A local band that brought rock ‘n’ roll to Hays during the late ’50s will be honored this weekend as a part of the Thomas More Prep-Marian homecoming celebration.
The members of Flippers were students at St. Joseph Military Academy, which is now TMP. The story of the band and this early rock history is told in a new book by fellow St. Joseph student Darrell Mudd. Click here for a full story on the band.
Members of the Flippers will be in a lead float of the TMP homecoming parade at 5:30 p.m. Friday. After the parade, Mudd and Flippers members will be at Gella’s Dinner and Lb. Brewing to sign books. The cost of the books are $15 each and all proceeds go to TMP. The Flippers will likely be at the brewery and restaurant for about two hours for the book signing.
Lb. Brewing will also serve a signature ale named after the Flippers.
Derrick Broeckelman, Gella’s and Lb. Brewing’s general manager, described the ale as easy drinkable beer that is reminiscent of the full-bodied beers that used to be brewed by the major American brands in the ’50s.
As a cornerstone downtown business, Broeckelman said the brewery wanted to do something to enrich the culture and history of Hays and Ellis County.
Gella’s is also offering commemorative 22-ounce bomber bottles, which Broeckelman said have already been in high demand from Flippers relatives and fans. The Flippers ale will be on tap until it runs out.
Mudd and Flippers members will also be available for a book signing after a dutch lunch at noon Saturday at TMP. Mudd and the band will be in the TMP dining hall.
The books can also be ordered on Amazon by clicking here.
Ross A. Potter, age 91, died Sept. 9, 2017 at Rhode Island Suites, Ransom. He was born on Aug. 11, 1926 in Burdett, the son of Robert Harrison “Harry” and Beatrice Ellen Miller Potter.
He was a United States Army Air Corps veteran having served with the 36th Fighter Squadron (the Flying Fiends) of the 8th Fighter Group. He was a member of the Ransom VFW No. 7972, the Ness City American Legion Frank Stull Post 152, and the Arnold United Methodist Church. He served on the board of Production Credit Association and the Ness County Soil Conservation District. He was a well know farmer and rancher and raised Appaloosa horses for many years.
On July 19, 1949, he married Phyllis Shearer at her parents’ home in Arnold, Kansas. She survives.
Other survivors include his son, Richard H. Potter and his wife, Peggy of Ness City; daughter Sandra L. Potter of Springfield, Missouri; daughter-in-law Reni Potter-Wood of Orlando, Florida; sister, Jennie Tillitson of Ransom; three grandchildren, Amanda Bardwell, Emily Palmer, and Ryan Potter; and four great-grandchildren, Gracie Palmer, Michael Potter, Reece Bardwell, and Brynn Bardwell. He was preceded in death by his son, Steve Potter, and a sister, Vera Breit.
Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017 at the Arnold Cemetery. Viewing at Fitzgerald Funeral Home on Friday, Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. with the family present from 7 to 9 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be given to the Ransom VFW or the Rhode Island Suites.
Ann Elizabeth Pfannenstiel, age 87, died Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 at Hays Medical Center, Hays. She was born on July 6, 1930 in Hillsboro, Kansas, the daughter of Edward and Neva Osborn Ruffhead.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church, Ness City. She was a secretary for Greeley Gas, a teller at First State Bank, clerk at Rexall Drug Store, and secretary for the Dodge City Community College Outreach Center, and South Fork Meat Processing, and cashier at La Casita restaurant all of Ness City.
She married Robert Dean Leiker in Ness City. Later she married Hubert Pfannenstiel on Aug. 17, 1968 in LaCrosse. He died on Sept. 28, 2006.
Ann is survived by her sons, Donald Leiker and his wife Vickie, David Leiker, and Dustin Pfannenstiel; daughter, Anissa Schmitt, all of Ness City; five grandchildren, Brian and his wife, Heather Leiker, B.J. and his wife Miranda Leiker, Jackie Schmidt, Veronica Chacon, and Brennan Chacon; and eight great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Jane Roehl and Beth Ridley.
Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017 at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City with burial in the Ness City Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be given to Ness County Hospital or St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital.
Loren E. Dinkel, 84, of Russell, Kansas died on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, at the Russell Regional Hospital.
