Video by Cooper Slough

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

One-hundred thirty-nine years ago, a man laid a large cut stone onto the empty dusty plain. He had a dream, not only of a house but of a culture, a town and a university — a dream that wouldn’t be fulfilled in his lifetime, but after 139 years, we are all living in the realization of that vision.

That man was Martin Allen, and brick by brick, just like his home, Hays City would take shape, modeled after his vision. But much like the city, his home would see decades of prosperity, dampened by periods of grief.

Allen built his home a mile north of the few hundred residents that called Hays City home, a stalwart of modernity in an area that was anything but.

Accounts over the years attribute many dates to the home’s construction, but recent research by the Ellis County Historical Society, verified by contemporary news stories say work on the house began in 1877. At the time, Hays City had not yet been incorporated, and still mostly devoid of the Volga Germans that in the following years would leave an indelible mark on the area.

Originally, the home was known as Contest Grove, a moniker given after the battle to secure the land and home by Allen, but for most people today it is known as the Cody House, named for a man who is a local legend in his own right.

By the time Cody secured ownership, the colorful name had been dropped in favor of a pedestrian-sounding address, 2704 Woodrow Court, but his impact on the historic house remains to this day.

“Our family moved to hays in 1965,” said Loren Shaiken, daughter of the late Dr. John Cody, who recalls moving into the home at around 9 years old, after a summer of staying with friends of the family while the young family was looking for a permanent residence.

“At that point, it was in, as I recall, quite disrepair,” she said.

Before ownership by the Cody family, the home had been rented out by the Miller family. They obtained ownership and, by most reports, cared little for the house or its history.

But Cody would quickly bring the house back into shape adding a wrap-around porch and garage with a workshop above.

He would use that space as his studio over the years painting and writing on various topics, work that would make him known worldwide.

Cody also tore out the attic, adding an upstairs bedroom — accessed by a spiral staircase in the center of the room — and finished the basement, adding another bedroom and bathroom, completing that work by 1970. Until recently, that was the last time major work had been done on the home.

While living in the home, Cody founded the High Plains Mental Health Center and became world renowned as the Audobon of Moths.

He also spent time teaching at Fort Hays State University, a school that was first dreamed by Allen. Cody’s wife Dorothy was also affiliated with the university, serving as its first physician.

Cody had worked as a medical illustrator early in his career, a talent that can be seen in the murals in the upstairs bedrooms with knights and princess painted with meticulous precision.

“He’s a remarkable man, probably the most interesting man that ever lived in Hays,” said Hays resident Pete Felton, also known worldwide for his unique stone sculptures.

As with all things, the Cody’s long ownership of the home came to pass in June of last year and the home went on the market, again sparking interest in the home and its unique history.

“The history alone of that house makes it very desirable,” said Kris Munsch, assistant professor in the Department of Applied Technology at FHSU, who calls himself and old house “connoisseur.”

“When you look around and you imagine in your mind, whoever’s lived there over the years, coming in you think of the days when it was horse and carriage up to the last people that lived there. All the stories those walls tell. I hope that isn’t lost in that house, whoever buys it,” Munsch said. “That’s important because it’s so historical to our community, to our university. It just tells such a story. That’s why it’s worth the time and effort to rebuild.”

If the home could share its story, it would likely tell of its stretch as a solitary pillar overseeing Hays as the town crept toward it, eventually enveloping it within its boundaries. Empty space around the home, in fact, is still in the memories of longtime Hays residents.

“When I was a kid, it would be in 1943, during World War II, I went out there with a friend of mine and there was nothing there. I mean the house was bare, there was no grass, there was no trees, no plants, nothing,” Felten said.

Looking back, he said, he wishes he had taken a picture to contrast with what is there now.

From the time of that old memory, until the Cody’s ownership, building in the area began. When Shaiken lived in the home, Wilson Elementary School was already nearby and homes began to surround the house.

“At that time 32nd Street was the very last street. After that, is was fields,” Shaiken said. “That was pretty rural out that direction.”

“The problem was, after World War II, Realtors starting building houses on everybody’s front lawn,” Felten said. “All the big lawns are gone. It was out there pretty much by itself after the war, and then they said we have all this space, let’s build houses around it — so it became crowded. It’s a shame, but it happens all the time.

“Now it’s just crowded onto a little street there and you have to find it.”

“It was just like this stone house that nobody was tending to when my parents bought it,” Shaiken said.”It was really a desolate looking place,” she said of the big two-story stone structure with ranch style homes all around. “I remember a sense of pride because the house had been so neglected when we bought it and then pretty quickly my parents did a lot to it.

“This house is so much a part of my life.”

DAMAGE, REPAIR, DAMAGE, REPAIR
A home of any age needs constant repair, and even a home made from 3-foot-thick cut stone has, over the years, become wanting of some exterior work.

Many of the limestone lintels have fallen out over the years, cracks along the exterior walls have grown larger as parts of the house are settling faster than others, and plaster and woodwork inside shows its age.

