WAKEENEY —The WaKeeney Police Department received a call from a concerned citizen regarding a suspicious incident that occurred at the pool Tuesday involving the caller’s daughter.

According to the report posted by the department on social media, a male stopped his vehicle next to the caller’s daughter to offer her a ride home. Luckily, the girl was uneasy enough to decline the offer and Chief Garza was made aware. Garza immediately headed to the location of the incident and contacted the Trego County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Kansas Highway Patrol who were able to make contact with the vehicle and escorted the suspect back to the WaKeeney Law Enforcement Center. The individual was then interviewed by Chief Garza where it was found that the individual was a registered sex offender.

The individual, identified as 42-year-old Eric Clayville according to Trego County jail records, is being held on suspicion of probation violation.

Clayville has a previous conviction for “Sexual exploitation of child; Employ child LT18 yoa to engage in sexually explicit conduct.” according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

“The WaKeeney Police Department is asking you to please talk to your children about the danger strangers can represent, and talk to them about what to do if a stranger approaches them,” the department said in the social media release. “We would also like to thank all agencies that helped in the process of apprehending the suspect and to all of your community members that called in to report this individual and shared it to social media.”

MAINTENANCE WORKER

The City of Hays is looking for dependable Maintenance Workers in the Water Resources, Parks and Street Departments. Duties include manual labor, equipment operations, snow removal and minor construction projects. Specialized duties dependent on department may include concrete, asphalt, street and alley maintenance, or turf, tree, and landscape maintenance or reading meters, pipe repairs, and maintenance duties.

Working days include Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. but depending on the department, hours may change to 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during the summer months. This position is subject to call outs and may be required to work a flexible work schedule as needed.

*Part Time Positions with flexible hours available as well.*

REQUIREMENTS

Valid driver’s license required.  Paid on-the-job training for the right candidate. A working knowledge of general construction, plumbing, and equipment preferred but not required.

Exposure to hazardous chemicals, machinery, excessive noise and all types of weather conditions is expected. This position requires a CDL Class B and has a residency requirement of 40 minute response time within 6 months of employment.

COMPENSATION

2018 Starting Pay:  $12.35 with additional pay available for experience. Plenty of room for advancement to a Maintenance Worker II and Equipment Operator position.  Starting wage based on experience.  The City of Hays offers great benefits including health insurance, KPERS, Paid Time Off & Holidays. Visit www.haysusa.com for more about the benefits.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications will be accepted in City Hall, 1507 Main, Hays, KS or online at www.haysusa.com.  Position opened until filled. Questions about the position may be sent to Human Resources at [email protected] or by calling 785-628-7320. EOE

The Hays Police Department responded to 10 animal calls and conducted 15 traffic stops Mon., June 25, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Mental Health Call–1400 block E 29th St, Hays; 3:26 AM
Found/Lost Property–2500 block Indian Trl, Hays; 5:54:33 AM
Battery – simple–300 block W 12th St, Hays; 8 AM; 8:08 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–2300 block block Canal Blvd, Hays; 8:21 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–700 block E 6th St, Hays; 6/22 6 PM; 6/25 9:28 AM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–700 block Oak St, Hays; 10:26 AM
Suspicious Activity–4300 block Vine, Hays; 10:48 AM
Disturbance – General–2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 11:03 AM
Theft (general)–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 11:51 AM
Lost Animals ONLY–200 block W 36th St, Hays; 12:12 PM
Animal At Large–1000 block E 15th St, Hays; 12:08 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–27th and Indian Trl, Hays; 1:10 PM
Harassment, Telephone/FAX–1000 block Reservation Rd, Hays; 2:20 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–1900 block Eisenhower Rd, Hays; 2:38 PM
Suspicious Person–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 38 PM
Animal At Large–1300 block Haney Dr, Hays; 4:04 PM
Phone/Mail Scam–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 5:10 PM; 5:29 PM
MV Accident-Hit and Run–300 block Main St, Hays; 4 PM; 6:09 PM
Civil Dispute–300 block E 15th St, Hays; 6/23 7 PM; 6/25 7:16 PM
Abandoned Vehicle–500 block E 14th St, Hays; 10:12 PM
MV Accident w/Animal–1500 block US 183 Alt Hwy, Hays; 6:02 AM

BUNKER HILL – Smoky Hills Public Television is excited to host an event featuring one of the new PBS Kids programs, Splash and Bubbles. The event will be held at the Sternberg Museum on July 28 from 10am to 1pm.

