By STEVE WEBSTER
Great Bend Post

BARTON COUNTY -Last month, the federal government sided with Colorado in a lawsuit filed with the U.S. Supreme Court by Oklahoma and Nebraska, which claim that Colorado marijuana laws should be dismantled due to residual harm being caused across state lines. Kansas hasn’t joined the suit, but Attorney General Derek Schmidt, appears to be gathering evidence that would bolster the case being made by these states. Earlier this month, his office announced that it was sending surveys to prosecutors and law-enforcement officials in an effort to determine how much Colorado cannabis is negatively impacting the state of Kansas.

“It used to be we thought all of our marijuana was coming from Mexico,” said Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

“I’m convinced it’s all coming from Colorado and I don’t have any proof of that. It’s a much higher grade, more potent product than we saw coming from Mexico and the people we bust tell us it’s coming from Colorado.”

Bellendir has his opinion on what impact Colorado pot is having on the state.

Great Bend Police Chief Cliff Couch knows all about Colorado pot moving through Kansas. Before coming to Great Bend he was the Chief of Police in Goodland on Interstate 70.

“Highway Patrol Officers would tell me they’d pull someone over and the driver would tell them I’ve got marijuana in my car I bought in Colorado, it’s okay. No it’s not you’re in Kansas so you’re going to jail, explained Couch.

“It’s an issue and I think even before they legalized it we tended to think most of it was coming from Colorado because they already had medicinal use of it.”

As for that survey, Schmidt’s staffers have distributed more than 500 surveys, with one version tailored to sheriffs and police chiefs and the other created with county and district attorneys in mind.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

While the Dillons store on Hall Street in Hays had plenty to celebrate at Wednesday’s grand reopening, the excitement was shared with the community as the location gave away two $500 checks to local organizations and announced another large contribution to Thomas More Prep-Marian.

“We are very excited to be here in Hays, Kansas, to celebrate the grand reopening of our favorite little store here in Hays,” said Shelia Lowrie, associate communications and media relations manager. “It’s wonderful to see all of the changes that we have here today.

“This store is one that we are excited to share with our customers and our community. Hays has been very good to us, and it’s exciting to be able to give back in such meaningful ways.”

And give back they did, with presentations of two $500 checks to First Call for Help and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ellis County.

“When it comes to celebrating, it is about the community and we’re very excited today to be able to welcome some of our friends of the store,” Lowrie said.

“We all feel that our youth is very important,” said Malinda Thomas, store manager, of the BBBS program. “We decided that was one of our top things that was very important for the community.”

First Call for Help was also recognized as an organization in need.

“We have people that somehow arrive here and they’re on their last tank of gas, or they say we’re here, but we don’t have any money,” Thomas said, indicating they often give out the organization’s phone number to people in need. “More than I would think we need too, but we do.”

“The reason we want to give to that is because we do send people their way, so we wanted to give the money back and know that people that need help, get help,” she said.

While those donations were welcome, a significantly larger donation was recognized at the celebration.

“Through the support of those who champion TMP and the way that they shop with us here at Dillons, we’re able to present this check today for $28,486,” Lowrie said.

The school received the donation through the participation in the Community Rewards Program that allows shoppers to choose an organization to receive funds out of a $2 million pool through the use of the Dillons Reward Card.

As for the store itself, the excitement over the remodel was palpable at the celebration.

“With the investment in Hays, we are really excited to share our newly renovated Dillons with you,” said Tony Salinas, district manager. “I hope you are as excited about this little store as we are.”

With all of the renovations he said he said the store feels like the newest store in town, a sentiment echoed by Thomas.

                               Video of the renovation in progress

“If you remember what the store looked like before, to what it looks like today, it’s just amazing the changes that have happened in the store,” Salinas said. “Our customers have been supportive to us throughout the remodel, being excited about the changes.”

Getting to this point over the last few months, however, took work from people across the organization and the support of the community.

“This beautiful new store is truly a testament to the level of teamwork and dedication exhibited from across the organization,” Salinas said. “It takes a lot of people to do a remodel. There’s a lot of things that need to happen within the store.”

So far, the community has welcomed the improvements.

