A man wanted in connection with a shooting of a Menards employee on Monday in Wichita was arrested in Trego County on Tuesday.
Officers investigated a traffic complaint of an erratic driver of a gray Nissan car at milepost 157 of Interstate 70. Deputies attempted a traffic stop at which time the driver, who was later identified as 18-year-old Dominic Joseph Williamson, fled. Officers deployed stop sticks, deflating three tires, but Williamson continued to flee westbound on I-70.
The pursuit finally ended in Trego County at milepost 114 on I-70 when Williamson lost control of the vehicle after a tactical vehicle intervention.
The suspect’s vehicle entered the north ditch and rolled several times before coming to rest on its top.
Williamson was arrested without further incident.
He was evaluated by medical staff and later booked into the Ellis County Detention Facility.
Williamson is being charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, fleeing and eluding, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and numerous traffic violations.
He will also face charges in Sedgwick County. He remained in Ellis County Detention Thursday morning. Sheriff Ed Harbin said Thursday he was unsure if Williamson would face charges in Ellis County first or if he would be transferred to Sedgwick County to face charges there first.
Another suspect in the shooting was taken into custody in Derby after a high-speed police chase. The 17-year old female was hospitalized after the vehicle she was driving rolled. She was treated and released and then booked into juvenile detention on charges of aggravated battery, auto theft, and fleeing and attempting to elude.
Something Blue in Hays has expanded its business and split into two different spaces with two different merchandise lines.
The store has moved its wedding dresses and accessories to 1012 Main St.
Kayla Rathbun, owner, said the new space gives more visibility to the store’s wedding dresses. The dresses had been stored on the second floor of the Something Blue’s space at 1008 Main St. Something Blue moved into the new 1,500-square-foot space on April 1.
The space was formerly occupied by Gypsy Rose. Some of the products lines at Gypsy Rose, including purses, are now available across the street at Salon Ten O Seven.
“We were hoping expanding would put more of our gowns in the view of people,” Rathbun said. “It has worked already. We have had a lot more appointments. We have had a lot more walk-ins. We see a lot more people stopped at the stoplight look in, so it is obviously working.”
The store is carrying about 400 wedding gowns with more coming. Rathbun said she is seeing new trends in gowns with many brides opting for ivory, champagne or blush over white. The store has also seen an increase in couples opting for fall and December weddings over the usual spring and summer events.
“It is becoming a trend. People don’t want to stand out there in 90-degree, 100-degree weather,” Rathbun said. “They would rather have their ceremony in the church and then have their reception and not take as many pictures outside and wedding gowns in snowy weather can make beautiful pictures.”
The store carries some mother-of-the-bride dresses, bridesmaid dresses and flower girl dresses, but Rathbun said she plans to expand those offerings. The store carries about 100 bridesmaid gowns currently and more online. Rathbun said the store didn’t have room to carry the bridesmaid dresses at the former location.
Rathbun said the bridal store is a needed service in the community. To find much of a selection, most brides would have to go to Wichita or Kansas City.
“I’d rather keep our money local,” she said, noting the store donates to a variety of local charities.
Something Blue will be open noon to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m to 3 p.m Saturdays and by appointment.
Something Blue at 1008 Main St. is now Bluetique.
The 1,350-sqaure-foot space at 1008 Main St. has been renamed Bluetique and will be a boutique. It will focus on clothing for men, women and children. The store also sells food items, decorative items and still stocks some of Something Blue’s wedding accessories.
The store has expanded its children’s clothing line. The store carries kids’ clothing from newborn to size 10/12.
“I have two kids,” she said. “I know it is hard to find places around here to shop for them.”
In women’s clothing, Bluetique carries small to 3X and in men’s the store carries up to a 2X.
Bluetique’s hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.