Loren was born on Sept. 21, 1932, in Gorham, Kansas, the son of Edmund Dinkel and Mary (Mermis) Dinkel. He grew up in Gorham, Kansas, and graduated from Gorham High School in 1950. He was united in marriage to Virginia Gross on May 21, 1951. They made their home in Russell.
From this union they were blessed with seven children, Janice, Jay, Bryan, Laurel, Bradley, Kevin and Deanne. He was a member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Russell. He was the General Manager of Agco Inc. for 38 years. After retirement he enjoyed planting trees, gardening, hunting and spending time with family.
Surviving family include his wife Virginia Dinkel of the home; sister Mary Nowak; children Janice Dinkel and husband Glenn Phelps, Jay Dinkel, Bryan Dinkel and wife Kay, Laurel Dinkel and husband Doug Cubberley, Bradley Dinkel and wife Denise, Kevin Dinkel and wife Teresa, and Deanne Dinkel. Also surviving are seven grandchildren, Brent Dinkel and wife Stacy, Todd Dinkel and wife Andrea, Angela Morris and husband Bryan, Jesse Dinkel and wife Cassandra, Cole Dinkel and wife Nichole, Ashley Westerman and husband Alex, and Sophia Cubberley Dinkel, and 12 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Gerald, Charles, and infant sister Janice.
Celebration of the funeral mass will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. The vigil and rosary will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017 at the church. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15 at the mortuary. Memorials may be given to the National Arbor Day Foundation or St. Mary’s Catholic Church and sent in care of the mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.
Lonnie M. Depperschmidt, 64, Liebenthal, Kansas, died Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, at Rush County Memorial Hospital, La Crosse, Kansas.
Lonnie was born July 21, 1953, in La Crosse, Kansas, the son of Vincent and Stevana (Weigel) Depperschmidt. He was a lifelong resident of Rush County, Kansas. A 1973 graduate of La Crosse High School, La Crosse, Kansas, he worked for La Crosse Furniture Company in the assembly department for many years.
He was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Liebenthal, Kansas.
Survivors include: two brothers, Raymond Depperschmidt, Liebenthal, Kansas, and James Depperschmidt, Liebenthal, Kansas; two sisters, Rita Oborny (John), Rush Center, Kansas, and Cora Knipp (Jerry), Victoria, Kansas; eight nephews; seven nieces; and numerous great nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and one brother, LeRoy Depperschmidt.
Rosary will be Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, at 2:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Liebenthal, Kansas.
Memorial mass will be Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, at 3 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Liebenthal, Kansas, with Father Eric Gyamfi officiating. Inurnment will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Liebenthal, Kansas.
Memorials are suggested to the Lonnie M. Depperschmidt Memorial Fund.
Condolences or remembrances may be left for the family at www.charterfunerals.com/locations/janousek-lacrosse.php.
Arrangements were by Janousek Funeral Home, 719 Pine Street, P O Box 550, La Crosse, KS 67548, 785-222-2517.
The Hays school board honored the inaugural Golden Apple Award winners at its meeting Monday.
Karla Bieber, special education instructor at Victoria High School, was the recipient of the quarterly Golden Apple Award. Bieber was nominated by Connie Braun for going above and beyond for her students.
Donna Hansen, special education paraeducator at Hays Middle School, earned the first quarterly Golden Apple Award for paras. Hansen was nominated by Judy Koerner for being a dedicated employee.
Bieber and Hansen received their awards during the coop superintendent’s meeting on Aug. 28. The Hays West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative will continue to honor one coop teacher and one coop para ever three months. Nominations can be submitted via an online form on www.usd489.com.
Superintendent John Thissen said the district is very proud of both of the coop staff members for championing the area’s students.
No data was stolen during a ransomware attack against Hays USD 489 on Friday.
Superintendent John Thissen gave a report to the school board Monday night. The district lost temporary use of its servers and its website went down after an attack about 6 a.m. Friday.
The district was able to use backups to restore the website and many other functions before the end of the day on Friday.
The district did not pay the ransom request. The only costs to the district were the time and effort to deal with incident. District staff believe the attack was made through a special education server, which had the capability of being accessed from outside the district. That outside access is being closed due to the attack.
