree from the Department of Allied Health have vast opportunities to align with many different medical providers and facilities – a message Regents, students, and parents love to hear.
At the intersection of culture, communication, and technology, the Institute for New Media Studies is developing a number of interactive projects that visualize, conceptualize or apply information. Here, Regents had the opportunity to visualize the human brain, fly through a virtual campus, experience augmented reality, play with a smart table and meet the students and faculty who make it all happen. Our leading edge on learning technologies and artificial intelligence is truly remarkable – and enviable.
We ended by helping the Regents to a better understanding of how we approach online course development and why FHSU Virtual College faculty and students are so successful. Faculty and instructional designers provided interactive simulations enabling the Regents to experience what it is like “inside” an online course. I also had some fun exploring.
In health and human performance classes, for example, online students attach headphones to their computers where they can hear a heartbeat and practice blood pressure readings. Somewhat similar to playing an online version of the child’s game “Operation,” I learned how to attach specific electrodes to the correct area of the human body in order to perform a 12-lead ECG.
Experiencing these activities and others demonstrates that, at FHSU, online learning is much, much more than reading and responding to static information on a computer screen.
While any of our academic programs could have been highlighted with equal positive impact, I am extremely grateful for the faculty, staff and students who took the time a few weeks ago to highlight why we are so successful in unlocking untapped potential and preparing students for an exciting and rewarding future!
Dr. Tisa Mason is the president of Fort Hays State University.
Students exit Hays Middle School as a possible natural gas leak is investigated. (Courtesy photo)
UPDATE at 8:42 a.m.
A minor gas leak was detected at Hays Middle School Wed. morning, confirmed Hays USD 489 in a voicemail to parents. Midwest Energy crews addressed the problem and the building has been cleared for reentry.
Students and staff are returning to HMS at this time.
All scheduled activities for HMS students will go on as scheduled.
UPDATE at 8:20 a.m.
Hays USD 489 has sent a voice mail update to parents saying Hays Middle School students and staff have been relocated to nearby Wilson School as the reported odor of natural gas is investigated by emergency personnel and Midwest Energy,
First responders and Midwest Energy are on site at Hays Middle School, 201 W. 29th, this morning at about 8 a.m. investigating a possible gas leak.
Emergency scanner traffic reports indicate someone in the building smelled what they thought was a natural gas odor.
Students were evacuated and taken across the street.
Stay with Hays Post and Eagle Radio for updates as they become available.
Voters at the Hays Recreation Center early Tuesday morning.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Keith Ubert wore his red Nebraska Cornhuskers hat and shirt today. The bright red is symbolic of his political leanings, but Ubert did not vote a straight line Republican ticket.
The Hays resident cast his ballot early this morning at the Hays Recreation Center before driving to Ellis where he works at Sizewise.
“The red hat and red shirt says it all,” Ubert said, “except I voted for one Democrat.”
He crossed party lines to vote for Eber Phelps, the Democratic incumbent in the 111th District statehouse race. “He’s good. He does a good job.” The Republican candidate is Barb Wasinger, an Ellis County Commissioner. Both are Hays residents.
Les Libal (center) picks up his voter authentication prior to voting.
Ubert says he’s not a “straight down the ticket” voter and this isn’t the first time he crossed the party line.
When Ubert first started voting, he was registered as an Independent.
“But I couldn’t vote in primary elections so that’s pretty much why I switched.”
So he registered as a Democrat in order to vote in primaries.
About six years ago, Ubert says he changed to the Republican party, after “just listening.”
“I can vote either way. It doesn’t matter. I just listen to the radio, read articles online and just try to stay informed.
“Vote your own opinion,” Ubert advised.
Steve Keil casts his ballot shortly before 8 a.m.
At least 30 people, along with some children, were standing in line waiting to vote Tuesday morning before the polls opened at 7 a.m.
By 7:55 a.m., 94 people had voted at the HRC gym, according to Bobbi Dreiling, Ellis County Deputy Election Officer. She was on hand, and on the phone as necessary, to answer questions from poll workers.
The polls remain open until 7 p.m. tonight. Ellis County Clerk and Election Officer Donna Maskus reported to Ellis County Commissioners Monday night a total of 2,137 people voted early in her office.
Hays Post and Eagle Radio will have local election results as they become available, along with the winners of statewide races.
Ajoni and Kiros Smolarkiewicz cast their ballots Tuesday morning in Kids Voting USA-Kansas.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Casting his ballot today went a little faster than in other years for Hays resident Ajoni Smolarkiewicz. He was happy about that since he had to get to school on time.
The 5th grader at O’Loughlin Elementary School and his brother Kiros, a student in 2B, accompanied their mother Misty early this morning to the Hays Recreation Center where they all voted in the hotly contested midterm election. The family was waiting in line before the polls opened at 7 a.m.
Ajoni, 10, and Kiros, 7, participated in Kids Voting USA-Kansas set up in the corner of a HRC gymnasium.
“We voted for some of the people who we think will do good in our community and our ecosystem,” said Ajoni after he slid his ballot into the box. Ajnoi wants to be a veterinarian when he grows up and he “likes a healthy ecosystem.”
The brothers made their decisions after watching their mom do her own candidate research. “I looked at all the people I thought would be good,” Ajoni said, “and that’s who I voted for today.”
Kiros agreed. He voted for those candidates he believes will “do a good job.”
Both youngsters proudly wore their “I Voted” stickers and, unlike the adults, were also given a McDonald’s free meal coupon.
The Kids ballot has pictures of the candidates.
The Kids ballot has the same races as the regulation ballot, plus pictures of the candidates, explained Kids Voting volunteer Patrick Trapp.
“In this location, they’re also voting in the Ellis County Commission First District race,” Trapp added.
This is the first time Trapp, a Nex-Tech employee, has volunteered for the project.
“I’m an early morning person and I said I’d take the early shift,” he said.
Joining Trapp was his colleague Niki Clark. Nex-Tech employees have participated in Kids Voting for many years.
Also working 7-8 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. for Kids Voting Kansas are employees of Hays Daily News, McDonald’s, Golden Plains Credit Union and Wayne Voss State Farm Agency, and TMP-Marian High School Key Club members.
Parents are encouraged to bring their K-12th grade children with them to the Hays polling sites.
Volunteers Patrick Trapp and Niki Clark work the Kids Voting booth at the Hays Recreation Center.
“The kids are prepared and putting some thought into it They’re taking it seriously, I believe,” Trapp added.
Hays High School government students will tally the voting results after the polls close at 7 p.m. and will release the information to the public.