Something Blue has grown significantly over the last three years. Rathbun started making paper flowers and bouquets and selling them on Etsy. A year ago, she opened Something Blue as a bridal store, and her enterprise has grown from there. Although the store still offers paper flowers and bouquets for weddings, Rathbun has had to delegate most of that hand work to her employees.
She said the two stores keep her busy, but thought they are complimentary.
Bluetique carries men’s, women’s and children’s clothing as well as gift items.
“I think it works really well because over (at Something Blue) it is a more serious side. It is a big decision,” she said. “Over (at Bluetique) we get to have fun, and we get to participate in all the downtown events. I feel we get the best of both worlds.”
Rathbun, 33, said she had difficulty deciding what she wanted to do with her life, but she says she feels she has finally found her passion.
“Under my name in the yearbook, it said ‘undecided’, but now I feel like I finally figured it out,” she said.
“I love the boutique stuff,” she said. “I get to show my personality when I am looking for items to purchase for the store. I look for things that I think are fun or styles that I like and that I think other people will like too.”
Technology education students from across Kansas brought their project to FHSU Friday for the Western Kansas Technology Education Fair.
These include wood projects, furniture, CAD designs and metal work. Each entry is judged and awarded a ribbon or medal. But Ness City High School thought big—they brought a whole house.
This is the second year the tech students have built a tiny house as a class project.
Brent Kerr, instructor, said the students wanted to stretch their abilities and learn more about the building trades, but the district knew they would not be able to sell a full-size house in Ness City.
The tiny house is only 200 square feet, 24 by 8 feet, but has a kitchen, bathroom and sleeping loft.
“So trying to fit everything in that amount—your kitchen, your bathroom, your sleeping area, your living area and still be a livable space is a challenge,” Kerr said.
Before the end of the year, the students will add a wash/dryer, stove top, refrigerator, concrete counter tops and on-demand water system.
The home, which is mobile, will go to Woodland Park, Colorado, where it will be sold at the end of the school year.
“We would never imagine we could do this,” Andrea Morales, Ness City freshman, said. “We have never done these type of project before, so it is really awesome to try to do this during a school year.”
Ryan Gabel, Ness City sophomore, said he enjoyed putting up the outside trim and siding. The class used steel framing on the house, which he said was a challenge.
As students and teachers streamed in and out of the tiny house, Gabel said he was learning to talk to people about their project.
Kerr said that was a very important skill for the students to take away from the project.
“Everybody thinks in a building trades class or CTE class they are probably learning about just that trade, but these kids learn a lot about visiting with people and having a conversations and telling them what they have done,” he said. “They are learning some communication skills that you can’t get anywhere else.”
Students throughout the day also participated in competitions, including communication, problem solving, metric 500 racing and technology challenge (quiz bowl).
In the morning, middle and high school students participated in a live communication project during which they had to come up with a plan or device to improve their CTE classes. The students drew posters and then gave short recorded presentations on their ideas. Devin Smith, FHSU senior in engineer, technology and design education, said the students practice communication skills teamwork, brainstorming and public speaking.
The students at Hays Middle School wanted to redesign their classrooms and do more computer models, and the students from Paradise Junior High School designed a technobot to help with internet crashes and privacy.
The Hays school board voted Monday night to discontinue negotiations with its custodians union.
The board voted to opt out of the Public Employer-Employee Relations Act, which means it will not longer bargain with Service Employees International Union, which is also known as SEIU.
The issue came to the forefront after negotiations last year. Both the teacher and custodian unions opposed a change in insurance providers. Both organizations told the board in a letter the district could be subject to legal action if it voted to change from the state insurance program, which is administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield, to one administered by Aetna.
At that time board members asked to put further discussion of participation in PEERA on the agenda for some time in early 2018. In unrelated moves, both the City of Hays and Ellis County opted out of PEERA in late 2017. The school board tabled a motion to opt of PEERA in February.
Superintendent John Thissen said he supported the opt of PEERA.
“I don’t see a need for SEIU,” he told the board Monday night.
