James Bell
Hays Post

An annual tradition in Hays that brings young and old together to enjoy a look into the history of farming and have fun doing it is set to begin at 9 a.m., Saturday Sept. 12, when Carrico Implement will host their sixth “Carrico Old Iron Classic,” antique tractor and machinery show at 300 W. 48th St.

“It started several years ago as a way to bring other people beside just ‘John Deere’ people to our store,” said Cindy Eichman.

The event is a “true, traditional, antique tractor show,” she said. “It gives a day for everybody to come in and just have fun.”

And everyone in this case is a large swath of people, with participants as young as ten and as old as 101 coming from as far away as Wyoming to participate according to Eichman.

The show, while fun, is also an interactive way to learn about farming history.

“It’s a fun day to look back at the history of where farming has come from,” she said. “There’s a lot of history to see.”

Events start at 9 a.m. with an official opening ceremony and continue through the afternoon.

Well known staples of the event are scheduled through the day, but this year will feature two new events as well – the washer drop and the barrel roll –with food available on site provided by the Hobo Snack Shack.

Events of the day will conclude with an on-site parade and an award ceremony set for 3 p.m.

This year planners hope to see 150 entries for the event, topping the almost 100 participants last year.

To be added to the show’s email list call Eichman at 800-658-4640 or email at [email protected].

The event is open to the public.

By Jon Zweygardt
Hays Post

A woman upset with a local store for banning her is responsible for calling in a bomb threat this week.

According Hays Chief of Police Don Scheibler, Dollar General, located in the 1200 block of East 27th Street, received a bomb threat just after 2 p.m. Monday. Law enforcement evacuated the building and approximately an hour later it was determined there was no bomb.

Scheibler said once they began investigating the phone call to the store ,the police department quickly identified a suspect and after interview the person of interest, she admitting to making the call.

The suspect was taken into custody and according to Scheibler, she was taken in for a mental health evaluation.

Scheibler said the case has been sent to Ellis County Attorney’s office where they will determine if charges will be filed. No arrest has been made in the case and the suspect’s name is being withheld pending charges.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The area between the Fort Hays State University campus and downtown Hays will be filled with pedestrians Thursday evening.

Students and faculty from FHSU, NCKTech and the Hays Academy of Hair Design will join in the third annual Core 2 Campus celebration Thursday, organized by the Downtown Hays Development Corporation.

“The presidents of each school will also be joining us as we walk from the FHSU quad, starting at 5:30 p.m., along 8th Street to Fort Street and to 10th Street, ending up in the C2C staging area at 10th and Main,” said DHDC Executive Director Sara Bloom.

“The universities are so important to Hays, as well as downtown, and we really want to bring those two important entities together,” she said.

“We show the students that you don’t have to drive to Vine Street or Wal-Mart every time. You can just walk downtown from campus and we have all these great products and all these great services right in your back yard.”

More than 30 downtown Hays businesses will be participating and stay open until 8 p.m.  Raffle tickets can be picked up at each location with prizes to be given away that include $500 cash and gift cards to the businesses, according to Bloom. Drawing will take place at 7:45 p.m. and you must be present to win.

Representatives from several Hays city departments will also be on hand, including the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Hays Regional Airport, Public Works Department and the Hays Police Department.

“It’ll be a chance for students to meet some of our city employees,” Bloom said.

A live band will be playing in the staging area and free Taco Shop dinners will be provided to the first 500 people courtesy of FHSU, DHDC, Hays CVB, and Eagle Communications.

Hays city commissioners will also join the walkers, and then start their Thursday work session an hour later, at 7:30 p.m. in city hall.

 

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The third and final phase of creating the Hays Dog Park involves installation of two shade shelters.

“We’re proud to announce the first two phases are done,” Hays Parks Director Jeff Boyle told Hays city commissioners last week.

“Friends of the Hays Dog Park worked diligently to get that done. Some evenings there are 25 people out there with their dogs and it’s ‘standing room only.'”

The Friends of the Hays Dog Park group approached the Hays City Commission in 2011 requesting permission to build a dog park in Hays in three phases. The city provided space at the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.

The entire project has been funded by donations and grants to FHDP.

Phase 1 and Phase 2 are completed and include fencing, a parking lot, staging area, dog water stations, waste stations and signage at a total cost of $53,342.65.

FHDP is now requesting approval to transfer $18,840.75 from the Friends of the Hays Dog Park fund to the city of Hays Park Development Fund for installation of a 16 foot x 16 foot shelter in the small dog area and a 20 foot by 20 foot shelter in the large dog area.

“They like the shelter that we have in Ekey Park (19th and Holmes Road.) It’s a very good shelter and economical to put it in,” Boyle said. “So they contacted the company that installed it, Quality Structures Incorporated, which actually agreed to donate part of the project to Friends of the Hays Dog Park.”