The incident was reported to the Hays police and FBI, who Thissen said classifies the hack as an attack of terror.
The only substantial data that was lost were files for the middle school yearbook. Thissen said they were lucky this is still early in the year so alternative content can be found. The district is working on creating a permanent backup system for that program.
The district is considering an audit of its cyber systems in lieu of the attack.
The Hays school board will have a special meeting at 7 a.m. Friday.
The board is set to discuss the Hays teachers’ contract and insurance. The board has also set aside time for an executive session to discuss negotiations.
The board and the teachers union are at odds over the insurance provider for the district. The district wishes to change its provider to Aetna to save money, and the teachers’ union wishes to stay with the state plan, which is administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield. Click here from more on this issue from the teachers. Click here to see the board’s arguments on the issue.
A tentative agreement went to the custodians’ union Monday night. The custodians’ union has until noon on Thursday to give a reply on the board’s revisions to its contract, which eliminates language that would require the district to provide the state insurance plan. Click here for more on the board’s Monday action on the contract.
Troy Wade of DLR, the district’s architect, talks to a group at a bond meeting in a classroom in Lincoln that is used for art, music and orchestra.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
About 25 local people Tuesday night took a tour of Lincoln Elementary School and had the opportunity to ask questions about a proposed $78.5 million Hays USD 489 bond issue.
Representatives of DLR, the district’s architectural firm; members of the district’s Community Vision Team; teachers; board members; Superintendent John Thissen; principals; and the construction manager at risk, Nabholz Construction, were all on hand to answer questions and provide information.
The bond would increase the mill levy by 11.43 mills, which would be $16.43 per month on a $150,000 home. The district does not receive any state aid for bond projects, because it is considered a “rich” district. This means state taxes paid here end up going to other districts in the state like Dodge City, Garden City, Hutchinson, Salina and Liberal to pay off their bond debts.
See a list of all the projects that are part of the bond and FAQ sheet by clicking here.
A member of the cafeteria staff talked to attendees about the problems Lincoln has with its basement cafeteria and kitchen. It is not large enough for all the preparation to be done there, so a great deal has to been done off site, and much of the food has to be stored off site.
The bond tour took groups through the Lincoln cafeteria, which has had plumbing problems and is too small.
The sewer lines run in the back of the walls of the cafeteria, and the school dealt with a line break that lead to an odorous yellow liquid seeping through the wall while the children were eating. Crews had to come in and work at night to fix the plumbing. A regular odor comes from one of the utility closets in the basement cafeteria.
Since the cafeteria is in the basement, children or staff who have disabilities or injuries can’t make it down the stairs. They can’t have lunch with their peers and have to be served lunch in the library. The basement also serves as the school’s tornado shelter.
The building was built before the national school lunch program was created, and the basement was likely never intended to be used for a cafeteria.
Children at Wilson Elementary School only have about 10 to 15 minutes to eat their lunch. One younger students was in tears because she couldn’t finish her lunch in that amount of time. The times are short because of a lack of space in the cafeteria.
Two art teachers, music and orchestra all share one room on the second floor of Lincoln. Rita Legleiter, art teacher, said the arrangement is difficult because she has to reconfigure her classroom every morning. Because she has to move between schools, she also loses time and she can’t stay with students as they progress into the upper grades of elementary school.
Five students and a reading teacher share this room. At one time it may have been an office, but it’s about the size of a walk-in closet.
Certain special education services are also sharing rooms in the building, which are split by dividers.
The district is proposing closing Lincoln, repurposing O’Loughlin Elementary and building a new elementary school.
Three elementary schools would not only mean staff would have less travel between schools, it would mean millions in savings.
Amber Beverlin, senior architect for DLR, said the district should save $400,000 to $500,000 each year of the 30-year bond because of the new buildings and consolidation to three elementary schools instead of four.
That will be an estimated $10 million over the term of the bond.
Some members of the community have had questions about the length of the bond. Troy Wade, also of DLR, said the district stands to save money by attending to the building needs now. The cost of construction goes up 4 to 5 percent each year. Interest rates are also low now, and those could increase if the district came back to do another bond in 10 or 15 years.
Delaying construction could add 40 percent to the cost of the work, Wade said.