“A few things the customers have said … they’re just like wow, the things we’ve added, the things we’ve done, it’s just a wow,” Thomas said.

Hays Post

A large contingent of the Hays Police and Fire Departments were dispatched shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday to find a 9-year-old child who was unable to be located at his home in the 500 block of East 11th.

A command center was set up at the former Professor’s Steak House, 521 E. 11th St.

While collecting information about the child and preparing to walk the area, the boy was found at around 6:45 p.m.

According to Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler, it appeared the boy had just been late getting home.

In weather this cold however, the window for someone injured and outside, is very short, prompting the significant response.

Hays Medical Center

When the HaysMed Convenient Care Clinic opened a year ago, two main goals were easy access and affordable prices.

These expectations have been met and there is even more to come, said Terry Siek, vice president of patient care services/chief nursing officer.

We are evaluating the best location and hope to move to a location near I70 and Vine soon, Siek explained. It is currently located at 2501 E. 13th.

“Our commitment to convenience has been obvious and we want to take it a step further,” Siek said. “The new location, which will be announced later, will offer a more centralized location and even easier patient access.”

Since opening in January last year, the clinic averages 25 to 30 patients a day. During fall and winter months, however, influenza and upper respiratory illnesses increase the daily average to between 40 and 50.

The most common of these illnesses include acute pharyngitis; streptococcal pharyngitis; bronchitis; and acute upper respiratory infection.

“These types of cases are considered minor illnesses, which typically don’t require an emergency-room visit,” Siek said. “Minor concerns may be diagnosed through basic testing and treated by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant.

“This allows a patient to see a health-care professional at a more affordable rate since Convenient Care is billed as a clinic visit,” he continued.  “Convenient Care also allows the Emergency Department to have more beds readily available for acute and severe cases.”

In the walk-in clinic, minor illnesses and injuries are the priority on a first-come, first-served basis. While insurance policies vary, the co-pay usually is in the $20 range.

“In the emergency room, patients with minor issues will be treated after patients with more urgent matters,” Siek noted. “Therefore, using the appropriate service is a win-win for everyone involved.”

To further accommodate patients, HaysMed began offering its Convenient Care wait-time app for mobile devices last year. It refreshes itself every few minutes and allows people to obtain basic information on how long they may have to wait at the clinic.  The HaysMed Wait Times app is available at the Apple Store and Google play.  Both iPhone and Android versions are available.

“You are free to walk in when it is best for you,” Siek commented. “We understand busy schedules and our patients are telling us this feature is very helpful.”

Clinic hours are 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The clinic’s providers include: Jennifer Acosta and Lindsey Rut, both physician assistants; Nicole Spray, Cammie Williby, Ron Williams and Margo Straub, all advanced practice registered nurses; Tiffany Dewitt, licensed practical nurse; Bernas Munsch, registered nurse; and Crystal Zeiler and Maribel Alvarez, office staff members.

“Our first year of success would not have been possible without these wonderful caregivers,” Siek said. “Each of them and our part-time staff who fill many roles enjoy caring for our community. They are doing a great job with the care and treatment of your family and friends.”

Land Diesel Inc. presented a $1,000 check to representatives from Golden Belt Humane Society after they won the 2nd annual “Win $1,000 For Your Favorite Charity” Facebook contest. Golden Belt Humane Society will use the money to help fund veterinary care for some of the animals in the shelter.

This year was the second year for LDI’s “Win $1,000 For Your Favorite Charity” giveaway.  Over 37 organizations and special community projects across Kansas were nominated. Last year’s winner was Hillsboro Elementary School, which used the funds to help replace the school’s deteriorating playground equipment.

“Each and every charity nominated was deserving and we appreciate all they do for our communities,” said Shelly Macumber, Marketing Director at LDI. “I was able to meet some of the volunteers at Golden Belt Humane Society and they are one of a kind. The support of these compassionate people has defiantly played a significant role in enriching the lives of shelter pets across the state.”

The “Win $1,000 For Your Favorite Charity” contest was conducted in celebration of LDI’s commitment to serving Kansas through its full-service dealerships, product support and a “doing what it takes” attitude to provide customers with the best quality products, parts and service.