During the event, children will be able to watch the latest episodes of Splash and Bubbles and take a picture with Splash. Parents are encouraged to bring a camera. Kids also will visit educational activity stations to learn about water conservation. The first 500 children will receive a gift bag.

“While Splash and Bubbles focuses on marine life and the ocean, the producers understand the importance of water everywhere, which is why they wanted to partner with us to share their message in western Kansas,” says Tricia Flax, event coordinator.

Splash and Bubbles is an animated series co-produced by the Jim Henson Company.

— Submitted

The Heartland Community Foundation, which serves Ellis, Rooks and Trego Counties, recently awarded over $217,000 in spring grants to area organizations across the three counties.

Grants were funded through the foundation’s Heartland Area Action Fund, Dane G. Hansen Community Action Fund, Heartland Healthy Living Fund, Kansas Health Foundation Fund and the Legacy Funds for Ellis, Rooks and Trego Counties.

The following organizations received funding:

Ellis County – 

• United Way of Ellis County, $6,980 to digitize and distribute the Ellis County Community Resource Directory.
• Dialogue Ministries/Breathe Coffee House, $5,945 for The Neighbor Project of Ellis County.
• High Plains Mental Health Center, $5,838 to host a local mental health awareness event in Hays, featuring suicide survivor and mental health advocate Kevin Hines.
• Jana’s Campaign, Inc., $5,000 for teen dating violence prevention programs in Ellis County. 
• Hays Symphony Orchestra Guild, $5,000 for Hays Symphony Orchestra Children’s Halloween Concert.
• Grow Hays, $5,000 for to redesign and rebrand the Ellis County Development Corp website. 
• Nex-Generation Round Up for Youth, Inc., $4,440 for Young AmeriTowne of Kansas, which offers area students hands-on lessons in free enterprise and economics.
• Learning Cross Preschool, $4,000 for a program in which Learning Cross students will share musical playlists with their grandfriends.
• First Call for Help of Ellis County, Inc., $4,000 for Meals on Wheels volunteer stipends.
• USD 489, $3,710 to provide the first PREPaRE crisis training workshops for staff in Ellis, Rooks and Rush counties.  
• First United Methodist Church, $2,895 to purchase an AED device and training.
• Hays Community Theatre, $2,760 to install new compliant bathrooms.
• NCK Tech Hays Campus, $2,600 to provide mental health first aid training on campus. 
• Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas, $2,200 to replace the front door and sidelight and install an electronic handicap button and keyless entry lock at the Employment Connections Facility. 
• Thomas More Prep-Marian Biology Club, $400 to conduct a multi-county water quality research project.

Rooks County –

• Rooks County Healthcare Foundation, $7,000 to upgrade patient beds at Rooks County Health Center. 
• USD 271-Stockton Grade School, $6,290 to convert computer lab space into a learning studio where students can explore, create and learn individually or in small groups.
• City of Stockton dba Solomon Valley Manor, $5,000 to enhance the outdoor living space with new furniture, shade and a raised garden planter. 
• Rooks County Free Fair, $5,000 to purchase new sound system equipment.
• Sacred Heart Parish-Plainville Food Pantry, $5,000 to provide healthy meals for low income families and senior citizens.
• Plainville Community Foundation, $5,000 to market “shop local” programs to Rooks County citizens.
• USD 270 Plainville, $4,750 for a student ACT prep workshop and a professional development session for teachers.
• Nex-Generation Round Up for Youth, Inc., $4,140 for Young AmeriTowne of Kansas, which offers area students hands-on lessons in free enterprise and economics.
• Damar Community Historical Foundation/City of Damar, $3,860 to purchase a commercial power washer for the Damar Volunteer Fire Department. 
• Hays Arts Council, Inc., $3,500 to support professional youth theatre production of “Your Alien” and a residency by the author of the book, Ellis County native Tammi Sauer. 
• Plainville United Methodist Church, $3,000 to purchase and install three sets of entry doors.
• Plainville Community Foundation, $2,810 to purchase a picnic table with a flag table top and detailed military banners to mount next to existing light poles.
• City of Stockton, $2,250 for city pool furniture.
• Fusion Christian Youth Center, $2,119 for for a weekly youth summer ministry program.
• Stockton Swim Club, $1,708 for to help with swim club costs.