One attendee said she lived near one of schools that was scheduled to close and wanted to know what would happen to the empty buildings.
Special education services share this classroom, which raises concerns about privacy.
Lincoln, Washington, Munjor, Westside and Rockwell would no longer have students in them if the bond passed.
Early Childhood Connection students at Munjor and Washington, students at Westside and the Learning Center students would all go to O’Loughlin. The Westside and Rockwell buildings will still be used by administration support staff. Other arrangements may eventually be made for those offices.
Munjor would go back to the Catholic Church. The district would try to repurpose or sell the Lincoln and Washington buildings. If this could not be done, there is money in the bond to demolish the buildings.
Valerie Wente of the Community Vision Team, said an old school in her hometown of Topeka had been taken over by the Topeka Community Theatre. Chris Dinkel also of the Vision Team said the space could even become green space or a park.
Another attendee asked where the new elementary school would be built. Thissen said that has not been determined. The district has land at the high school that the school could be built on. However, Thissen said he was not sure if that is where the community wants to place the school. There is money in the bond to purchase land for the new school.
HHS principal Marty Straub said he was excited at the prospect of having an elementary school near the high school as it would allow high school students to act as mentors with the younger students and the younger children to be involved in the early childhood development labs at the high school.
A group on the bond tour listens to principals talk about the needs in their buildings.
The district can’t release a possible location for the new school yet because that would affect negotiations for a possible land purchase. Thissen said that would be one of the first things addressed if the bond passes.
The school to replace Wilson Elementary School will be placed on the same site as the current Wilson. Once the new Wilson is completed, the old building will be torn down.
One attendee said she would not support the bond if all the schools were on the east side of town.
The group discussed the decision to build a new elementary school to replace Wilson instead of renovating Wilson. Wilson is insured for $5.9 million, Wade said. A renovation would cost $16.5 million. A new school is going to cost $21 million. When a renovation is going to cost more than 60 percent of the cost of a new building, architects recommend investing in a new building.
Each of three elementary schools would be four-section schools, which means that four classes of each grade could be located in those schools. The four-section schools would allow for growth, but also allow in the short term for class sizes to be reduced. The average class sizes at the schools right now is about 23, and the district wishes to decrease that to 18 to 22 students.
If the bond is approved, design work will take 10 months to a year. The new elementary schools would be the first to be finished. The renovations could take longer, and O’Loughlin would likely be the last project as the students would need to be able to move into the new schools before work on that building could begin.
Above all the district is urging people to register to vote and vote. The district is providing voter registration forms in the offices of all its buildings. In post analysis of a bond that failed in 2016, only about 30 percent of teachers and parents voted in the election.
Thissen said he urged people to vote no matter how they chose to vote. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 17. Early voting is set to start on Oct. 23 and Election Day is Nov. 7.
The response to Options purple light night campaign has been so strong the organization is out of bulbs.
Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services is selling purple light bulbs to light up the night for domestic violence during the month of October.
Residents in the Hays and the Options service area are encouraged to buy the light bulbs, hang them in their store windows and use them in their home outdoor light fixtures.
You may still purchase your bulbs at Fantasy Graphics and Hays Academy of Hair Design. However, Options will not be holding its bulb sales this weekend at Big Creek Crossing. Options hopes to resume sales the weekend of Sept. 23.
Options provides personal, medical, court, law enforcement, youth/child and parent/child advocacy, as well as crisis intervention, a safe shelter, counseling, support groups, community education and a 24-hour Helpline.
Nationally, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Purple is the color for domestic violence awareness. From 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 5, Options will host its second-annual Purple Light Night in Massey Park. The free event will serve as a family activity night as well as an attempt to bring awareness to the issue of domestic violence.
Organizations or individuals who would like to help sponsor the event should contact Ashley Hecker at Options at (785) 625-4202.
Options’ 24-hour hotline is (800) 794-4624. No appointment is needed to seek Options’ services.
In order to give back to its Texas neighbors after the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, Sunflower Bank, First National 1870 and Guardian Mortgage are collecting gift cards for ongoing relief donations at all bank branches and mortgage offices across its seven-state footprint.
The gift card collection is in partnership with the Houston Food Bank that will be distributing the cards to those in need in Southeast Texas.
