FHSU University Relations

Wilmer and Lorena Kellogg, Hays, and the Elizabeth Colt Legacy Foundation presented the Fort Hays State University Shotgun Team with a total of $2,500 recently in a ceremony at the Hays Sportsmen’s Club, 5810 230th Ave.

“The Kelloggs have been huge supporters of the FHSU Shotgun Team for many years and have been instrumental in spreading the word about our team,” said Dr. Duane Shepherd, associate professor of health and human performance at FHSU and the team’s sponsor.

The Kelloggs presented the club with a personal check for $1,000 and another for $1,500 from the Elizabeth Colt Legacy Foundation.

“As members of the Colt Collectors organization and Elizabeth Colt Legacy Foundation, they have promoted the Shotgun Team and helped secure donations, published articles, and made generous donations to the team,” said Shepherd.

The Hays Police Department responded to 7 animal calls and conducted 15 traffic stops Fri., Oct. 26, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

False/Altered ID–100 block W 7th St, Hays; 12:53 AM
Suspicious Person–2700 block Vine St, Hays; 7:57 AM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–700 block E 13th St, Hays; 9:56 AM
MV Accident-Co Road/St Hwy–U-183 and U-183 Alternate Hwy, Hays; 10:18 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–3400 block Vine St, Hays; 10/15 12 PM; 10/26 11:59 AM
Drug Offenses–3700 block Summer Ln, Hays; 12:02 PM; 4:32 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–2800 block Vine St, Hays; 12:52 PM
Animal At Large–200 block W 36th St, Hays; 2:15 PM
Animal At Large–1500 block US 183 Alt Hwy, Hays; 2:46:PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–2900 block Vine St, Hays; 3:31 PM
Animal At Large–1300 block Douglas Dr, Hays; 4:29 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–4000 block Vine St, Hays; 5:19 PM
Shoplifting–1000 block Main St, Hays; 10/21 3:37 PM; 10/21 3:53 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 6:38 PM
MV Accident-Personal Injury–2100 block Vine, Hays; 7:05 PM
Found/Lost Property–2100 block Elm St, Hays; 7:16 PM
Missing Person–400 block Milner St, Hays; 7:29 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 9/21 5 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 8:18 PM
Welfare Check–500 block E 20th St, Hays; 9:24 PM
Disturbance – Noise–2100 block E 21st St, Hays; 9:59 PM
Driving Under the Influence–300 block W 7th St, Hays; 11:55 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 7 animal calls and conducted 31 traffic stops Sat., Oct. 27, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Disturbance – Noise–500 block Halladay St, Hays; 12:03 AM
Suspicious Activity–2000 block Canal St, Hays; 2:25 AM
Drug Offenses/DUI–11th and Walnut, Hays; 2:35 AM
Driving Under the Influence–6th and Walnut, Hays; 2:45 AM
Bicycle – Lost,Found,Stolen–100 block Main St, Hays; 8:20 AM
Found/Lost Property–3500 block Summer Ln, Hays; 10/26 10 PM; 10/27 8 AM
Suspicious Person–100 block W 13th St, Hays; 10/26 2 PM; 2:10 PM
Suspicious Person–2700 block Vine St, Hays; 10/26 5 PM; 5:30 PM
Animal At Large–1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 12 PM
Animal At Large–3000 block E 14th St, Hays; 12:43 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–900 block W 43rd St, Hays; 1:40 PM; 1:50 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–100 block Ash St, Hays; 2:10 PM
Civil Dispute–100 block E 15th St, Hays; 2:42 PM
Intoxicated Subject–1200 block Main St, Hays; 2:53 PM
MV Accident-Private Property–2700 block Vine St, Hays; 3:08 PM
Welfare Check–500 block E 17th St, Hays; 5:28 PM
Found/Lost Property–1200 block E 27th St, Hays; 6:38 PM
Welfare Check–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 7:18 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–400 block Riley St, Hays; 8:21 PM
Liquor Offense, sell, furnish, transport–200 block W 7th St, Hays; 8:59 PM
Found/Lost Property–4th and Elm, Hays; 11:04 PM
Driving Under the Influence–400 block E 9th St, Hays; 11:51 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 7 animal calls and conducted 16 traffic stops Sun., Oct. 28, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Driving Under the Influence–100 block W 8th St, Hays; 12:08 AM
Underage Possession of CMB/LIQ–6th and Walnut, Hays; 12:20 AM
Liquor Offense, sell, furnish, transport–6th and Halladay, Hays; 12:21 AM
Disorderly Conduct–7th and Elm, Hays; 12:30 AM
Driving Under the Influence–200 block W 14th St, Hays; 1:39 AM
Battery – simple–500 block W 7th St, Hays; 1:56 AM
Found/Lost Property–5th and Ash St., Hays; 2:33 AM
Assault–700 block Walnut St, Hays; 2:58 AM
Unwanted Person–2800 block Vine St, Hays; 6:55 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–2700 block Sherman Ave, Hays; 9:08 AM
Found/Lost Property–100 block W 24th St, Hays; 10:25 AM
Found/Lost Property–1000 block Elm St, Hays; 10/27 11:30 AM; 10/28 11:08 AM
MV Accident-Co Road/St Hwy–1300 block Vine St, Hays; 12:22 PM
Found/Lost Property–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 1:30 PM; 1:35 PM
Animal Injured–1300 block MacArthur Rd, Hays; 1:58 PM
Welfare Check–500 block Pine St, Hays; 6:05 PM
Theft of Services–1600 block E 27th St, Hays; 7:22 PM
Theft of Vehicle–2300 block Oak St, Hays; 2:30 PM; 7:30 PM
Prowler–600 block E 6th St, Hays; 10:01 PM
MV Accident-Personal Injury–3300 block Vine St, Hays; 11:12 AM

