By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

On Thursday, the Sunrise Rotary Club in Hays sponsored the annual Grocery Grab at Dillons, 1902 Vine, netting Brenda Radke more than $705 in merchandise and funds for the club to continue improvements at Ekey Park.

During the run, Radke had five minutes to grab from the shelves.

“Chartered April 29, 2010, the Hays Sunrise Rotary Club is the newest service club in Hays. It is comprised of 20 men and women who are business, professional and community leaders with a shared commitment to make the world a better place through humanitarian service above self,” according to a press release for the event. “The club meets the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 a.m. at Augustine’s Bakery, “On The Bricks” on Main Street off 13th Street.”

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

A group of thieves made off with thousands of dollars after a theft at a Hays business last month.

The incident was captured on video by Sue McRae Bickle, owner of Northglen Antiques, 2010 Vine, but even with video evidence, the crime highlights the difficulty in investigating crimes that occur as people get off and quickly back on the interstate.

On the video, three people are captured traveling throughout the store, looking at various items in the early afternoon of Oct. 6.

Shortly after two females enter the store together, one steps behind the counter located near the entrance and looks around before they began walking around the store.

Another man walks in seconds later, looking at the security cameras and texting on his phone while walking around.

At one point while the three people were in the location, a clutch was stolen from a cabinet in the store’s office where there were no cameras.

Cash totaling $1,172 was taken along with two credit cards for the business and Bickle’s personal bank card.

Those cards would be used to make over $5,000 in purchases at Walgreens, Walmart, Home Depot and Dillons in Hays within two hours of the three people leaving the store.

Those purchases were all completed within an hour and were likely used to purchase gift cards, she said, as several of the purchases are for the same amount.

And while in her shop, one of the three people in the video made a purchase with a Visa gift card.

On Oct. 26, the clutch was returned after being found in the bushes of a Hays hotel near I-70 and returned to Bickle, with something extra inside.

In the checkbook, she found two credit cards from a person in Colby.

Colby Police Chief Ron Alexander said those cards were taken during a vehicle burglary reported on Oct. 6, the same day as the theft at Northglen.

“The cards were apparently used in Hays at the Walmart from our theft,” he said, they had also attempted to use the cards in the Walmart in Colby early in the day.

After looking at video from Hays, Alexander said the possible suspects appear to match those from the theft in Colby.

“I imagine this is tied into it,” he said.

The purse stolen in Colby was found two weeks later by KDOT employees near I-70 mile marker 65.

“This is two cases this month where somebody has come from the west and committed a crime and continued on east,” Alexander said. “We think they were likely just passing on down the road and, unless you get them caught with this stuff in hand, it’s hard.”

“We wish you could absolutely solve every crime, but just because you have someone on camera, it’s not always the case,” he said.

Meanwhile, the video and pictures have been pushed out across the state.

“We shared (the video) with local law enforcement and the Kansas Intelligence Association,” said Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler. “It is still an open investigation.”

But cases like these are hard to investigate locally, he said, as the perpetrators are often only in town for a short time.

In this case, Bickle said in around 12 minutes the suspects had the cards from her business, within a couple of hours they had made off with thousands of dollars.

“We definitely feel they came off the interstate and got back on the interstate and are gone,” Scheibler said.

By the time patrol officers had submitted the evidence to a detective, they were likely already out of the area, he said.

“We do tend to have good luck releasing videos and photographs, especially if they are local, but if they are just passing through, pulled off and committed a couple of crimes and got back on the interstate, we are going to struggle,” Scheibler said.

A similar, crime was reported on Oct. 29 in which the department released video, but issued a statement later that they were likely no longer near Hays.

Bickle said shop owners and managers should report suspicious activity, especially when large amounts of gift cards are purchased or crimes like this will continue to occur in Hays, but credit card policies add another layer of difficulty as it is against Visa and Mastercard policy to require identification to make a sale — meaning even a suspicious clerk has little recourse if theft is suspected.

“We have been a vocal advocate for stricter regulations surrounding requiring IDs on credit card purchases,” said Tara Aston, senior manager of national media relations at Walmart. “We are not allowed to require that.”