But, structurally, it is sound and, despite many cosmetically unappealing aspects, the house still stands ready to be a home.

“That house is absolutely worth saving. That house has sat there for over 100 years with a limestone foundation. It’s not going to go anywhere if some steps are taken to make sure it can last another 100 years,” Munsch said.

He received a call last year to evaluate the home with a couple that was interested in purchasing the property.

The deal ultimately did not go through, but it left him full of ideas of what could be done with the house, through renovation or restoration.

To the outside renovation and restoration may be the same, but Munsch notes there is a very big distinction.

“There’s been some things have been done to that house over the years that they’re cool, but they don’t fit the period,” he said.

If the home were his project, he said, there are some things he would take out to return the house to its original look.

“There’s a fine line that you draw that becomes too modern and with a house like that. I hope that somebody can get that house and do a combination of restoration/renovation,” Munsch said.

“So let’s say a couple that has moderate skills go in there. They could hire some of the major work done,” he said, noting a major project like a new roof and installing drainage systems would likely need to be hired out.

“What you have got to really do look at the mechanical. Those things that are going to save the house. … It doesn’t do a lot of good to have nice pretty cabinets if the roof is leaking,” he said.

Despite that, Munsch said the house is in livable condition and could last another 500 years if proper repairs take place, but modern conveniences must be considered, as well.

“It’s kind of like somebody that restores an old vehicle. It doesn’t have a purpose because it’s too nice. I would never want that house to be so nice you can’t live in it. It’s the same thing with cars — you want a car that you can take out and use,” Munsch said.

Shaiken also equated the home to an antique vehicle.

“It’s like the chassis of a classic car. You would like somebody to come in and put a motor under the hood and still have that beautiful classic car on the outside,” she said.

“You have to balance,” Munsch said.

The cost of bringing the home into the modern age depends on the difference of restoration or renovation he said.

“If a person was going to go in there and make it a renovation project, you may spend a little less because you may not do the things that I would do.”

Many of the additions over the years, Munsch noted, are not in line with the original build, but the historical aspect of the tenants after Allen should be considered in renovation or restoration plans.

“The Codys are just as important as the Martin Allens because of their history with the house. You don’t want just eliminate them out of the middle,” he said. “You want to keep that historical part of them living there as well, so I think there is a lot of combinations that could be done over the years.”

BUILDING THE HOME TODAY
The main reason the home still stands in solid shape is the material with which it was built. While homes today are built with wood, at the time of construction, the stone bricks were a more practical solution that would be difficult to reproduce.

“It would be possible,” to build a house like this today, Munsch said, but difficult.

“Where would you find a mason that is willing to set those kinds of stones? You’re not going to find it.”

The building materials would also be hard to find on the market today.

“You could get the limestone probably, but you’re not going to find limestone with that character,” he said.

But at the time of the homes construction, the stones used would have been easy to acquire, and the most cost-effective material of the day.

In 1872, a quarry was opened about a mile west of the college, and it quickly became in high demand because lumber was very expensive, according to Felton.

The stone was used to build homes, business in the area, including the college.

Those local quarries are no longer in operation, so stone would need shipped – a costly proposition in itself — and the stone now has become expensive.

“It’s an expensive material instead of a cheap material,” Felten said.

The skills need to build a home out of stone, however, are relatively simple.

A builder during the time of the home’s construction would often begin by placing stones directly on the ground.

“It was a technique that was low-tech and a lot of the people around here had some experience. You can learn about all there is to know about it in one day,” Felten said.

He recalls a story of a man who worked at the nearby quarry and would bring a brick or two home every day. In five years, he had a house.

That building still stands as is currently used as a dentist office in Hays. And work on those old homes requires little training, as well.

“If somebody hasn’t already fixed it up, it’s going to be a burden, but kind of a fun thing because you can always do it yourself. It’s not complicated,” Felten said.

Despite the time and effort required a home made with stone offers something rare in new construction.

“They are really great, because if you have a stone house, you don’t feel the wind. It just protects you from the wind all of the time,” Felten said. “They’re really nice for calmness. … They feel secure.”

MARTIN ALLEN: HIS HOME, HIS LEGACY
The truly unique history of the house is felt by every resident in the area. When Martin Allen arrived in Hays City, there was little in the area outside of the nearby military fort, but quickly it became more — in no small part to his efforts as a real estate agent, horticulturist and champion for the university that would later become Fort Hays State University.

“Martin Allen was really influential in Hays, in order to promote himself a little bit he gave land for the courthouse in Hays,” Felten said.

Although that gift wasn’t entirely altruistic — he owned land around the area and wanted to sell it — the courthouse became, and remains the center of government for Ellis County.

While buildings and the school are impressive reminders of his vision, one of the more pressing issues facing early settlers was finding a stable source of food.

“He tried to grow everything he can find. He said if you’re gonna live out here on the plains, you gotta learn what grows,” Felten said.