Two board members, Paul Adams and Sophia Rose Young, questioned the equity of continuing to negotiate with the custodians, yet other hourly employees, such as administrative assistants do not have a bargaining unit. During the February meeting, it was noted about 26 employees are covered by SEIU out of 200 classified employees.
Board member Mike Walker disagreed with that logic.
“Although I agree with your concern,” Walker said of Adams’ comment, ” but I would argue taking away someone’s representation is not the way to go on that. I think we should have more representation.”
Board member Luke Oborny related back to last year’s negotiations when SEIU and the Hays NEA pushed for a $500 payment to offset expenses incurred because of the insurance change. The board ultimately extended that payment to all staff.
“In a perfect world, I completely agree with John [Thissen]. I would like it to be where it was not a necessity, but board members change, administration changes. There is just too much uncertainty and too many changes. Had SEIU not existed, everything would have been different.
“That supports the people. The people are more important. We are here discussing everything tonight—our buildings, our technology, our buses—but at the end of the day, our people, no matter what task they are given, it is our people that makes our district great.”
The vote on the opt out was split, 4-3, with Lance Bickle, Mike Walker and Luke Oborny voting to stay in PEERA.
Esau Freeman, Wichita, SEIU #513 business representative
Esau Freeman, SEIU representative, said after the meeting he was disappointed in the board decision.
“I really wish they had decided to stay under PEERA,” he said. “A few months ago from the testimonies, it sounded like they all planned on it. I think the main person who did not want this was John Thissen.”
Freeman was critical of Thissen’s work during the most recent negotiations process as well.
Thissen had no comment about Freeman’s response to the vote.
The district will still have to negotiate with SEIU for the 2018-19 budget year. Negotiations with the teachers union, Hays NEA, will not be affected by the decision to opt out of PEERA.
Big Creek Crossing will have its Spring Craft Fair from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
There is no cost of admission for shoppers. A preliminary list of vendors is below.
Children are invited to “Thank You Mom for Helping Us Grow” at the Kaw Valley Greenhouse site in the mall parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 12. Children will be able to plant flowers for their mothers at this free event.
The Hays school board approved a $2 per hour raise for paraprofessionals in the special education co-op at its meeting Monday night.
The superintendents for the four participating districts — Hays, Ellis, Victoria and La Crosse — all supported the recommendation as a means of increasing retention. Hays is the sponsoring district for the Hays West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative.
The raise would increase pay for most paras from $9.35 per hour to $11.35 per hour. Most of the paras work 20 hours per week and have no benefits.
The cost will be $180,000 and will come from the special education cooperative budget.
Hays Superintendent John Thissen said the pay was so low, paras could leave for fast foods jobs for better pay and in some cases receive benefits.
Thissen said three-fourths of the district’s new hires this year were paras. Some classrooms have had three paras in one year. This can be disruptive to special needs students who generally do better with consistency, he said.
The administration asked the increase be approved Monday night even though it was new business so the wage increase could be included in work agreements for the next school year. The hope was to retain more paras over the summer. The increase will not take effect until July.
The districts said they were not ready to reinstate benefits at this time, but it has been considered as a long-term option. The co-op estimates it will cost about $600,000 to reinstate benefits for the paras.
“We felt in the coop that was just not possible,” Thissen said of reinstating benefits at this time.
After much debate, the Hays school board voted Monday to approve the purchase of new two-in-one Dell laptops for Hays High School students.
The purchase will cost $335,750. However, the district hopes to offset the cost of the purchase through the sale of the Surface tablets the students are using now.
Hays school board members Greg Schwartz and Lance Bickle debate the district’s technology program Monday night.
The district has had many issues with repairs on the Surfaces, and the warranty on the devices ends at the end of this school year. Cost for replacing the non-warrantied Surfaces would have been $310 each compared to the $395 purchase price of the new laptops.
Board members Greg Schwartz and Lance Bickle opposed the purchase, arguing the district should purchase Chromebooks, which are cheaper.