In Bickle’s case, and the case from later in the month, a vehicle was captured on video that was shared by Walmart, but without a clear license plate number, they are also hard to track.

“Car license plates are major for catching these people,” Bickle said. “The police said my thieves covered their license plates while they were in Walmart and the cameras couldn’t get it.”

 

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

Physical therapy is typically something a person does not think about until it is needed and then finding time during a workday when offices are open is often a challenge.

But Aimee Riegel opens to change that with her new business Fit PT and Physical Therapy.

“What I have done is created a mobile concierge physical therapy practice where I can come to the client,” Riegel said.

And she offers different services than what you might see in a traditional physical therapy office such as working with employers to develop programs for their employees to help them before therapy is needed.

“A lot of them are simply because we sit too long during the day,” she said. “There is a lot of things I can teach people and employers to show their employees.”

Working directly with the public can be beneficial for the individual as well in both well being and pricing, she said. Not being contracted with insurance companies means she can offer a flat rate – sometimes lower than out-of-pocket costs after a traditional office setting.

“You know what you get up front,” Riegel said.

Working outside of insurance she said also allows her the flexibility to work with what the client needs regardless of the mandates of an insurance company.

“We can make a plan and really follow through without having insurance dictating (care),” Riegel said.

When the range of motion is recovered, insurance companies will often stop covering treatment – that’s where her new service can come in.

Working with people to maintain a range of motion can help stop problems from occurring that can happen when not seeking treatment.

She launched the business in September and has been gaining clients through word of mouth and continues working at Progressive Physical Therapy two days a week in order for clients who are going through insurance companies to be able to use her services as well.

But through the new business, she offers flexibility in scheduling that a regular office normal will not.

“I’m available evenings. I can be available weekends. I try to be as flexible as I can for my clients,” Riegel said.

“I’ve gotten some really great responses from the community,” she said, adding many have told her this service is much needed in Hays.

And while the service is new, many will already know Riegel as she has been a long-time practitioner of physical therapy.

“I have been practicing physical therapy for about 12 years and decided I wanted to branch out into something a little different,” she said.

Using her services can help maintain motion and stay pain-free, and utilizing physical therapy prior to a specific incident is becoming more popular.

“The American Physical Therapy Association is actually pushing really hard for preventative wellness and medicine,” Riegel said.

By doing so, they hope to keep insurance costs lower, she said, by engaging people before they have an issue.

Wellness services can also more personally directed than insurance-mandated treatment.

“Its more than developing exercises for an individual. It’s very personal,” Riegel said.

She helps see how people move and can direct their treatment to address their specific concerns.

Riegel offers a free discovery consultation where she can hear problems and see if her services would be a good fit.

An initial full consultation is $150 for approximately an hour and a half and includes a full evaluation and treatment during the visit.

A regular session is $125 for wellness or physical therapy.

She also offers a half-hour session for $70 or stand-alone dry needling for $45.

Health Spending Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts can be used and if multiple sessions are needed she offers discounted rates packages.

For more about the business or to set up a consultation, visit www.fitptandwellness.com, Facebook or call (785)261-1772.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

There’s not much left in St. Peter, Kansas.

At the intersection of two unpaved roads about 12 miles north of Interstate 70 in Graham County, the unincorporated town is home to only one business – a drilling company.

Even the Post Office closed almost 100 years ago.

But a few residents have hung on and still call the town home, many are descendants of the original Volga German settlers who first came to the area in the late 1800s.

Now the townspeople will gather Monday to discuss the fate of one of the last reminders of times gone by — a Catholic church that was the heart of the area, a place where townsfolk would gather in celebration, worship and mourning.

Outside of a few special occasions, St. Anthony’s Church has been quiet since 1999, when the last regular mass was held. Since then, the townspeople have chipped in to help take care of the property, but time has not been kind to the 70-year-old building.

It is in desperate need of a new roof. Water has seeped into the walls, ceiling tiles have fallen to the ground and gaps have formed around the stained glass windows.

Meeting to discuss the future of St. Anthony will be 7 p.m. Monday at the church.

It was in 1895 the congregation formed that would build the original church, with names now common to the area such as Brungardt, Billinger, Wasinger and Knoll.