Allen planted a large number of plants and trees around his home, meticulously testing suitable plants for the area. A bit of that legacy can even be seen today, with many trees still lining Fort Street having been planted by Allen himself.

His most lasting legacy, however, is none other than the university that has grown into a regional center for higher learning. Now called Fort Hays State University, when the idea was presented it was known simply as “Allen’s Folly.”

“When the word came out they were going to sell the land that the old Fort Hays was on, he ran for the Legislature to prevent that. So they could keep it in one piece and start an agriculture experiment station,” Felten said.

That land is still used by the university, with another large parcel becoming Frontier Park.

While the idea for the college directly came directly from Allen, he would be forced off of his land by mortgage holders in 1898 and soon moved to land owned by his son in Colorado. He would die months later, four years before the founding of the university.

His efforts, however, did not go completely unrecognized as one of the first buildings on the campus was named in his honor – a name that remains to this day.

His name is also attached to another well-known, but less cheerful piece of property in Hays – Mount Allen cemetery.

One of his daughters, Clara, died of scarlet fever in 1874, leaving Allen to search for a final resting place.

“He wasn’t about to bury her on Boot Hill, where all the desperados were, so he gave a piece of land to the city and they named it Mount Allen and it became our cemetery,” Felten said.

Clara would be the first burial in the cemetery, and his wife, Elizabeth would also be laid to rest there.

A NEW LIFE FOR THE HOME<
As the home sat empty after John and Dorothy Cody relocated, several ideas were floated. Munsch hoped FHSU would purchase the home to be renovated by students as a project, then used as a home by the university. The Ellis County Historical Society thought it could be a museum to share the history of the area.

Ultimately, fate stepped in and the house will continue as a private residence, just as it was intended so long ago.

As Jayson van Wooten was searching for a home he noted a listing that he believed to be the Cody home, not immediately recognizing the house with the overgrowth of plants and trees that had popped up over the years.

He had been searching for homes within his price range and, as a designer, wanted to find a home he could renovate, but loved the idea of a house with history attached to it.

“All of a sudden, this one popped up,” he said.

After realizing it was the Cody house, he immediately texted his real estate agent and was anxious to tour the property.

“I have to come see it,” he told her. “It’s mine. I knew instantly this is gonna be the house.”

When he first arrived, even in need of repair, he said the house “instantly felt like home.”

Even before talking to a bank, he put in an offer on the home that was accepted. He then secured funding and began planning.

“The thing that I liked about it is the Codys have had it for 40 maybe 50 years and hadn’t done a whole lot since they moved in,” van Wooten said.

His vision for the house recognizes the history the Allens and the Codys left behind, noting the unique features added by the Codys.

“It was pretty bare bones, because they had a pretty minimalist ascetic too, it seems like,” van Wooten said. “The things they had done to the home had given me liberties to do a little more exciting things.”

Normally, a home of such importance would be on the National Register of Historic Places, which would limit the amount of changes that could be done on the property.

“I can mix elements that speak of the home, but also of contemporary living and, at the same time, preserve the character of the house,” van Wooten said.

He moved into the home recently and has already tackled the project identifying exterior and interior work that will preserve the home for the foreseeable future. So far, the repairs are only cosmetic in nature, as experts who have toured the home have noted how sound the structure remains, despite its age.

“Everybody that has seen the house, all of the contractors, are surprised how good of shape it is in,” van Wooten said. “They have had great stewards and caretakers of the house living here.”

Perhaps 100 years from now, the home will be known as the van Wooten house after he adds his own history to the impressive stone building. But for now, looking back is enough to inspire awe and humility.

“I’ll move into the old house any day in that condition than I would a brand-new one, because that one has the character, the stories, the history. Martin Allen sitting in that house saying we should build a university or a school. That’s where we’re sitting right now. You can’t buy that,” Munsch said.

“The good days the bad days, the storms, the tornadoes on the horizon. That’s why that house is cool.”

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

National Mental Health Awareness Week is observed each year during the first full week in October.

Mental illness is a medical condition, but it is often surrounded by stigma or stereotypes that prevent people from getting the help they need.

One in five adults experiences a mental illness in any given year, according to NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Illness. MHAW is a time to come together to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for equal care.

NAMI Hays, along with NAMI On Campus at Fort Hays State University, will host a special event Monday, Oct. 3, 6-8 p.m. at the Hays Public Library, 1205 Main. The public is invited to watch the Spike Lee executive-produced movie Touched With Fire. Popcorn will be provided.

Touched with Fire stars Katie Holmes and Luke Kirby as two poets with bipolar disorder whose art is fueled by their emotional extremes. When they meet in a treatment facility, their chemistry is instant and intense, pushing each other’s mania to new heights. They pursue their passions, swinging from fantastical highs to tormented lows, both of which place them on the edge of disaster. They must ultimately choose between each other and stability.