“We strive to give the best care possible to every single animal that comes through our door! Thank you all for voting daily and believing in us! ” said Chris Klima, Board member of Golden Belt Humane Society.

The Golden Belt Humane Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to animal welfare that provides temporary housing and medical care to unwanted pets. Their mission includes the placement of these animals by adoption or by networking with rescues. Euthanasia is ONLY used for animals that are unadoptable for reasons of aggressions, sickness or injury.

“I cannot thank you enough,” stated Jan Watkins, board member of Golden Belt Humane Society.   “This money comes at a time when we have so many animals in need. What a wonderful gift.”

You can help Golden Belt Humane Society by adopting an animal or donating items needed for the shelter. They also hold an Adopt-A-Pet Program monthly located at Orscheln’s in Great Bend, KS, in hopes to finding them forever homes.  Follow Golden Belt Humane Society on Facebook for dates of these events and to help them find forever homes for the animals.

About LDI
Founded in 1988, Lang Diesel, Inc. started in Hays, Kansas when Brian Lang, president, literally opened a repair shop out of his tool box. Since then, LDI has grown to a full-service equipment dealership with extensive sales and product support. Throughout its history, LDI has represented numerous AGCO brands, including AGCO Tractors, Massey Ferguson, Gleaner, Sunflower, Hesston and others. LDI will continue to offer these brands in addition to adding a full-line of Challenger ag equipment as well as RoGator and TerraGator application equipment. LDI is dedicated to “doing what it takes” to provide our customers with the best quality products, parts and service. From the sales process to full-service product support, we are committed to delivering an ownership experience that matches the professional-level performance you’ve come to expect from AGCO.

                                        Video by Cooper Slough

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

Getting into real estate might be a tough nut to crack, but after only three years, real estate agent Adam Pray has gone from a beginner in the business to quickly become well-known in Hays and now has opened his own agency, The Platinum Group, in a renovated office space in the Chestnut Street District at 116 E. 11th.

Even though becoming a real estate agent requires a lot of work, the process was a labor of love for Pray.

“I first got into real estate in 2012. I really had a love for real estate. We had a few rentals and enjoyed that part of it,” he said.

Pray was in insurance before and looked for an opportunity to decrease business travel, so real estate seemed a natural fit. But soon after getting into the business, he realized he could do things differently.

“Once I got into the real estate business, there were a few things I felt could be done better,” he said. “I just feel like we are behind the times, in general.”

After watching agents outside of Hays, he decided on a new approach.

“I was watching agents in other towns do transactions, and they were using technologies we don’t use here, and I just felt we could be doing things more effectively and efficiently,” he said. “We could be more convenient for the customer and save the agent more time. … That’s what led to Platinum Group.”

With the agency, he hopes to bring a different real estate experience to customers in Hays, allowing the group to excel.

“I’ve always wanted to own my own business,” he said. “It’s kind of a win-win.”

“I really feel like a lot of my personal success and our success so far in our young company life is how we treat the customer,” he added, “Consequently, it’s called the platinum rule — treat others like they want to be treated. … We go above and beyond. People don’t ask for some of the services we provide, but we do them anyway. If they do ask, even if it is something we don’t provide, most times we will help them out.”

And Pray believes opening the agency in Hays comes at a good time.

“I think real estate is great in Hays. We have a great market. We have a lot of really great people here and it’s a fun market,” he said.

While opening an agency so quickly is notable enough, Pray plans on expansion, as well.

“Eventually in the future, we are going to add on. There are other agents that have expressed interest in working with us, and I see foresee in the next couple of years us growing as a company,” he said. “Our goal is to be known as the source for anything real estate-related in Ellis County.”

The Platinum Group will host an open house on April 1.

For more on the business and recent listings visit their facebook page.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

During Monday night’s Hays USD 489 Board of Education meeting, the board decided to take no action on a resolution that would have allowed for an April bond election after a lengthy discussion on the scope of the bond and the best way to pay for it.

The board agreed a sales tax would make the $94 million bond more palatable to Hays residents, but the tradeoff would be an election that could be pushed back until June — and only if the Hays City Commission would agree to a special election.