“Hurricane Harvey has been devastating for our neighbors in Houston. We are using our network of locations to help collect donations to meet the needs of those affected,” said Mollie Hale Carter, CEO of Sunflower Bank and First National 1870. “People in our communities are looking for ways to make a difference and this is one small way we can connect people and give back, fostering the distribution of impactful donations.”
Gift cards are being collected until Sept. 27 at all Sunflower Bank and First National 1870 branches throughout Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico and Texas.
Guardian Mortgage, a division of Sunflower Bank, N.A., will also be accepting donated cards at its locations in Arizona, Michigan, and Texas. Any denomination cards to national retail and food service chains will be accepted, though smaller denominations are encouraged.
Sunflower Bank has locations at 1010 E 27th St. and 4720 Roth Ave. in Hays.
For more information, contact a local Sunflower Bank, First National 1870, or Guardian Mortgage location. To learn more about the Houston Food Bank, visit HoustonFoodBank.org.
An 108-year-old church made it safely to its new home at Rock Haven Spa on Monday.
The church was purchased by Dereama Allenbaugh, owner of Rock Haven Spa, to be used as a new facility at the spa southwest of Hays.
Allenbaugh said last week she was told by the movers they were unsure if the historic building would make the 15-mile move.
Kansas Highway Patrol troopers and crews from Midwest Energy were on scene Monday to facilitate the move. The church had to be transported down the Highway 183 Bypass from near the Interstate 70 west exit to its new home.
The church had been a part of a defunct tourist attraction. However, before 1990 it was the meeting place for a rural congregation in Graham County.
Allenbaugh said the old church has many of its original attributes, including hard-wood floors, a tin ceiling and wooden pews.
However, it has been heavily vandalized over the years.
Allenbuagh hopes to restore the building for use at the spa. She was initially reticent to release plans for the structure for fear the aging building would not survive the move.
According to an employee at Rock Haven, work is underway to place the old church on a permanent foundation that has been built at the spa.
The Hays USD 489 school board approved a tentative agreement with the custodians’ union after a series of executive sessions Monday night.
The board included the following revisions to the Service Employees International Union contract:
• a 3 percent wage increase
• removal of language that requires the district to provide the state insurance plan
• adding language to the vacation and sick leave policy regarding leave start date and proration
• adding shift differentials
The agreement would be for one year, and the board requested the union respond by noon Thursday.
The district hopes to leave the state insurance plan that is administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield in favor of Aetna. Blue Cross Blue Shield has increased the district’s premiums by $1.4 million during the last two years. District officials hope by leaving the state plan the district can garner more competitive insurance bids and have more flexibility in the future.
The state plan makes it difficult for districts to receive bids from outside insurers, because it does not provide claims histories.
The Aetna plan would provide equal benefits and cost employees less out of pocket.
SEIU and Hays NEA raised concerns about the quality of services under Aetna, access to providers and the seven-year waiting period the district would have to get back into the state plan.
However, the SEIU and Hays NEA sent a letter to the district on Aug. 28 that said the district could be subject to legal action if it changed its provider. The SEIU contract specifically requires the district to provide the state plan.
Esau Freeman of SEIU said in an email today he planned to meet with member of the custodians’ union tonight.
Representatives of the custodians have met with Gallagher Group, which was hired to review the district’s insurance plan.
Freeman said he would take that information to the custodians tonight.
Freeman said in the email the union members are willing to consider the removal of the state insurance provision from the contract.
Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, at the Russell Regional Hospital. 
a member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Russell. He was the General Manager of Agco Inc. for 38 years. After retirement he enjoyed planting trees, gardening, hunting and spending time with family. 
Dinkel, Bryan Dinkel and wife Kay, Laurel Dinkel and husband Doug Cubberley, Bradley Dinkel and wife Denise, Kevin Dinkel and wife Teresa, and Deanne Dinkel. Also surviving are seven grandchildren, Brent Dinkel and wife Stacy, Todd Dinkel and wife Andrea, Angela Morris and husband Bryan, Jesse Dinkel and wife Cassandra, Cole Dinkel and wife Nichole, Ashley Westerman and husband Alex, and Sophia Cubberley Dinkel, and
12 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Gerald, Charles, and infant sister Janice.