Inspired by the filmmaker’s own struggles with bipolar disorder, Paul Dalio wrote, directed, edited and scored his feature film debut. The film also includes performances by Griffin Dunne, Christine Lahti and Bruce Altman with a cameo by Kay Jamison, author of the book Touched with Fire, a definitive work on creativity and mental health. The film is produced by Jeremy Alter and Kristina Nikolova and executive produced by Spike Lee.

Discussion of the film will move to the FHSU Memorial Union Starbucks beginning at 8 p.m.

Facts about mental illness in America, along with resources for more information and how to get help, will be shared at both locations.

Approximately half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by the age of 14. Unfortunately, long delays−sometimes decades−often occur between the time symptoms first appear and when people get help. Early identification and treatment is important.

For more information about NAMI Hays, check their Facebook page,  website,  or  call or text Ann Leiker, coordinator of the NAMI Hays Resource Center at (785) 259-6859. The NAMI Hays Resource Center is located in the Center for Life Experiences, 2900 Hall Street.

(Disclosure: Becky Kiser is a member of the NAMI Hays Steering Committee.)

 

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

The National Commander of the American Legion, Charles E. Schmidt, made a number of stops in Kansas this week as he tours the world meeting with Legion members.

On Tuesday, he was in Hays at the American Legion Post 173 to meet with members of the local post.

Schmidt, who is the first National Commander from Oregon, said he is meeting with Legionnaires and their families to thank them for all they do for their fellow veterans, their families and America.

“Let them know that I and also 2.2 million other members appreciate what they are doing for our fellow veterans and their families and also for America,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt resides in Hines, Ore., and said his eastern Oregon post is in a rural community that faces many of the same issues American Legion posts in Kansas face.

“Young people, when they get out of high school and leave to go to college or even go in the military,” Schmidt said, “it’s a while before they return back home.”

When that happens, he said, it affects Legion post membership and it is the members that run the programs that benefit veterans, their families and the community.

Quality accessible health care for veterans and health care through the Veterans Administration is also weighing on the American Legion.

Schmidt said they are a nonpartisan group and said they want the best for the veterans.

“We’re going to tell it like it is,” Schmidt said. “We’re going to be honest and it’s best for our veterans, their families and also the national security of the United States of America.”

He said that is the message he wanted to impart on Legionnaires, Auxiliary members and the Sons of the American Legion.

Schmidt is a Vietnam veteran and said they make up the biggest membership group in the American Legion and it is important to continue leaving a lasting legacy.

“We’re getting ready to celebrate 100 years of service to this country, to fellow veterans, and we need to carry that legacy on, forward,” Schmidt said. “To use a Navy term, ‘It’s our watch’ or as we say in the Air Force where I served, ‘We got the stick.’ ”

Schmidt also visited Hays in February to attend the Department of Kansas’ mid-year meeting. At that time, Schmidt was just a candidate for the National Commander position. He was elected Sept. 1.

He is in the middle of 88 straight days on the road and will make stops all across the world this year to talk with American Legion members and their families.

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

Citing self-defense, charges will not be filed against a veteran Hays Police Department officer following an officer-involved shooting last month in Hays that left one man dead.

Ellis County Attorney Tom Drees said in a release Thursday that Joseph Weber, 36, Hays was shot and killed by HPD Sgt. Brandon Hauptman during a brief scuffle following an attempted traffic stop.

Drees said at approximately 2:30 p.m. Aug. 18, Hauptman noticed a car with an expired license plate near 27th and Vine. He began following the vehicle and noticed the driver, later identified as Weber, acting strange. According to the investigation, compiled by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Weber appeared to be moving things in the seat next to him and reaching into the glove box.

Related: Summary and full text of news release.

Hauptman, a nine-year veteran of the Hays Police Department, attempted to initiate a traffic stop in the 2700 block of Vine, but Weber did not stop and led the officer on a brief chase. Weber stopped once in an alley off of 27th Street, but did not obey Hauptman’s commands and fled a second time, leading officers to the 2300 block of Timber, where he pulled onto the sidewalk in front of a residence.

RELATED: Criminal investigation over, KHP will now conduct investigation of officer’s actions.

According to KBI investigators, Weber exited the vehicle and ran from the officer, toward the residence. Hauptman, Drees said, was able to trip Weber but fell onto him and a struggled ensued.

Drees said a report by the KBI determined the two were wrestling on the ground when Weber grabbed Hauptman’s gun. Fearing for his life, Hauptman pushed the barrel of the gun into Weber’s chest and fired one shot, killing Weber.

The Ellis County Sheriff’s Department secured the scene and the KBI and County Coroner Dr. Lyle Noordhoek were called into to assist with the investigation.

Weber’s actions inside the car and then failing to comply justified using physical force to arrest Weber and, according to Drees, when Weber grabbed Hauptman’s gun he was justified “in the use of deadly force” to shoot Weber.

Hauptman’s gun has been sent for processing of evidence, but Drees said at a press briefing, because it is a “close-contact wound,” it will not change anything in the investigating process.