Construction started in 1909 on the first permanent church building after one of the original town settlers, Peter Rome, donated the land on which the church still stands. It was dedicated a little over a year later. A school and rectory stood nearby, home to the local priest and nuns who served as teachers.

In 1949 a new church would be built in the same location with many of the original adornments moved into the new sanctuary from the old.

The school still stands, although heavily damaged. The original rectory remains as well and is now home to Winnie Kingsbury after being auctioned off by the Diocese in 2010.

“It was a vibrant center to this whole area, and it centered around this church,” she said. “It was a faith-based community and the church was everything to them. … They poured their hearts and souls into making sure that they had beautiful spiritual places.”

The church, she said, stands as a testament to those early settlers and what they valued.

“This community was built on the faith of the Catholic Church and the Catholic religion,” Kingsbury said.

Even now, the streets retain the names of Catholic saints.

She said the hope of the community seems to be that at some point a priest would once again regularly return for mass and the Salina Diocese will work to preserve the building.

And an outpouring of support on social media shows interest in saving the building from families who combine their own personal histories into the story of St. Anthony’s and the town of St. Peter.

But many no longer live in the area, and the population of St. Peter is – like many in western Kansas –  an aging one.

While she said everyone kicks in as much as they can, the building needs substantial work that will take significant time and money.

“I know everybody has the same feeling out here. They love that church, and they don’t want to see it go,” Kingsbury said.

But she is also a realist.

“At this point, I have to look at it as a beautiful historic building,” she said. “Everyone would love to have the church stay, but the last few years have been hard on it. It’s deteriorated greatly in the last two years.”

Despite the remoteness and the deteriorating building, Kingsbury said a steady flow of people still come to see the church.

She frequently hears their stories about the town and the church, but with fewer people living in the area, the burden of saving the building comes down to the handful who remain.

And while the outpouring on social media has been overwhelming, Kingsbury said the challenge is finding someone locally to take the charge of maintaining the building and grounds, including sourcing funds for the significant cost for repairs.

“It served a great purpose for many years, but there are not many people left,” said the Rev. Charles Steier, pastor at Christ the King church in WaKeeney and St. Michael in Collyer. “That’s a lot to ask a few people.”

The responsibility of maintenance of a church is solely on the parishioners. The Diocese does not allocate funding to buildings — either active or non-active, he said.

Steier has seen the outcome of many similar situations over the years, but generally, as distressing as it is, the best option is often to raze the building.

The concern is that, once a church building is sold, they often fall into further disrepair and become even more burdensome to area residents as they watch a beloved building crumble with no recourse.

He equated the situation to a loved one that becomes ill. The people around the person directly see the effects, but those from a distance might be in denial of how bad the situation has become.

“There is no easy solution,” Steier said.

Despite the outcome of Monday’s meeting, Kingsbury said she is glad the church is looking for definitive action and is grateful the bishop has taken steps to come to a resolution.

She met with Bishop Gerald Lee Vincke, who was appointed last year, when he personally visited the church.

“That has never happened to us before,” Kingsbury said. “That is a wonderful thing.”

Much like the faith the people that founded the St. Peter had in the church and the future of their little town, Kingsbury said she feels the diocese will make the right decision for the building.

“You have to trust that,” she said.

Meanwhile, she said, she hopes the meeting brings a large crowd so they can share their thoughts with the church leaders and all options can be heard.

The Rev. Peter O’Donnell, diocesan tribunal judge, will lead the meeting, scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Monday in the church.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

ELLIS — Before the regular meeting of the Ellis City Council last week, outgoing Director of Public Works Alan Scheuerman shared with current and potential council members a summary of issues the council will be facing.

Among the issued presented was the continued presence of higher-than-allowed total trihalomethanes, commonly referred to as TTHM, in the water system.

“We do have a TTHM problem, and it’s getting worse,” Scheuerman said.

Trihalomethanes are a byproduct of chlorine interacting with organic material in the water supply and refers to a group of chemicals that include chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane and bromoform.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, following the guidance of the Environmental Protection Agency, mandates TTHM levels under 80 parts per billion in public water supplies.