The Hays Police Department responded to 7 animal calls and conducted 23 traffic stops Mon., Oct. 29, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Shoplifting–300 block W 8th St, Hays; 7:30 AM; 7:49 AM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–1000 block E 15th St, Hays; 9:12 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–2400 block Pine St, Hays; 9:47 AM
Civil Dispute–1300 block Agnes Dr, Hays; 10/27 12:26 PM; 12:30 PM
Burglary/residence–2700 block Canal Blvd, Hays; 10/21 10:42 AM; 10:44 AM
NCIC Hit–1600 block E 41st St, Hays; 11:08 AM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–1200 block Main St, Hays; 12:51 PM
Animal At Large–1700 block Sunset Trl, Hays; 12:59 PM
MV Accident-Private Property–2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 1:56 PM; 1:58 PM
Found/Lost Property–100 block Lewis Dr, Hays; 2:25 PM
Animal Bite Investigation–1400 block E 29th St, Hays; 3:02 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–2700 block Colonial St, Hays; 4:53 PM
Suspicious Activity–500 block E 16th St, Hays; 6 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 8 animal calls and conducted 37 traffic stops Tue., Oct. 30, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Suspicious Activity–2800 block Vine St, Hays; 12:54 AM
Suspicious Activity–2500 block Vine St, Hays; 4:13 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–1600 block E 22nd St, Hays; 3 AM; 4 AM
Overdose–1000 block E 15th St, Hays; 5:20 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–1300 block W 27th St, Hays; 10/29 10 PM; 10/30 8 AM
Animal At Large–700 block E 6th St, Hays; 11:57 AM
Phone/Mail Scam–100 block E 27th St, Hays; 12:08 PM; 12:18 PM
Animal At Large–1200 block Vine St, Hays; 12:47 PM
Phone/Mail Scam–800 block Moscow St, Munjor; 1:49 PM
Animal At Large–1400 block US 183 Alt Hwy, Hays; 2 PM
Harassment (All Other)–3000 block Indian Trl, Hays; 2:18 PM
Violation of Restraining Order/PFA–1000 block W 28th St, Hays; 4:22 PM
Lost Animals ONLY–400 block W 20th St, Hays; 6:26 PM
Animal At Large–2900 block Broadway Ave, Hays; 6:46 PM
Traffic/Driving Complaint–200 block W 8th St, Hays; 8:05 PM
Intoxicated Subject–400 block W 5th St, Hays; 8:08 PM

FHSU University Relations

The 12th edition of Kansas Speaks, the annual poll addressing issues of importance to Kansans, is out and once again finds that a majority of Kansans think the state is a “very good” or “excellent” place to live.

The 2018 survey, conducted by Fort Hays State University’s Docking Institute of Public Affairs, interviewed 494 Kansans by phone (land-line and cell). The survey has a 4.4-percent margin of error. The poll asked questions in four areas: quality of life in Kansas, taxes and the economy, government and politicians, and public policy issues.

On the direct question of quality of life in Kansas, 55 percent of respondents rated Kansas as “very good” or “excellent”; 4 percent said “poor” or “very poor.”

One area of particular interest this year is the governor’s race. Respondents were asked, “Who do you plan on voting for governor in 2018?” Responses were consistent with national polls. More than a third of respondents reported that they would vote for Laura Kelly (40 percent) or for Kris Kobach (36 percent). Ten percent reported that they would vote for independent Greg Orman. Asked for positive or negative ratings on Kobach and Kelly, 55 percent rated Kelly positively and 37 percent rated Kobach positively.

Fifteen percent of respondents said the state economy was “very good” or “excellent” while 11 percent said it was “poor” or “very poor.” On the economy’s performance in the last year, 38 percent said it had improved, 45 percent said it stayed the same, and 17 percent said it worsened.

Positive feelings outweighed negative on the right track-wrong track question, with 58 percent saying Kansas is on the “right track” and 42 percent saying “wrong track.”

The full report can be found here: https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/.