After the city commission balked at the idea of putting a sales tax question on the ballot, the board would need to collect 10 percent of registered voters in order for the election to be an option. Even then, the city commission could force the measure to be put on a general election ballot.

The next general election is in November.

Board members said they feared that collecting the required signatures would take more than 30 days, making an April or May election impossible.

“I’m hearing 30 days may be overly optimistic,” said board member Luke Oborny.

But even with the timeline in question, the board questioned whether an bond at this time would even be feasible, based on feedback received from the community.

Board President Lance Bickle asked the board to discus the overall project during the meeting before they were to vote on the resolution, prompting a lively debate of the merits of the overall project.

“We’re looking at a potential loss of jobs,” said Josh Waddell, board member, in light of the precipitous drop in oil prices. “Three or four months ago, the climate was different.”

Further, without the sales tax to support the bond, several members questioned if it could pass as it has been planned.

“I would ask we look at redefining our objectives,” said Sarah Rankin, board member. “I would ask we redefine the scope to redefine the needs.”

Some of the necessities she cited were storm shelters, overcrowding at the elementary schools and deferred maintenance across the district, suggesting Hays taxpayers might not support expansion until students are forced to occupy classroom trailers to support the student load.

Deferred maintenance, however, is seen as a necessity by the board.

“I don’t think there is any way we leave deferred maintenance out of this,” Bickle said.

“It’s not exciting,” Rankin said, “but it is needed.”

Even taking out expansion efforts, including new multipurpose rooms, Oborny pointed out the bond would still be around $64 million.

Throughout the discussion, several board members said adjusting the scope of the bond, or trying to pass as is would be a difficult decision that would need to be made, but a smaller bond may have a better chance of succeeding.

Parsing out the bond, however, would create another set of problems that the board has tried to avoid during the entire process.

By the time the 25-year bond ended, said Waddell, it would be time to fix what was just fixed.

After about an hour of discussion, it was clear the resolution to set the election in motion for April was not viable.

“It’s clear to me we are not ready to pass a resolution tonight,” said board member Mandy Fox.

The board will now begin the process of collecting signatures in order to put a sales tax election forward. In the meantime, the $94 bond education sessions will begin throughout Hays soon.

Submitted

WICHITA — Wichita North High School, on the east bank of the Arkansas River, provided the setting for a day of “firsts” for the TMP-Marian High School and Junior High chess teams. There was the individual first place of Japheth Briney as he collected a rare picket fence, the six “ones” indicating a perfect score six consecutive wins in the junior high section of the tournament.

Teammates Seth Perrett, Aakash Patel, and Ben Pfannenstiel contributed four, three, and three wins respectively to provide the team’s 16 point total, enough for a first place tiebreaker finish. Galesburg Middle School of Erie also put up 16 points, but had faced opponents with weaker scores and was assigned to second place. Lucas Kraus (1.5 points) and Hunter Flax (1.0 points) also participated in the 7 team, 48 player middle school section of the tournament.

On the high school side there were more “firsts.” Senior Patrick Kepka claimed the first place individual trophy with a five and one record. His score was matched by four others in the section including classmate Justyce Briney. Again using tiebreaks, Patrick and Justyce were assigned first and fifth places respectively in a field of 60 individual entrants. Ian Lenser (3.5 points, 10th place), Paul Brull (3.5 points, 19th place), and Ethan Rohr (3.0 points, 35th place) filled out the high school roster in the ten team high school section of the tournament.

The final “first” of the day, again on tiebreaks, was the first place high school team trophy which came home with the TMP-Marian team. The top four players for both the Monarchs and the Erie team had compiled a total of 17.5 points of a possible 24. Valley Center and host Wichita North placed third and fourth in the ten team section.

Four regular season tournaments remain on the Monarch schedule: Onaga on January 30, Concordia the following weekend, Pleasant Valley on February 20, and Hillsboro on March 5. The chess season will end with the state tournament at Lawrence on March 12.

