Beginning Wednesday, the intersection of 16th and Allen streets will be opened and the intersection of 14th and Allen will be closed. Allen Street will be closed from north of 13th Street to south of 16th Street. The intersection of 15th and Allen remains closed. This work is part of the Allen Street Reconstruction Project.
Signs will be in place to direct the traveling public. Motorists should use caution in these areas.
FHSU University Relations
The Management Development Center at Fort Hays State University will kick off its fall 2018 Workshop Series with a new workshop, “Your Website: The Foundation of a First-Rate Marketing Strategy.”
This workshop will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, in the university’s Hansen Entrepreneurship Hall.
Dr. Mary Martin, professor of applied business studies at FHSU, will facilitate. Participants will learn how to effectively utilize their website as part of an overall marketing strategy. Topics will include the must-have components for an ideal website, designing a conversion path, and making website content more shareable. Participants will also learn how to optimize social media to improve search rank and drive traffic.
Each person who completes a workshop will receive a completion certificate and will earn 4.0 continuing education units.
The cost for registration is $119. A 15-percent discount applies for all Hays Area Chamber of Commerce Members on single session cost.
Registration is available online through the Registration link in the sidebar on the center’s home page at www.fhsu.edu/mdc. To learn more about this workshop or additional upcoming trainings, contact Hannah Hilker by phone at 785-628-4121 or by email at [email protected].
FHSU University Relations
Three candidates for the position of Fort Hays State University’s provost and vice president for academic affairs search will visit FHSU and the Hays community in September.
Dr. C. David Moon, professor of political science and special assistant to the provost at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, will visit from Tuesday, Sept. 4, to Thursday, Sept. 6.
Dr. Neal Schnoor, senior advisor to the chancellor for executive affairs at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, will visit from Monday, Sept. 10, to Wednesday, Sept. 12.
Dr. Jeff Briggs, currently serving as FHSU’s interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, will conduct his candidate visits on campus from Sunday, Sept. 23, to Tuesday, Sept. 25.
Moon earned a B.A. in political science in 1979 from Austin College, Sherman, Texas. His M.A. in government, 1983, and his Ph.D. in government, 1986, were both earned at the University of Texas, Austin.
Schnoor earned his B.F.A. in education in 1990 from Wayne State College, Wayne, Neb. His Master of Music, 1996, and his Ph.D., 1999, were both earned at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His Ph.D. is in education administration, curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in music education.
Briggs earned both his B.S. in physical education, 1983, and his M.S. in health, physical education and recreation, 1984, from Fort Hays State. He earned his Ed.D. in kinesiology in 1992 at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
More information on the candidates and the search process is available at www.fhsu.edu/president/provost-search/candidate-information-campus-visits.
Each candidate will meet with various constituent groups over the course of three days and will include meetings with the Search Committee, faculty, students, staff, administration and more, as well as campus and community tours. The search committee will notify the various groups by email of their times with the candidates.
The provost and vice president for academic affairs, the chief academic officer of the university, reports directly to the president and is a member of her Executive Leadership Team.
Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, yet suicide is preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2014 (the most recent year for which full data are available), 42,773 suicides were reported, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death for Americans. In that year, someone in the country died by suicide every 12.9 minutes.
Dozens of people from throughout northwest Kansas are expected to participate in the Out of the Darkness Hays Walk hosted by the Greater Kansas Chapter of the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention at 1 p.m., September 15, 2018 at Municipal Park in Hays. This fundraising walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s local and national education and advocacy programs and its bold goal to reduce the annual rate of suicide 20 percent by 2025.
“We walk to help others seek help when they need to and to help community members respond to loved ones who may need help. Suicide affects so many and can have a big impact on rural communities. We hope that by walking we save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide,” said Kyle Carlin, Greater Kansas AFSP volunteer.
The Out of the Darkness Hays Walk is one of more than 375 Out of the Darkness Community Walks being held nationwide this year. The walks are expected to unite more than 250,000 walkers and raise millions for suicide prevention efforts. Last year’s Hays Walk included over 80 people from northwest Kansas.
Check-in and same-day registration will begin at 1:00 p.m. at Municipal Park, and the walk will begin at 2:00 p.m. Anyone who would like to form a team, join a team, or walk as an individual, and/or donate is encouraged to register at www.afsp.org/hays. There is no cost to participate in the walk or remembrance activities.
“These walks are about turning hope into action,” said AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia. “Suicide is a serious problem, but it’s a problem we can solve. The research has shown us how to fight suicide, and if we keep up the fight the science is only going to get better, our culture will get smarter about mental health, and we’ll be able to save more people from dying from depression and other mental health conditions.”
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, and with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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WKHRMA
The annual WKHRMA (Western Kansas Human Resources Managers Association) seminar will be held on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Robbins Center located on the campus of Fort Hays State University. Doors open and registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.
See event details here: https://wkhrma.shrm.org/events/2018/10/annual-wkhrma-seminar
Speaker: Melody L. Rayl, Attorney, and Lauren Sobaski, Associate, of Fisher Phillips
Registration: $65 Members; $80 Non-Members; Lunch is included; Registration and Payment due October 9, 2018.
*This event will be SHRM (5 hours) & HRCI Certified
We would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support:
-Hays Area Chamber of Commerce
-Werth Wealth Management
-Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball
-Management Development Center (MDC) at Fort Hays State University
-Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
-Freedom Claims Management, Inc.
LOGAN — The Dane G. Hanen Foundation has introduced a new enrichment initiative for public schools in Northwest Kansas.
The Hansen Foundation has long supported education through scholarships and individual grants. This initiative takes a more proactive approach. The NWKansasLEARNS initiative brings educational enrichment activities to schools in the Foundation’s 26-county service area, reducing the burden of arranging and paying for field trips and expanding enrichment activities to include more teachers and students.