Drees said there were four witnesses, in addition to Hauptman, to the shooting. Two of them were responding law enforcement officers. The first police officer witnessed the beginning of the chase and heard the gunshot after stopping his vehicle near the scene. The second witness, a sheriff’s deputy, came up on the incident just after the shot was fired as the two wrestled in front of Weber’s vehicle. Drees said the entire incident — attempted traffic stop to fatal shot — took less than eight minutes.

There is video from the sheriff deputy’s dashcam and audio from Hauptman’s body recorder, but neither will be released by the county attorney’s office. Drees cited the Kansas Open Records Act exemption that allows criminal investigation records and any records that violate a person’s privacy as reasons for not making them public.

Two other people testified as to what happened, according to Drees, adding oftentimes witness statements are inconsistent. Drees cited an “erroneous” report of a witness who stated the shooting happened at a distance. The facts, according to the investigation, show the incident occurred at close proximity.

“Eyewitnesses aren’t expecting something like this to happen,” Drees said. “Sometimes they fill in the missing blanks.”

Drees said he met with Weber’s parents and their attorney Wednesday and they were allowed to view the dashcam video and listen to Hauptman’s body recorder.

In his opinion, Drees said he believes the investigation went very quickly, taking only six weeks. Drees said the KBI had to conduct their interviews and prepare their reports for approval. They are then forwarded to the prosecuting attorney’s office.

“This was an important investigation, and it’s not something that is rushed just for the sake of having a quick answer,” Drees said.

The officers were not aware that the residence Weber stopped in front of was a state licensed day and residential service provider for people developmental disabilities and according to Drees the officers did not learn of that until after the incident had occurred.

According to Drees, during the investigation, it was determined Weber had been diagnosed with autism, anxiety disorder, intermediate explosive disorder and mild intellectual disability.

“You have to view this based on what the officer knew, what he was confronted with, what information he had from step-to-step and the decisions he made based on the knowledge he had,” Drees said.

Drees forwarded all questions regarding the current job status of Hauptman and the officer’s training to Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler.

Scheibler told Hays Post on Thursday that Hauptman remains on paid administrative leave until the completion of a Professional Standards Investigation conducted by the Kansas Highway Patrol.

More than a month after an officer-involved shooting in Hays, the Ellis County Attorney’s Office offered the following on the incident in a Thursday morning news conference:

UPDATED: Additional details from investigation.

In a news release Thursday, Ellis County Attorney Tom Drees detailed the findings of the Aug. 18 officer-involved shooting in Hays.

Drees read the summary to the news media and answered questions Thursday.

RELATED: Summary and full text of Thursday’s media release.

According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, on Aug. 18, Sgt. Brandon Hauptman of the Hays Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle for improper tag display because of an expired year decal.

Drees said Joseph “Joey” Weber, 36, failed to stop and attempted to elude, stopping in an alley. As additional law enforcement officers approached, Weber again drove away, he said.

Weber was pursued by three law enforcement vehicles to the 2300 block of Timber, where he got out of the vehicle and again refused to follow commands at gunpoint. The KBI report said Weber then fled toward a residence, and Hauptman attempted to take Weber to the ground, leading to a struggle between the two.

Drees said Weber tried to wrestle the handgun away, leading to the moment where Hauptman pushed the barrel of the gun to Weber’s chest and fired one shot. Hauptman and another officer immediately began CPR, but Weber was fatally injured by the shot.

Weber offered no communication to Hauptman during the incident, Drees said.

“Mr. Joey Weber never said anything until after the shot occurred,” Drees said, noting Weber’s family has heard audio recording and seen video recording of the incident.

“I first met with their attorney, Ken Wasserman, Salina, last Thursday and took him through the information and allowed him to view the videos. We then met yesterday afternoon with John and Nancy Weber (Oakley) their and attorney Ken Wasserman here in Hays.

“We also allowed them the view the view and hear the video, pursuant to a change in Kansas statute that allows the decedent’s family to view and hear those. We also covered the information and answered all questions they had.”

The recordings will not be released to the public or to media.

“They are investigative records,” Drees said, citing the Kansas Open Records Act, as he leafed through documents on the podium in front of him. “Criminal investigative records can be excluded and we are excluding them.

“The parents, along with their attorney, expressed their desire the recordings not be released. That’s not how they want their son Joey remembered.”

The struggle and the gunshot were audio recorded, but not visibly captured by the dashboard camera.

He added that the entire incident took place within a span of about 8 minutes, with the foot chase leading to the shot lasting just a few seconds.

The KBI report cleared Hauptman of criminal wrongdoing and confirmed Weber was not armed.

“No crime occurred because Sgt. Hauptman was acting in self defense of his person,” Drees said.

Drees offered his condolences to Weber’s family and thanked the public for their patience as the investigation was completed.

Hauptman remains on administrative leave until a professional standards investigation by the Kansas Highway Patrol is completed, according to the HPD.

Check Hays Post for more as details become available.
RELATED: KHP will lead professional standards investigation of incident.