“We are coming in at 89 and 100, which brought our (running annual average) up to 89 and, unless we can come up with a much lower number – like a 40 in December, we’re going to have another one above 80,” Scheuerman said.

The highest TTHM average in Ellis last year was reported as 73, according to the KDHE consumer confidence report, meaning even with the current high levels the risk to the public is low.

Standard warnings from the EPA for consumers with water high in TTHM indicate health problems only occur after years of ingestion.

“This is not an emergency,” the EPA said in the standard letter to consumers that have high TTHM levels. “If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. Some people who drink water containing trihalomethane in excess of the (maximum contaminant levels) over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys or central nervous system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.”

Scheuerman said he believes the high TTHM levels are due to bromide leaching into the water system from organic materials while the amount of water in the city water wells is higher than normal.

“When it starts coming in at every test scheduled, which is every quarter, my guess is that the state is going to require us to take some kind of change or alteration to improve that,” he said.

Last year, 27 water systems in Kansas were found to have TTHM over the statutory limit – resulting in 55 violations, and Scheuerman, noting another city in western Kansas is currently facing similar issues.

The city is working with outside companies to find a cost-effective solution that can be worked into the city’s water plan.

Those companies will meet with the council in the future to address the issue, Scheuerman said, warning that if a solution is not found to alleviate the problem, the state could force the city into action.

Iron manganese treatment is a potential option and is likely the most cost-effective as it would only add another chemical feed into the system and the treatment is already used for inflow water, Scheuerman said.

“The other option we could do is a (reverse osmosis) system, which is extremely expensive,” he said. “We are not looking to do that method if at all possible.”

Mayor David McDaniel said at a recent governmental meeting he spoke with agents from two engineering firms that work with the city and was informed they are nearing a solution that would not require the reverse osmosis system.

As the city searches for other water sources, Scheuerman said, adding water into the system might also dilute the TTHM in the water under mandated levels and KDHE grants could cover up to one-third of the cost of adding another source of water to the system if that is used as the TTHM solution.

“There are multiple options there, but the city also needs to keep moving forward, because the state does not like you to sit on your laurels and say ‘We’ve got the water, we’ve got the land, but we are just going to sit there and look at it for the next 10 years,’ ” Scheuerman said. “They want to see you do something with it, which means you are probably going to have to spend some dollars.”

An engineering estimate totaled $3.7 million to $4.25 million two years ago that would secure another water source, including land and construction costs.

Scheuerman said the city could also try to partner with a rural water district to bring in water at a lower cost than securing new wells.

---

It’s not just what is going out, but what is coming in

Another issue that the council will face in the future will be water entering the sewer system rather than what comes from the taps, Scheuerman told the group, from damaged roads and storm drains.

“If you look at where the most damage is occurring, (it) is underneath the sewer and storm drains,” he said, noting water is infiltrating the sewer system under roadways and sections of roads in several areas of town.

“It’s getting worse,” Scheuerman said, noting repairs and maintenance need to be kept in mind when the council is lining up capital improvement projects.

Current council member Martin LaBarge agreed.

“Sometime, somehow, those streets are going to have to be fixed, because they are getting worse,” he said.

“On Washington Street, it is quite visible,” Scheuerman said. “You can see parts of the street are dropping and part of that is due to the tile breaking and water infiltrating down, going into those openings and taking dirt with it.”

He also noted one storm drain line has already collapsed.

“I know it is collapsing because there is no pipe left underneath there,” Scheuerman said. “We can’t get the sewer machine through it. If you can’t get a 2-inch sewer machine to ream that line, I guarantee … it was collapsed.”

He warned the council that funding is needed to address the problem, and other cities often have a fund specifically for storm drain maintenance, something he has recommended to the council in the past.

“If you have a major break, where you have to redo a section of storm drains, you have set no funding aside for that purpose,” Scheuerman said.

In those situations, the only solution is using tax dollars if no funds are available, which would take away from street repair funds.

“It will come back to haunt you because it will get worse,” Scheuerman said.

He suggests the new council begin accumulating a capital improvement fund to help those kinds of repairs.

“Your cost to repair will continue to rise,” Scheuerman said.