Trego County –

• USD 208, $39,857 for an IP Electronic Access Control system to meet the security needs for facilities and grounds.
• USD 208 – Trego Community High School, $7,160 to purchase eight Frog Fitness Multi Function Exercise machines for use by the elementary, junior high and high schools.
• Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas, $6,000 to support Catholic Charities Mobile Outreach-WaKeeney, which provides clothes, hygiene kits, food kits, clothing, other essentials, financial assistance and case management services.
• Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital, $5,315 to purchase three electric exam tables for the medical clinic. 
• American Legion Moore Post 197, $5,000 to replace the floor.
• WaKeeney VFW, $5,000 to install handicap accessible bathrooms.
• Western Kansas Veterans Patriot Center, $5,000 to replace, repair and restore the Avenue of Flags.
• Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital, $5,000 for the Trego County Health Fair.
• Trego County Historical Society, $4,689 to install LED lighting in the museum and add UV filtering film to avoid damage to historical artifacts.
• Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital, $3,445 to create a handicap accessible outdoor seating area.  
• USD 208, $3,052 to purchase wooden blocks, storage units, and wooden block vehicles for the Trego Grade School Preschool classroom.
• Trego Arts Council, $2,000 for the Wichita Children’s Theatre project.
• Nex-Generation Round Up for Youth, Inc., $1,980 for Young AmeriTowne of Kansas, which offers area students hands-on lessons in free enterprise and economics.
• Christ the King Catholic Church, $1,622 to purchase an AED for the parish center and training to use it.

Applications to the foundation’s next grant cycle will open on September 15, 2018. Visit www.heartlandcommunityfoundation.org for more information.

— Submitted

Today Sunny and hot, with a high near 101. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Highs today will range from 100 to 103. Stay safe in the heat! Drink plenty of water. Work outdoors early or very late in the day. #kswx pic.twitter.com/UvkdElB0IH

— NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) June 27, 2018

Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 73. South wind 8 to 10 mph.

Thursday Sunny and hot, with a high near 102. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 8 to 13 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

Thursday NightMostly clear, with a low around 76. South wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

FridaySunny, with a high near 99. Breezy, with a south wind 16 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph.

Friday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 75. Breezy.
SaturdayMostly sunny, with a high near 94.

THOMAS COUNTY — Seven people were injured in an accident just after 2p.m. Tuesday in Thomas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Ford Explorer driven by Any Garcia, 20, Charlotte, NC., was eastbound on Interstate 70 five miles east of the Kansas 25 Junction.

The driver swerved to avoid a tire tread in the roadway. The SUV entered the median and the driver lost control. The SUV re-entered the east bound lanes, overturned and rolled into the south ditch.

Garcia and a passenger Jissele Garcia, 11, Charlotte, NC., were transported to the hospital in Colby.

Passengers Eliazin Bahena Garcia, 23, Concord, NC., and Betuel Garcia, 44, Charlotte, NC,. were transported to a hospital in Wichita.

Passengers Guadalupe Garcia, 43, and Theresa Popaca, (age not reported), both of Charlotte, NC., were transported to Swedish Medical Center in Denver.

Passenger Rey Mendiola, 46, Charlotte, NC., was transported to St. Anthony Hospital in Denver.

The driver and passenger Eliazin Bahena Garcia were the only occupants wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.