Holy Family Holds on the Runner-Up Spot in K-5

Four 5th grade students from Holy Family also made the trip to compete in the K-5 division. The fifth grade team of regulars, Tate Dinkel, Braydon Binder, Jensen Brull, and Noah Bruggeman, meddled 18th, 13th, 10th, and 6th respectively in the K-5 Division. Binder, Bruggeman, and Brull each had four wins. Dinkel’s three wins brought the team total to 15 points, which was enough to hold off challenger Holy Cross of Wichita and claim the second place team trophy. Wichita’s St. Francis of Assisi’s nine talented team members won the K-5 division.

Holy Family second grader, Jenna Brull, represented the K-2 division and competed for individual honors. She ended the day with two wins and two draws for a 3-3 record and enough to take 10th place in the division.

The Wichita North Invitational had nearly 200 registrants across all four divisions. Hays Catholic Schools were well represented with medalists in all four divisions and team trophies in K-12, K-8, and K-5.

Click HERE for photos of the day’s action.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

After being enamored with Hays, a Chinese Fort Hays State University student decided to open a bakery to give locals a small taste of Chinese desserts and drinks.

Sweet Zoo opened this month at 115 W. Eighth and, while business so far has been slow, curious customers have been interested in the combination of Chinese and American drink and desert items.

“Sometimes I miss Chinese desserts, so I wanted to open this kind of shop to share with my friends and share with Americans to get to know Chinese desserts,” said owner Yihong Chen.

She describes the business as a drink station and bakery shop and hopes the space will become a local gathering place.

“I just want people to come here, relax and chat together,” she said.

Opening the shop was also part of a personal desire, as well.

“I was studying at Fort Hays, I liked this city, so I wanted to stay,” Chen said.

She graduated with a degree in general studies from FHSU.

With the shop having only been open a few days, it is hard for Chen to have a complete sense of how the business might fare in the long run, but is hopeful once FHSU students return, business will pick up considerably.

She searched for the location for almost six months, comparing several possible locations, but proximity to FHSU was important.

“I wanted a shop near the college,” Chen said and, while several location may have suited her purpose, she landed on the Eighth Street shop.

“I think this one is better,” she said.

While the shop’s name reflects the decor and menu, it was not originally a part of the plan.

She first picked the name sweet, referencing the dessert aspect of her menu, then friends suggested the name zoo, and the business was tailored to that name, with deserts in the shape of animal cutouts and decor reflecting animals.

As time goes on, Chen plans on expanding the shop’s menu, but as the shop is being ran exclusively by Chen, a limited menu is being offered. When school begins, she expects help to come in that will allow her to expand hours and offerings.

She also believes a local server in the shop will help bring customers in.

“I think I need an American waitress to help,” to find if her offerings are in line with local tastes and assist in language concerns, Chen said.

Current hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with breakfast items being served, but after FHSU goes back in session, she may cut the early hours, if there is no steady business and extend hours into the evening.

A grand opening is planned for Friday with free food offered from 11:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 2 p.m. for customers to try what they have to offer.

By James Bell
Hays Post

Major grocer, Dillons, has announced a multi-million dollar renovation and expansion at their Vine Street location in Hays, that will not only give the building a new look, but will also bring many new offerings to the location.

“In my 27 years of doing this it’s probably the largest dollar amount remodel I have been involved in,” said Keith Harnack, construction manager.

“When we’re finished it will be a brand new store,” said Sheila Lowrie, Dillons spokesperson.

The store will expand into the former Rent a Center creating a larger location.

“We’re going to be investing heavily in this space to bring in Strabucks, we’ll have glass fronts for natural light to come in, free wireless internet services for our customers there,” Lowrie said.

A Sushi kiosk will also be a major feature of the expansion, along with major changes to the entrances, flow and look of the store.

“There’s many thing that are going to be moving and shifting inside of the four wall to accommodate all of the changes,” Lowrie said.

“We feel like we won the lottery,” said Don Koerner, store manager.

The entire process is expected to be completed this summer, but the process will be invisible to shoppers as days and hours of operation are not going to change, with work being completed during the night.

Many departments through the store, however, will be moved and natural foods will be integrated into the general isles indicated by special markers making comparison shopping easier.

“We’re making enhancement throughout the store to increase the amount of natural foods that we offer,” Lowrie said. “That’s one area that customers tend to tell us that they are looking for.”