Scott Summers, technology director, said the cost difference between purchasing the recommended Dell and a Chromebook with the same warranty was $66 per device or $56,000 for the total purchase.
The tech committee and teachers expressed concern about switching platforms from a Windows-based operating system to a Google system. Summers said the district would lose countless hours worth of professional development. Also some equipment at the high school would not be compatible with the Google system, including $14,000 in science probes.
Other reasons the technology committee did not recommend Chromebooks include:
Limited offline capabilities for students traveling to school competitions and for students with limited or no internet access at home
Chromebooks would require additional dedicated lab space
Feedback from the career and technology program board that its programs needed a windows-based operating system for its software
Input from four-year universities that Chromebooks should not be used as a primary computer device.
Need to use full versions of some software packages, such as Adobe, for some classes that are not available through Chromebooks
Concurrent credit courses that need the full Microsoft Suite
Students certifying in Microsoft Office need the full Microsoft Suite
Bickle said he thought the district could weather a change in platforms.
“I remember when we changed from Apple to PC, and it was going to be the end of the world because everyone loved the Macs and there was a lot of, ‘Why are we switching to PCs?’ ” he said. “People got used to the PCs and now we are using the PCs. Part of the reason why they did that at the time was the sheer cost for the MacBooks. That is one of the reasons I wanted to look at the Chromebooks was the sheer cost.”
Bickle argue more software is becoming web-based, which makes using a Chromebooks more feasible.
Both Bickle and Schwartz cited other districts that use Chromebooks, including Thomas More Prep-Marian, Stockton and Plainville.
Bickle said the districts he talked to found ways for the Chromebooks to work. Some of the districts bought the cheaper Chromebooks for $200 each with one-year warranties and had students work on them in order to build technical skills.
Suzanne Stark, a business teacher at HHS, said she thought the Windows-based computers were important to the curriculum. She said swapping out their current computers for Chromebooks would be like taking away the board members’ cars and giving them bicycles and expecting them to do all the same work.
Stark said she did not think switching platforms would save the district money because of the need to retrain teachers.
Board member Paul Adams agreed.
“How much time are we going to spend on retraining instead of advancing the curriculum?” he asked. “We have invested the time and that costs money.”
HHS Principal Martin Straub said, “Technology is how we teach, and how students learn.”
Straub reiterated from the last meeting he felt technology is the top priority at the high school.
Bickle said he could not support the purchase in lieu of the district’s many facility needs.
“We have so many other things. From where I am sitting and trying to look at the budget, I just can’t say that technology is the No. 1 most important. … I just personally sit there and can’t say that technology is our most important thing that we have to do right now.”
The board asked the administration to study the possible use of Chromebooks in the future or a bring-your-own device policy. Computer purchases are now on a four-year cycle to make technology budget more consistent. The next computer purchase would be for the middle school in 2019.
John Fitzthum, executive chef and food service director for HaysMed, makes mirepoix at the Hays Public Library during Herb Day.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
The Hays Public Library Herb Day kicked off Saturday with a presentation on healthy cooking with herbs.
Americans cook with a lot of salt, which can be unhealthy, said John Fitzthum, executive chef and food service director for HaysMed.
Fitzthum’s presentation was the first of a slate of speakers for Herb Day, which was sponsored by the Hays Public Library’s Herb Study group. The event also included vendors at the Downtown Pavilion.
Fitzthum gave several examples where home chefs could make their own dishes using herbs with little or no salt.
Fitzthum began with a mirepoix, which is carrots, onions and celery sautéed with herbs. Fitzthum added rosemary, thyme and garlic to his mirepoix. A mirepoix is often used as a base for a stew or soup or roast, but Fitzthum also recommended trying it as a side dish or over a steak.
Fitzthum used no oil or butter, he let the vegetables cook down using their natural moisture in a non-stick pan. Even extra virgin olive oil has 90 calories per tablespoon.