The Hansen Foundation reached out to four educational organizations and worked with them to make the activities they offer more accessible to NW Kansas students. Programs are offered through the Kansas Cosmosphere; the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home; the Kansas Historical Society; and the Rolling Hills Zoo. All activities support Kansas curriculum standards, include hands-on learning opportunities, and are offered at no charge to the schools.
This new program is the latest initiative from the Hansen Foundation to support educational enrichment. This fall, the foundation is offering the Creede Repertory Theatre Young Audience Outreach Tour to NW Kansas elementary schools. A part of the Foundation’s NWKansasARTS initiative, this original children’s theatre production is interactive, and includes a book for children to take home. Like the other opportunities, the Foundation is covering the full cost of the tour.
The Foundation’s NWKansasREADS initiative expanded last year to offer summer reading grants. Schools and libraries can utilize grant funds for summer reading programs specifically designed to reduce the summer slide students experience between school years. The reading initiative also covers pre-school age children through support of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Any child birth to 5 in the Hansen service area is eligible to receive a free age-appropriate book in the mail every month. The program encourages reading and improves kindergarten readiness.
Each of these outreach initiatives are designed to offer educators and families tools to help provide the children of NW Kansas the best possible educational experience.
More information is available at danehansenfoundation.org.
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By STEPHAN BISAHA
Wichita Public School teachers are receiving a more than a 3.5 percent increase in salary. In Topeka, the increase is nearly 8 percent, that district’s largest in 26 years.
School districts across Kansas are raising salaries, restoring cut positions and adding new jobs.
That follows the phasing in of $500 million in additional school funding approved by the Kansas Legislature in the spring under pressure from the Kansas Supreme Court to improve education funding.
In a survey conducted by the Kansas State Department of Education in 2017, districts said if they received $200 million in additional funding, about a third would go toward teacher salaries.
That mimics what happened last year when districts raised salaries after the Legislature allocated about $200 million to school funding. That helped improve Kansas’ rankings for teacher compensation to 40th out of the 50 states in 2018.
“Normally, you wouldn’t be excited about 40th except we are moving in the right direction,” said Craig Neuenswander, the school finance team director at KSDE.
The state’s teacher shortage has often been blamed on low pay. Districts are hoping to improve recruitment and retainment with the salary increases.
“We know that being able to recruit and retain teachers will lead to the best learning outcomes for students,” said Misty Kruger, the director of communications at Topeka Public Schools.
Districts have also been restoring previously cut positions. And some school districts have added new positions that better reflect their changing needs. Hays Public Schools, for instance, hired a business teacher to teach the classes the district wanted.
“Wherever they had to make cuts, they’re going to have to make decisions about if simply bringing back positions is as good as creating positions they want to,” said Mark Tallman, the associate director of the Kansas Association of School Boards.
Many districts have used the opportunity to hire more school counselors to address growing issues with student discipline and mental health. Those positions were some of the first to go when cuts had to be made, said Tracy Kaiser, the executive director of finance at Hays Public Schools.
“When we had to cut because everything was so tight, that was probably the easiest position to cut,” Kaiser said. “They’re also the most needed at this point.”
Stephan Bisaha reports on education for the Kansas News Service Follow him on @SteveBisaha.
Veteran Service Representative Schedule for September 2018
1st Tuesdays 9/4/18 Stockton Courthouse 9:30 – 11:30 AM
2nd Tuesdays 9/10 & 11/18 STATE FAIR in Hutchinson ALL DAY
Resume normal rotation in October
Odd months – LaCrosse
Even months – Ness City
3rd Tuesdays 9/18/18 Osborne Veterans Building 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Russell City Hall 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
4th Tuesdays 9/25/18 Phillipsburg EMS Building 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Smith Center Courthouse 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
The Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs assists veterans and authorized family members, free of charge, in matters pertaining to their VA claims and benefits.
All itinerants are on a first come first served basis. No appointment needed.
For more information contact:
Douglas Storie, VSR
Kansas Commission on Veterans’ Affairs
Veteran Service Representative
205 E. 7th Suite 107
Hays, KS 67601
Phone: 785-259-0364
FAX: 785-650-0392
E-mail: [email protected]
Labor Day A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. South southeast wind 6 to 9 mph.
Monday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Southeast wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tuesday Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. South wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tuesday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Wednesday Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 78. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Wednesday Night Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Thursday Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 74. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged sex crimes. On Thursday, the Garden City Police Department issued and alert to help them locate 41-year-old Jace Stubbs for questioning.
Over the weekend, police reported they had located him and thanked the public for their assistance.
Stubbs remains in custody, according to Finney County Jail records.
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FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged sex crimes and are searching for person of interest.
The Garden City Police Department is seeking assistance from the community to locate 41-year-old Jace Stubbs.
He is described as a white male, 6-foot-tall, 190 pounds with brown hair and eyes. His last known address was 1620 Jan Street in Garden City.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Jace Stubbs should call the Garden City Police Department at (620)276-1300.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — After nearly a century of growing pumpkin patches and providing corn mazes for visitors, Wichita’s Cox Farm will close soon.
Ron and Vickie Stein, third-generation owners of the farm, announced Thursday they will close the 92-year-old Wichita institution in late September or October.
The Steins, who have operated the farm for 12 years, are retiring. Both are 71 years old.
Ron Stein says the couple has worked seven days a week for their entire lives and they have had enough.
Stein said the property has already drawn interest, with some wanting to keep it a farm and some wanting something else on the site.
Ron Stein’s grandparents, Roy and Daisy Cox, started Cox Farm in 1926.