Food and beverages will not be the only expansion through the store, as an apparel section will be added, the pharmacy will be expanded to include private consultation space and the floral department will grow as well.

Sports apparel in the store will be dedicated to Fort Hays State and some of the local schools in town, Lowrie said.

Exterior upgrades will be part of the renovation as well.

“On the exterior of the building, towards May, the building will receive an all new coat of paint…we’ll have new parking lot lights on the poles, go with a different color, all new building lights on the outside, all the signs are being replaced with LED energy efficient sings, the fuel center will receive a new canopy skin or face, we will have LED signs on that also,” Harnack said. “There’s a lot of improvements, it’s a very good investment in the city of Hays.”

While they believe the improvements will be welcome in Hays, the company is also understanding of the hassle that it may create to shoppers during the process.

“It will be a work in progress and we appreciate our customers patience, because we know it’s difficult when you move things throughout the store,” Lowrie said.

The updated decor in the store will be similar to the Hall Street location, following a remodel that was recently complete there, with warm colors, soft lighting and wood signage.

“We’ll get all the new bells and whistles that you see in a marketplace store,” Koerner said. “This is the biggest remodel that we’ve done in a long time anywhere.”

“It’s going to be great for the community.”

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Going against the recommendations of both the Hays Area Planning Commission and city staff, Hays city commissioners Thursday night voted four to one to rezone the proposed Blue Sky Acres Addition two miles south of Hays on Highway 183 from Agricultural to Residential Suburban.

The area falls within the three-mile-zone outside the city limits perimeter, which is under the jurisdiction of the city.

Hays Public Works Director Greg Sund quoted to commissioners language from the 2012 Hays Comprehensive Plan, and concluded the rezoning request is not allowed. “It states this land should generally be preserved for agriculture and the extension of urban services in the foreseeable future is unlikely,” Sund said. “The Comprehensive Plan also states new development should generally be contiguous to existing development…it mentions three growth zones. It does not mention anything south of the city primarily because the existence of university (state) property to the south and west of Hays,” he added.

“I would be against this rezoning if it was right outside the city limits or the north or east edges where Hays is growing,” said Commissioner Lance Jones, “but the way it is out there, I don’t think it will ever affect the city’s growth.”

“The Comprehensive Plan needs to be a flexible document,” Jones added.

Landowner Mary Alice Unrein told the commission she has met all the requirements presented to her from various state agencies, Ellis County Public Works and Rural Fire, and Midwest Energy, all of which she previously presented to the Planning Commission. “Water is available,” she said. “There are private wells out there, and three irrigation wells which are not being used currently.” Unrein also owns the 80 acres south of the planned development and said she “could get water from there if I need to.”

Planning Commission member Matthew Wheeler explained why he voted against Unrein’s request.

“I’m very much in favor of letting people develop their property the way they see fit, but this particular development does not fit into our zoning or our comprehensive plan,” Wheeler said. “If we would say ‘Yes’ to this then the Planning Commission and the city commission would have very little standing to say ‘No’ to anybody on any future proposed development because this one is so far outside of what our zoning regulations and Comprehensive Plan call for.”

Mayor Eber Phelps cast the lone vote against the rezoning request.

“We had a number of sets of eyes looking at this–two times by the Planning Commission. I believe they and city staff followed the letter of the law and all the criteria set forth in our comprehensive land use plan. The three-mile-zone was put in place for a purpose.”

All the commissioners agreed city staff and Planning Commission members were legally correct in their decisions against the rezoning request.

“I went to the Ellis County commission meeting last week in an unofficial capacity,” Commissioner Henry Schwaller reported.  “The county commissioners would like to see the development go forward to the point where they could have the opportunity to consider the development.  Both they and the department heads do not believe this development would be a harm to the county.  They believe it would be very helpful and they see it as a way to boost revenue.”

Schwaller, who made the motion to approve the rezoning, said it had been a “very difficult decision” for him.  He then pointed out the 2012 Comprehensive Plan has “not yet been codified into our zoning regulations.”

“We’re still in the process of rewriting and debating and passing a new set of zoning regulations that matches the Comprehensive Plan….until then, there is no outright ban of this in our zoning regulations,” Schwaller said.