Instead of throwing away his leftover onion bits, the bottom of the celery stalk or the extra bits of carrot and herbs, the chef threw them in a pot with water to reduce into a vegetable stock.
Instead of throwing away his leftover onion bits, the bottom of the celery stalk or the extra bits of carrot and additional herbs, he threw them in a pot with water to reduce into a vegetable broth. He suggested to reduce the liquid by half.
“We often don’t think about it, but we go to the store and we buy a can of beef stock or we buy a can of vegetable stock, but if you look at the label and what is the first thing on the label? Salt. It might not be the first thing, but there is a lot,” he said.
After you cook the broth, the veggies can still go in the compost.
“Everything is processed,” he said. “What I am doing here is processing, but you have to think about how the process is taken. Has it been designed to sit on the shelf for 580 days? When you buy a manufactured can of soup, it is designed to sit on the shelf for 580 days. We all eat it. You eat it. I eat it, but at some point we have to bring this back in. What you are doing being interested in herbs and growing herbs is phenomenal. The more (herbs) we use and the more (herbs) we talk about, the less (salt) we use.”
You can use dried herbs in recipes if they call for fresh, but you will need to cut the herbs in half. Two tablespoons fresh becomes one tablespoon of a dried herb, for example.
He said a key to cooking well is full experiencing the dish as you cook.
“We always say cooking is about taste, but cooking I start to hear it sizzle. I can smell it. I can see it and of course I’m going to taste it. We often underestimate when we are doing a recipe and this is the biggest thing I see … It says 10 minutes add this, add that and we follow it by the book and it is terrible because we are not hearing, we are not seeing, we are not tasting.”
As the mirepoix and vegetable stock cooked down, Fitzthum made a basil pesto. Fitzthum left out the salt when he made his pesto.
Pesto is multi-functional. It can be over pasta or in rice, quinoa or couscous. You can also substitute half of your mayonnaise with pesto.
Fresh basil can also be used with mozzarella, fresh tomato slices and balsamic vinegar to make a quick caprese salad,
“If you are cooking for a thousand people a day, we use a lot of fresh basil, but we don’t get into the different kids of basil. There is lemon basil and orange basil. You get into different flavors and that is how you change your recipe.
“I don’t want to beat anybody I up, I eat the fast food to. I don’t want to be a hypocrite, but I think we get too involved in everything- has-to-taste-the-same-every-time mentality.”
Bringing in fresh ingredients, makes the food so much better, he said. The hospital has planted a herb garden, and Fitzthum is trying to compost.
Big Creek Crossing will have its Spring Craft Fair from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
There is no cost of admission for shoppers. A preliminary list of vendors is below.
Children are invited to “Thank You Mom for Helping Us Grow” at the Kaw Valley Greenhouse site in the mall parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 12. Children will be able to plant flowers for their mothers at this free event.
The Hays USD 489 Board of Education is set to vote on buying new laptops for Hays High School students at its meeting Monday.
The students are using Surface 3 tablets. These devices are no longer serviced by Microsoft and are about to be out of warranty.
The district technology committee is recommending the purchase of Dell Latitude 3189 at a cost of $335,750. The district believes it can recoup some of the cost by selling the Surfaces.
The technology committee has developed a multi-year technology replacement plan that would spread the cost of replacing technology over four years and make budgeting for technology easier.
Some board members have argued the district should purchase Chromebooks, because they are cheaper. However, members of the technology committee have argued the Chromebooks do not meet the needs of the students and teachers.
Members of the board have further questioned the necessity of the district’s one-to-one technology policy, which provides a computer device for each student. They argue other capital needs may be more important at this time than the technology plan.
PEERA
The board will consider a resolution that would end its negotiations with its custodians union, SEIU.
The resolution would end the district’s participation in Kansas Public Employer-Employee Relations Act. At the end of 2017, the city and county both decided to stop participating in PEERA, but officials at the district said their decision to consider the change was independent of the city’s and county’s.