By GARRETT SAGER
Hays Post

On Wednesday morning, Fort Hays State University and the FHSU Foundation announced the launch of the Journey Campaign, the largest fundraising campaign in the history of the university.

“This is why we are here today, to safeguard our futures and our university,” FHSU President Dr. Mirta Martin said.

The Journey Campaign is a five-year comprehensive campaign and is the most aggressive fundraiser in the history of FHSU. The campaign has set a goal of $100 million dollars.

“This is unprecedented, never one that large, but we will get there,” Steve Shields, co-chair of the campaign said.

The campaign is being chaired by three individuals all whom have Fort Hays ties, former students Tyler and Jessica Thompson and Shields

Times are changing, said Shields, as he spoke at a packed Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.

“The reason why this journey campaign is so important … is because times are changing quickly and not every university is clearly of understanding how they need to rethink, who, what, how, where, we are and what we do and how we do it,” Shields said. “I think Fort Hays State University — and I mean this from the bottom of my heart — this place was always steeped in relationships.”

The changes are already starting to be noticed. Recently, Fort Hays was announced as the third largest university in the state of Kansas with a record enrollment. That is because the university has a value based on belief in people and connectedness to people, according to Shields.

“We have diversified, we’re not afraid of new, we’re not afraid of failure, we’re not afraid of innovation, and we are not afraid of creating,” he said. “We’re a nimble university”

The campaign is built around four pillars: scholarships, student life, programs of distinction and athletics.

“It is with my hope that, with these pillars, we can bring attention and funding to every college, every program, every faculty and staff member, and most importantly every student,” said Jason Williby, president and CEO of the FHSU Foundation.

The money raised is to be disbursed through the different pillars. Currently, $45 million is set to go to scholarships, $39 million is for programs in the academic colleges, and athletics and student life each would get $8 million.

Martin, who had just got off a plane after arriving back from China, spoke on how every little amount of money donated helps.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are giving a dollar, $10,000, $1 million or $100 million,” Martin said. “Each give counts.”

She said each gift signifies that you are solidly and confidently behind Fort Hays State and in support of the most precious assets, which are the students.

FHSU student body President Emily Brandt and Vice President Vivian Agnew are both recipients of student scholarship dollars and said private funding goes a long way to help out students.

“We understand the value that these gifts have not only on our time here at Fort Hays State, but on the time for all Fort Hays students, Brandt said.

Agnew would add that college is a unique experience that is mobile and adaptable as long as the students have the means.

“Donors make it possible for us to have those means,” Agnew said.

Private support fuels Fort Hays State, Williby said. With private dollars, he said, FHSU can improve and the university can continue to be an exceptional place for the students, faculty, staff and alumni.

“Our university is amazing,” Williby said. “Filled with talented and caring faculty and staff, students with amazing potential on a beautiful and safe campus, and with some of the best facilities in America, but we can be better.”

More information will be released in the coming months as the campaign begins.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Assistant Hays Police Chief Brian Dawson knows homecoming weekends are busy and always draw lots of visitors to town.

This weekend, particularly Friday, will likely be even more hectic.

“The forecast is for good weather, and we have Hays High School homecoming, Oktoberfest and Fort Hays State University homecoming all this weekend,” Dawson pointed out.

“That’s OK for us. We gear up for one big weekend this way as opposed to spreading it out for three weekends as we normally do. We’re already gearing up for Friday’s Oktoberfest, and we’ll put the Hays High parade and football game in there. It’s just humming along,” Dawson said. Fort Hays State University’s homecoming parade is Saturday morning.

There will be more law enforcement in town, according to Dawson.

“KHP (Kansas Highway Patrol) brings in more officers for (DUI) saturation patrols we’ll have Friday and Saturday nights. Their primary focus will be looking for impaired drivers and help keep the roadway safe. It makes sense for (the HPD) to target this weekend for a saturation patrol. We try to do several throughout a year and get a little bit of grant money to do that. In addition, we’ll have our checklanes.”

Dawson wants the community, and especially visitors, to know there are taxi services and Safe Ride for people who’ve had too much to drink.

“There might be a little longer wait this weekend for Safe Ride, but they’re going to be out there working hard giving as many rides as they can.” Safe Ride is a free service and will operate extended hours later this week.

HPD officers will be blocking parking spaces Friday afternoon in downtown Hays along the HHS parade route on Main Street.

The parade starts at 5 p.m. with entry lineup an hour earlier.  Oktoberfest will be underway until 7 p.m. in Municipal Park at the very end of south Main Street.

Those two popular and well-attended events happening at the same time is a first in Hays and will mean a slight change in HPD safety preparations.

“Traditionally, we’ll allow the parade to go all the way down south Main, and they’ll disembark off the floats in the 200 or 300 block. Some of the floats will continue on over to the ball park at Lewis Field,” he said. “With Oktoberfest going on at the same time, there’s going to be a lot of foot traffic, there’s going to be a lot of vehicle traffic on Main Street that wouldn’t be able to get cleared off. We wouldn’t want anybody to be tempted to interfere with the parade or anybody to jump off a float and go over to the Oktoberfest grounds, so we’re going to kind of distance those a little bit.