Repair funds, he told the group, are mandated by law to be separated and recommended the council re-evaluate the 2 percent water bill increase that was voted down this year to be used for maintenance.

“With these types of dollar amounts that you are going to need to keep your water safe and usable, I suggest that you reconsider about that 2 percent,” Scheuerman said.

“I think with the kind of dollar amount that you need to continue to put into your water system you can probably not afford to let that drop,” he said. “An annual 2-percent increase is a lot easier to swallow for a lot of people … than a $20 change 10 years from now.”

Museum board president assures the city council it will reopen in the spring

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

ELLIS — In an effort to alleviate continued budget woes, the Walter P. Chrysler Boyhood Home and Museum Board of Directors has decided to close over the winter — but assured the Ellis City Council that the closure is temporary.

“The rumor that the house is closing is just a rumor,” Gordon Solomon, museum board president, told the council at Monday’s regular meeting. “We want to ensure everyone that it is not permanently closing. It will be open in the spring.”

The move became necessary as the museum was unable to break even and was using reserve funds to pay staff over the slower winter months.

“We have been struggling, budget-wise for a couple of years now,” Solomon said. “By doing the closure, we should be able to close out the budget this year about equal.

“Like most people, we have to learn to live within our means,” he said.

He acknowledged the council was funding the museum as much as possible, but ultimately the savings made by closing was needed to put the budget on track.

“Our goal is to just meet budget and we realize the city can’t increase what you are already doing to assist the home,” Solomon said.

During the meeting, he said attendance over the winter months is low, so the impact on tourism would be minimal.

As an example, Solomon said total admissions and sales for the museum in January and February of this year was only $82.35 — while wages and payroll taxes equaled $1,404.

With those numbers, he said, “Obviously we are not meeting budget, even with your assistance.”

While the board was actively seeking solutions to balance the budget over the summer, museum employees gave notice to the board they would be leaving on Sept. 6, spurring the board to make a decision at a special meeting on Aug. 29.

“As a board, we decided that we would stay closed through the remainder of September and then we proposed to the board to mirror the schedule of the Ellis Railroad Museum,” Solomon said. “Our intent in the future is to open in March and close at the end of September.”

In January, he said the board would begin looking for a new employee.

Even with the budget concerns alleviated, for the time being, Solomon said the board is still actively seeking ideas to bring more people to the museum, including continuing to strengthen the partnership with the Ellis Railroad Museum.

“That’s our goal. We want to try to mirror each other and support each other,” Solomon said.

This would continue the trend of the two museums operating in a similar manner to one another.

“We tried to structure them the same — hours, fees, everything,” Ellis Mayor David McDaniel said.

Solomon said the board is also looking at a discounted rated for visitors who go to both museums, or offering a discount to people visiting the Ellis Lakeside Campground.

“There is a lot of people coming to town that obviously don’t visit,” Solomon said, noting the large influx of people at the campground, even while museum attendance is low.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

After expanding their trade area, Topeka-based Logan Business Machines is set to open a location in Hays in the next few weeks at Oak Plaza, 107 E. 27th.

The company primarily sells, services and supplies Sharp, Lexmark and HP printers, but also sells LED interactive displays and will offer marketing material printing in their newest location.

The Hays location will be the third for the third-generation, family-owned and operated business that began in 1972.

“This territory with Sharp became available and so we put in for it and got it — so really Hays is going to be our connection back to Abilene, Salina, Junction City and sometimes Manhattan,” said Chris Martin, LBM executive vice president and partner.

The Hays location will allow the company to provided faster service to areas where it already operated and will allow expansion west.

“It was kind of playing connect the dots with Hays,” Martin said of the expansion that will allow the company to provide service to Hays, Russell and as far west as Colby.

He said the company looked at Hays for around six months before deciding to open the location but believes it will be a good fit.

“We love it. We think Hays is growing,” Martin said.

He is also pleased with the location picked in Hays. After looking a locations in various areas of town, he said after speaking with the owner of Oak Plaza he was sold.

“She has a vision of this strip mall to become more than it is now and our company is all about being a part of change and helping the community,” Martin said. “It’s a great location, just off Vine.”