USD 489 is one of the few districts in the state that still participates in PEERA. The leader of SEIU has expressed the desire for the district to continue to negotiate with the union.
If the district opts out of PEERA, it would continue to negotiate with the teachers union.
Facilities
The district is set to have some special visitors at its meeting tonight. Representatives from DLR, the district’s architect, Nabholz, its construction manager, and the Vision Team will provide feedback to the board regarding the Nov. 7 failed bond election as the district continues to talk about its facilities plan.
The board will also receive a report on the district’s five-year capital improvement plan.
In a separate item, the district is set to vote on a $189,204 bid for repairs to the Hays Middle School roof.
Parent notification
At its last meeting, the board directed the administration to make changes to its notification policy to specifically state that in any instance that affected student safety, parents and guardians would be notified. The issue stems from an incident in February during which a student was removed from the high school for an alleged threat against the school. The public was not notified until five days later.
Paraprofessional pay
The board is also set to discuss at $2 per hour raise for paraprofessionals. According to staff, the raise is needed to increase the pool of qualified applicants for para positions.
Bickle has used spaces formerly used to display hot tubs to her advantage, setting them as vignettes in her new building at 2010 Vine St.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
After multiple moves during the last 17 years, Northglen Antiques hopes it has found its final home on south Vine Street in Hays.
The antique store opened Monday at its new location at 2010 Vine, moving from the former sale barn on north Vine Street north of Walmart.
The business was originally located at the corner of 43rd and Vine streets, where Wendy’s now sits. The business was in the Wiesner Building downtown until that building was sold. The business was also in Ellis for a time.
Sue McRae Bickle said she has purchased their current building and has no intention of moving again. She said she hoped the new location will increase visibility and traffic.
“Here’s what I tell people,” Bickle said. “I have had a shop downtown. I have had a shop out of town. Today, I have a shop uptown. We are now uptown.”
Right now, she is occupying about 2,500 square feet of the building, but there is more space in the rear and a second attached building that she hopes to remodel and expand into. At the downtown location, she was able to have booth space for other antique vendors and said she would love to be able to offer that again.
Bickle is seeing a renewed interest in antique books. She has a dedicated space for her collection, which is now categorized by subject, including poetry, history and military. Her oldest editions go back to the mid-1800s.
“It brought a lot of people in,” she said of vendors, “and most everybody found something.”
Bickle began her business in 2001 by importing antiques from Scotland, her family’s ancestral home. She still has many pieces from Scotland, including art, furniture, clocks and stained glass, and carries new Celtic items, such as kilts, tartans and jewelry.
Bickle is the fifth generation to live in North America. Her family came from Scotland to Canada in the middle 1800s. The family settled in Hays, when Bickle was 4. The whole business started from one family trip to Scotland with her father and siblings. She said the trip was more than a vacation, but an education. She felt the history and the land and has had a special connection to the place ever since.
“I had a strong desire to go back, and this was my way,” she said of the antique shop.
Bickle’s ancestors were Scottish, and she carries many items both new and antique from the region.
She was talking to a Scottish cab driver during one of her trips about her desire to keep coming home to Scotland, and he said, “Aye, I know. You had a bloody spiritual connection, you did.”
In the early years of the business, Bickle was traveling to Scotland twice a year and sending a couple of semi boxes of Scottish antiques back to the States. The store was known regionally for its Scottish wares.
Once she gets the store established in its new locations, Bickle said she would like to resume her trips to Scotland.
However, she has expanded into American antiques. Many local families have come to Bickle to sell estate items, including furniture, glassware and quilts.
In the front section of the building, Bickle has set up a library area with her antique books. Above the main bookcase is a painting of the ancestral clan seat, Eilean Donan Castle. The famous landmark can be found in photographs and postcards all of the world. Bickle even saw a photo of castle on a TV box in the States.