“We’re going to put a barricade up on Main Street just south of Sixth Street. Floats that want to go west off the parade route at the end will disembark at Seventh Street. They can head west either to Lewis Field Stadium or they can go back up to the beginning of the parade route (at 16th Street.)  Those that want to go east can go east on Sixth Street.”

Dawson said utilizing the wide one-way streets of Seventh and Sixth will make it easier for floats to turn off the parade route.

“I also think it will keep people from coming up north from the Oktoberfest and getting into the parade route and the parade route from getting down there. That could have really bottle-necked into a congested problem,” Dawson said. “Instead of trying to work through that congestion, we think this is a better deal.”

With the Hays High homecoming parade ending earlier on the Main Street route, parade watchers are advised to gather north of Seventh Street.

Photos by Jordan Schaeffer

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

Local service organizations are reminding people of the etiquette surrounding the American flag and helping spread patriotism by handing out small flags at the upcoming homecoming parades in Hays.

The American Legion Riders Post 173 of Hays and the Boy Scouts Troop 131 and Cub Scout Pack 133 partnered to hand out flags during the TMP-Marian homecoming parade Friday and the upcoming Hays High and Fort Hays State University homecoming parades in Hays.

Friday was be the second time the groups handed out the American flags with cards attached explaining what to do when the American flag is presented.

Legion Rider member Amanda Legleiter said the group handed out nearly 900 flags at the Fourth of July Wild West Festival parade.

Legleiter said she noticed many times when the American flag was presented, people did not stand and honor the flag and, during parades when the riders went by with American flags on their motorcycles, people treated it like another float. So they decided to take up the project in an effort to educate and remind people of flag etiquette.

“Honestly, I just think people have gotten out of the importance of it and people just really don’t know,” Legleiter said.

According to the information presented by the group, people are encouraged to stand and stand tall during the national anthem and when the flag is presented. Cross your hand over your heart and remove your head covering. They also encourage people to give a moment to the veterans, service men and women and their families who have risked everything, to educate the young people to the meaning of the flag and to spread patriotism.

“This is just a simple thing, the standing, the taking your hat off, putting your hand over heart,” Legleiter said. “It’s just a simple form of what it stands for.”

The first time the group handed out the flags, at the Wild West Fest parade, it was well received, according to Legleiter, and she said they noticed a visible difference from the previous year with the number of people honoring the flag.

Legleiter and her husband, Bryan, an Army veteran, are members of the American Legion Riders, and she said she has adopted his “honor and dedication to the flag.”

The riders wanted to hand out the flags during parades in the past, but were unable to while riding their motorcycles, so the Boys Scouts and Cub Scouts have jumped in to help with the project.

“Our respect and honor for the flag is parallel,” said Legleiter. “We thought that would be a great patriotism project from them as well, and they’ve really embraced it.”

At Friday’s TMP parade, the honor guard led the floats down Main Street followed by the Boy Scouts holding banners asking people to stand and honor the flag. Then American Legion Riders, with their American flags in tow, followed them with the Cub Scouts handing out the flags along the way.

Legleiter said this is also a good way to educate people and children who might not know what they are supposed to do when the flag is presented.

“The stuff that is going on in the news where they’re stomping and they’re burning (the flag) and the disrespect of the national anthem, I think we need to get back to the basics back to what this stands for,” Legleiter said. “It is patriotism and, if we continue to be an example for our kids, maybe we’ll alleviate some of that, using the flag as a protest vehicle.”

By TIFFANY RONEY
K-State News and Communications Services

MANHATTAN — Kansas State University’s Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole for service to rural Kansas on Sept. 16.

“Bob Dole, from Russell, was a great champion of rural Kansas throughout his 36 years in Congress,” said Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development. “He has been a war hero, congressman, senate majority leader, World Food Prize winner and nominee for president of the United States, but he never forgot where he came from.”

Dole received the award at the institute’s Rural Leaders Tribute after he visited Dole Hall — named in his honor — on Kansas State University’s Manhattan campus. The tribute event was hosted by the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at the Kansas Department of Agriculture in Manhattan. Nancy Kassebaum Baker, the former U.S. senator, and Barry Flinchbaugh, professor emeritus of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, joined Dole in a panel discussion prior to the award presentation.

“Whether it was Kansas wheat farmers, small-town hospitals, the disabled, veterans or families in need of food, Sen. Dole could be counted on to care about the concerns of rural Kansas,” Wilson said. “Huck Boyd, a western Kansas newspaperman and civic leader, was a lifelong mentor for Sen. Dole, so it is especially fitting that the Huck Boyd Institute presents this award.”