The majority of LBM clients are business to business, so Martin said he does not expect a lot of foot traffic, but having a location for looking at and testing equipment is important for business owners to make decisions on their equipment.

“For most small to medium businesses, the copy machine is a pretty good investment,” he said. “We want them to touch it and feel it and bring in some jobs where we can print their jobs off of the machine they are looking at and get them completely comfortable with the machine being able to fit into their environment. That’s really why we do this. We feel that helps small businesses a lot,” Martin said.

This location will also be a production facility where customers can print blueprints and do plotter printing along with standard walk-in printing.

They also plan to print marketing materials at some point in the future as well.

“Just about anything you can put your name on,” Martin said.

The location will open with a few employees, but Martin said he hopes to be fully staffed with a team of six in 18 to 24 months as the business grows.

While the Hays storefront is still being completed, he said they are already servicing clients and hopes to have the location open for customers soon. A Nov. 21 ribbon cutting with the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce is planned.

After years of planning, Hays Police Department Honor Guard makes debut during FHSU Homecoming

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

A longtime goal of Hays Police Department Chief Don Scheibler came to fruition last weekend with the debut of the HPD Honor Guard during Fort Hays State University’s Homecoming festivities.

“One of my goals early on was to set up an honor guard,” Scheibler said, who took over the department in 2011.

After years of planning, funding was budgeted in 2018 by the City of Hays.

“When we decided to do this, we needed it funded properly,” Scheibler said. “Both the city manager and the city commission have been very supportive.”

Once funding was secured, Scheibler looked to honor guards across the state that could help train the HPD members and found the Topeka Police Department had exactly what he was looking for.

Members of the Topeka honor guard then came to Hays to work with the Hays members to train them for their duties.

“It prepared them – whether it be a funeral, folding a flag, posting the colors at a banquet, or marching in a parade, whatever it may be,” Scheibler said.

But training will be ongoing.

“A lot of people don’t realize unless they have been in the military or such, the number of hours and investment it takes. It looks simple, it looks sharp, but everything from the timing to the physical toll, these guys have put forth the effort,” said HPD Lt. Tim Greenwood, who oversees the guard.

During continued training, teamwork becomes even more important.

“There is a lot of critiques,” Greenwood said. “The instructor will show you how to do it and then you emulate what the instructor is doing and then you also accept criticism and critique. They help each other, they critique each other, that’s where the teamwork comes in.”

The training includes everything from movement speed to attention to detail, he said and makes the duties look seamless.

“All of those little details that nobody ever notices from the stands or the seats they work on to make sure that you don’t notice it,” Greenwood said. “When it is done right, it looks good and dignified.”

Weekly training will be directed by the honor guard coordinator Officer Mackenzie Smith.

“He’s taken that leadership role to heart and is doing a great job with it,” Scheibler said. “They have been working hard, training hard and now is their opportunity for them to start putting themselves on show.”

While leading parades and posting colors will highlight the department, a significant and important part of the honor guard is much more solemn.

“It runs the full gamut from what you will see this weekend, leading parades and posting the colors at games to awards banquets, posting the colors, and also the solemn duties of laying to rest – whether it be officers in the line of duty or retirees — they have a tremendous sense of honor and dignity, attention to detail and it’s sort of a unique role or being that person that everyone is watching, but representing something bigger than themselves,” Greenwood said before the debut.

“We’re talking about professions where men and women have raised their hand and taken an oath to stand on the wall and protect their country or their community, and they recognize the importance of paying respects to those who have agreed to do that,” Scheibler said.

The guard is made up of volunteers from the department and is another way the department can show its professionalism in a positive way, Schiebler said, but the importance of the honor guard really hit the members as they put their training into practice and put on the uniform.

“In law enforcement, in general, you have to behave and conduct yourselves in a professional manner, and in an ethical manner, and with integrity at all times,” Scheibler said. “But you put that honor guard uniform on, you step up your game.”

“I think it’s a huge showing of respect, and there is a huge sense of service before self in law enforcement,” Greenwood said. “This is just one aspect in which we show respect for those that came before us and those that are yet to come and doing it dignified and professional and courteous manner.”