The oldest item in shop is a walnut and oak European prayer cabinet that was likely carved in the 16th century.
With the rise of the digital age, some argue the printed word is becoming obsolete. However, Bickle is seeing a renewed interest in antique books. The collection is now categorized by subject, including poetry, history, military and more. Her oldest editions go back to the mid-1800s.
Northglen’s new location on Vine used to be a pool and spa dealer. The showroom space was designed with nooks to showcase hot tubs. Bickle has used those spaces to her advantage, setting them as vignettes.
The oldest item in shop is an oak and walnut European prayer cabinet that was likely carved in the 16th century. Bickle has spent years trying to interpret the meaning of the carvings on the piece, which depicts the crucifixion of Christ. She does not know but thinks it may have been carved by unskilled monks and, based on the design, may have held the sacraments for a small community church.
The cabinet is for sale to the right buyer. Bickle said she would love to see the piece in a museum.
The store also has a painting by John C. Thorns Jr. He was the chairman of the Fort Hays State art department from 1973 to 1990. The Moss-Thorns Gallery at FHSU was named for him.
Brass candle sticks line a bureau in the front of the store.
On visiting the shop, you might also get to meet the store’s three mascots — Scotty dogs Heather May, Bonnie Bell and Bella Rae.
The shop is open 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, except for Fridays when it closes at 5 p.m. The store is also open 1:30 to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Bickle is 60 — a time when many people are looking forward to retirement — but she said she has no plans to retire any time soon.
“I can hear people saying, ‘She’s moving again.’ Most people are ready to retire when they hit 60, but I don’t feel like this has ever been a job. I love what I’m doing. I love the people I meet, and it’s not work. How do you retire from that?”
Dollar Tree has signed a contract with Big Creek Crossing to open a new store on the south end of the mall.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Big Creek Crossing announced today it signed national chain Dollar Tree as a new tenant.
The store will occupy about 10,000 square feet where Fashion Bug and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore were located at the south end of the mall. There will be no door to the store from the mall; the Dollar Tree will only have an exterior entrance.
The ReStore moved last weekend and now occupies a space in the former G&L Tire at south end of the mall parking lot.
Construction began today on the remodel of the mall space for Dollar Tree. The chain hopes to open its new Hays location this fall.
Dollar Tree is described as a variety store where all products cost a $1 or less.
According to its website, some of the product departments you’ll find at Dollar Tree include housewares, glassware, dinnerware, cleaning supplies, candy, snacks, food, health and beauty, toys, gifts, gift bags and wrap, party supplies, stationery, craft supplies, teaching supplies, books, and seasonal décor.
James Younger, Big Creek Crossing manager, said he thought Dollar Tree will be a positive addition to the mall and the community.
“This is something that we have been working on for quite some time,” he said. “We are very happy to see the project finalized, and we have it underway. We can’t wait until the project is completed and it is open and to bring another great shopping choice to the city of Hays.”
Big Creek has other projects in the works and hopes to make further announcements before the end of the year, Younger said.
He was unsure how many workers the Dollar Tree will employ.
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore has moved to 2900 Vine at the former G&L Tire location in the south Big Creek Crossing parking Lot.
Leslie Wyatt, Habitat for Humanity executive director, said the ReStore will be open its regular hours 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in its new location, 2900 Vine, on Saturday.
She said the organization is thankful Big Creek had a new location for the store. The store is in a slightly larger space with better visibility.
The ReStore takes donations and sells thrift items, construction surplus, household goods and furniture. ReStore proceeds support Habitat’s mission of providing affordable housing in the community.
Wyatt wished to thank all the volunteers who showed up Sunday to help move the store’s merchandise, including the Fort Hays State University football team.
Habitat and the ReStore are always in need of volunteers. To learn more about volunteering or about Habitat, call 785-623-4200, visit the Habitat website at www.hfhec.org or connect on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HFHEC/.