More than 120 rural Kansas leaders participated in the tribute event. Jackie McClaskey, secretary of the Kansas Department of Agriculture; April Mason, provost and senior vice president of Kansas State University; and Mike James, chair of the Huck Boyd Foundation’s board of directors, Phillipsburg, provided opening remarks.

The Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development is a public-private partnership between K-State Research and Extension and the Huck Boyd Foundation. The foundation office is at the Huck Boyd Community Center in Phillipsburg. The institute office is on Kansas State University’s Manhattan campus.

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

A group dedicated to preserving the historic look of the Ellis County Courthouse is continuing its fundraising efforts.

The Ellis County Courthouse Preservation Committee is a grassroots organization formed in 2015 by a group of Ellis County residents in an effort to “preserve the central cornerstone structure of Ellis County.”

The courthouse was built in 1942 through the Depression-era program Works Progress Administration and has undergone a few minor remodels over the years — but never anything like the county undertook in 2015.

The latest remodel included removing the vestibule on the west side. It was added to the courthouse in the 1970s, but now that it is gone, it exposed years of deterioration to the limestone and granite caused by time and weather.

According to Committee Chairman Guy Windholz, the fundraising goal is $150,000, of which they have raised $49,315 through the end of last week.

The preservation committee’s goal is to raise the needed funds to restore the outside of the building, and the group is aiming to have the work complete by the 75th anniversary of the courthouse in its current location, May 2017. Ellis County will also celebrate its sesquicentennial – 150th anniversary – in 2017.

“We like to refer to it as a facelift,” said Windholz, “because over the course of 74 years, the weather has been detrimental to some of the limestone on the low parts.”

Contractors estimate it will take approximately two months to complete the work.

“We think we can get another 75 years out of it if we just put our hearts and minds together,” Windholz said.

The group already has paid to bring in the granite that will be used to replace the deck on the west side. The granite, which came from the same quarry as the original granite in 1942, will be cut down to the proper size in Ellis.

Tom and Therese Haas have donated all of the limestone needed for the project, according to Windholz.

Windholz said as the group continues its local fundraising efforts, it also has reached out to foundations that are sensitive to historic preservation.

The funds raised by the preservation committee are held by the Ellis County Historical Society, and the county approves expenditures. The group must raise the money before it can be spent on the project.

Several in-kind donations are expected to total more than the $150,000, including the donation of the limestone. The city of Hays redid the curb and guttering on Fort Street, the county has volunteered to help transport stone and provide labor, and concrete has been donated to rebuild a sidewalk.

Windholz said there have been a number of historic building in the county that have been lost but, because the courthouse is considered a “cornerpiece of the community,” it is critical to undertake the project.

“Inside, we have a magnificent interior look, but that doesn’t help if your outside doesn’t look,” he said.

To learn more about the preservation committee, visit the group’s Facebook page.

Thomas More Prep-Marian has announced its Homecoming court for 2016.

King and queen candidates are Katelyn Zimmerman, daughter of Keith and Anne Zimmerman; Joseph Flax, son of Tim and Michele Flax; Deonna Wellbrock, daughter of Darryl and Deanna Wellbrock; Matthew Moeder, son of Eric and Karen Moeder; Alison Schibi, daughter of Eric and Kelly Schibi; Mark Loftus, son of Dan and Katie Loftus; Megan Koenigsman, daughter of Joe and Tami Koenigsman; Tucker Rhoades, son of Tom and Robin Lovewell and Chris and Leah Rhoades; Kendra Werth, daughter of Craig and Rosie Werth; and Hayden Lowe, son of Jeff and Jana Lowe.

TMP-M plays its Homecoming game Friday night against Plainville.

Photos by Becky Kiser

Hays Post

Law enforcement officials were led on a high-speed chase by a passenger car Wednesday afternoon south of Hays.

According to Kansas Highway Patrol spokesman Trooper Tod Hileman, a KHP trooper stopped an eastbound vehicle at 2:02 p.m. Wednesday on Interstate 70 at the 155 milepost. The vehicle, a rental car with Nevada plates, was driven by a male and had a female passenger.

The car fled the scene of the traffic stop and exited the interstate at Exit 157, heading south on the bypass. The car then headed south on 240th Avenue, winding through county roads before reaching U.S. 183 and heading north. The suspect’s vehicle reached speeds of 105 mph, according to reports.

RELATED: Second chase in Hays Wednesday leads to arrest.

Stop sticks were successfully deployed at 2:21 p.m., just south of Countryside Estates, and the car went into the east ditch and struck a utility box.

The male driver fled the scene on foot, and the female passenger was arrested at the vehicle.

Hileman said the driver ran to Auto Collision Specialists, 1018 Old U.S. 40, and hid inside the building under a vehicle. He was quickly apprehended by law enforcement.

During the chase, a trooper reported a bag was tossed from the fleeing car. Officers retrieved the bag, which was believed to contain marijuana.

Possible charges, Hileman said, include attempting to flee and elude and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

The Ellis County Sheriff’s Office and Hays Police Department assisted during the incident.