A sampling of other questions of interest to Kansans:
•        52 percent of respondents “strongly support” or “somewhat support” legalizing recreational marijuana for individuals 21 and older to allow taxation by the state, with 39 percent “somewhat” or “strongly” opposed.
•        30 percent were satisfied with the state’s actions in 2017 to increase state revenue through income tax increases, while 41 percent were unsatisfied. People with higher education showed higher levels of satisfaction.
•        Respondents were asked to rate President Donald Trump on seven different areas. He received a high rating on the economy and national security but a low rating on “sharing my values,” “trustworthiness,” and “international diplomacy.”
•        51 percent were at least “somewhat uncomfortable” with the reported relationships between President Trump and the Russian government or Vladimir Putin. Republicans and men were more likely to feel comfortable.
•        45 percent supported Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the Supreme Court, 33 percent opposed, and 22 percent were neutral. The support level was higher among Republicans and men.
•        28 percent supported repealing the Affordable Care Act even if it is not replaced, 35 percent supported the repeal only if replaced, and another 37 percent opposed repealing. Democrats and women were more likely to oppose repeal.

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

A desire to continue serving the Hays community and Ellis County is the driving force behind Barb Wasinger’s campaign for the 111th Kansas House District seat.

Wasinger, R-Hays, has been a member the Care Council, the Parish Council, volunteered for 10 years at Holy Family Elementary, served on the Hays City Commission for two terms and is currently serving her second term on the Ellis County Commission.

“I’ve been active in the community for a long time,” Wasinger said. “I love Ellis County, I love Kansas. It’s not my native home, but it is home, and I have raised four children here. From the start, it’s always been important for me to give back to the community, and the political life is just an extension of that service I started a long time ago.”

Wasinger believes her years working in city and local government can transfer to the state level.

“Being a city commissioner gave me great insight into how a city works, into urban government, and moving to the county (commission) … gave me a better view of rural needs and the importance of what’s going on in our rural communities,” Wasinger said.

Wasinger has served as the rural representative on the Kansas Association of Counties board for the past year.

“The joy of being able to do both has given me a good handle on both areas but also gives me a fresh look at what the state government would need,” Wasinger said.

Transportation
Wasinger said finding a way to stop taking money from the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Kansas Public Employee Retirement System would be two of her priorities if she were elected.

“I want to stop taking money from KDOT and not funding KPERS properly and, while it’s clearly going to take a long time, I’d like to start the process of repaying KPERS and stop the draining of KDOT,” Wasinger said.

She said a recent stop in Hays by the Transportation Vision Task Force laid out issues facing the roads in Kansas, especially in Ellis County.

“You heard testimony after testimony of roads that are too narrow for vehicles that are driving on them now,” Wasinger said.

Wasinger also pointed to the proposed bypass on 230th Avenue northwest of Hays as a project that needs funding to be completed.

“Ellis County needs that bypass. We have a grant from KDOT, but it was tied to the building of the truck stop which stalled, so we can’t even use that grant and can’t even start planning for that bypass around (Highway) 183 without regulation change,” Wasinger said.

She said it’s also key the government funds KDOT to help update the state’s infrastructure because there are places that have not seen needed improvements in decades.

KPERS
Wasinger said she has also talked with several state employees who are concerned about their retirement and if there will be any money left in the KPERS system.

With the current state of the budget in Kansas and the anticipated increases needed for funding public schools, KDOT, the Kansas Department of Corrections and others, Wasinger said she would be in favor of keeping taxes level and then begin looking for places that can become more efficient.

“I know that more oversight has to be done on just about anything,” Wasinger said. “We have to figure out how to make everything more efficient.”

She said one way to improve government efficiency is to approach government with a business background.

“Understanding the realities of what government can’t do that a business can do,” Wasinger said. “I think that if you look at things with a business eye, you can adapt a lot of practices that make sense.”

School funding
When it comes to school funding, Wasinger said the claims she is against funding schools adequately or paying teaches is not true.

“It’s not just money being thrown at kids that make the education system better,” Wasinger said. “A lot of funding has gone to schools, but it’s not necessarily going to students and teachers, teachers’ salaries.”

She said after the recent increase in school funding, the Shawnee Mission School District raised the administrators’ salaries by 13 percent. The Russell school district built a sport complex. She said these are examples of money spent on schools that are not going to benefit test scores and outcomes and teachers’ salaries.

“You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect a different result,” Wasinger said.

She said there is a lack of accountability in school education funding. She said while some schools are spending funds on the students, other districts are not.

“Teachers need the money, and we need to be concentrating on our students,” Wasinger said.

Health care
While there is a renewed call for Medicaid expansion, Wasinger said any expansion has to be delayed until the problems with KanCare are solved. The sate of Kansas manages Medicaid through a privatized system called KanCare.

“One thing I’ve heard door-to-door is how many people have trouble with the system the way it is now, and we have to get that fixed before we start adding people to a broken system,” Wasinger said.

She is also concerned about the possibility that the federal government will begin to roll back the amount of money they are giving the states to fund the expansion.

“Patients need to come first. They need to be able to choose their own doctors. They need to be able to choose their own insurance, and there needs to be a work requirement tied to any kind of expansion,” Wasinger said.