Both shelters would be installed for $15,000. Another $3,840.75 would pay for concrete pads and sidewalks. Boyle suggested the city donate the labor costs for laying the concrete after the shelters are installed.

The money transfer and permission to proceed with the shelter project is on the Hays City Commission agenda for Thursday, Aug. 27.

The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m., an hour later than usual. City commissioners will be participating in the Core2Campus event in downtown Hays which starts at 5:30 p.m.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

A trail camera in Rooks County captured a picture of a rare sight in northwestern Kansas – a mountain lion on the prowl north of Webster on Aug. 3.

“Yeah, there was one, we confirmed it,” said Ron Kaufman, director of information services for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

The sighting was captured on a privately-owned trail cam, but other than the picture there is no information about the animal.

“We don’t know a whole lot about this one,” Kaufman said. However the department of did take their time in confirming the sighting.

“We always take time for our biologist to try to confirm that these are actually what they say they are,” he said.

“This is the 11th verified sighting of a mountain lion in Kansas since 2007,” according to the department’s Facebook page attached to the image.

“Although people often report seeing them, mountain lions are only occasionally confirmed in Kansas. The first confirmed mountain lion in Kansas in modern times was shot and killed in 2007 in Barber County in south-central Kansas,” according to information from the department.

“Prior to 2007, the last mountain lion documented in Kansas was killed in 1904 in Ellis County.”

While the sighting is out of ordinary, it is likely to be due to travel rather than a permanent home being set up in the area.

“So far, the animals appear to be passing through Kansas, rather than staying and establishing home ranges. KDWPT has no evidence of a breeding population in the state,” according to KDWPT information.

There is no hunting season for mountain lions, and so they cannot be killed without reason and reasonable efforts must first be made to alleviate problems caused by wildlife, before attempting to destroy the animal.

If a sighting is believed to have occurred the KDWPT asks the sighting be reported here, or by calling (620) 342-0658.

Hays Arts Council is set to host this year’s fall art walk in downtown on Friday, starting at 6:30 p.m. Events include Allen Craven’s, associate professor of art at Fort Hays State University, sabbatical exhibition, photography by Leon Staab, and paintings by Paint the Towne owners Carly Miller and Jessie Sterling.

“It’s just such a wonderful, wonderful, good time, and this one is going to be amazing,” said Brenda Meder, director of the Hays Arts Council. “There’s going to be over two dozen places that you can go to (to view local art).”

One of the exhibits Meder is particularly excited about is the floral themed exhibition, “Flowers: Real and Imagined,” hosted in the Hays Arts Council building.

Along with the artists’ work, four local Ellis Co. florists – Flowers by Frances, Regina’s at CS Post, Flowers by Dillon’s, and Big Creek Floral & Gifts in Ellis – will be bringing in live floral creations and sculptures.

“It’s not bouquets or arrangements. These are wonderful, glorious, innovative, unique things and they are magnificent,” Meder said.

Along with the art exhibits there will also be a Community Acoustic Jam Session at Union Pacific Park at 10th and Main where anyone is invited to sit in and play.

“It’s just an amazing opportunity for not only our community,” Meder said, “but guests from outside our community to have one of the most glorious art, culture, and community filled nights you can ever experience in Hays.”

For the full 2015 Art Walk schedule click here.

 

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

WAKEENEY–The USD 208 Trego Community school district is one of eight area districts awarded funding from the extraordinary need state aid fund this week due to a decline in the valuation of oil and gas properties.

According to Superintendent George Griffith, USD 208 lost $108,000 due to reductions in Trego County property valuation for oil, and also lost another $28,000 for the district’s Capital Outlay and Bond and Interest Fund for last year. The 2015 assessed valuation for Trego County is down 28 percent, bringing the school district’s total loss to more than $262,000.

On Monday, the State Finance Council approved $217,000 for the Trego district, based in WaKeeney. Griffith said USD 208 is trying to avoid having to increase the mill levy to make up for those lost funds.

“We’re trying to balance out all of our funds and take the burden off our tax payers,” Griffith said. “We have a number of people that own their homes that are on fixed incomes and if I can help them out the best I can, that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Griffith said originally they were looking to increase the mill levy 13.5 mills to maintain the district’s current levels but he said the extraordinary need state aid award could save at least six mills.

A total of 38 school districts had requested more than $15 million in emergency funds. Lawmakers allocated $12.3 million to the fund in March.

The State Finance Council, made up of Governor Sam Brownback and eight legislative leaders, granted $4 million to 22 districts that lost local revenue for the current school year because of declines in the valuation of oil and gas properties.

Eight area schools received extra aid because of the drop in oil and gas valuation. Plainville and Russell both received more than $400,000.

The Ness City, Western Plains, Dighton and Quinter schools are also among those that received funds due to a loss in oil and gas and property taxes.

Aid awarded due to loss of assessed valuation:
507-Satanta $ 436,648
270-Plainville 417,202
255-South Barber 242,313
303-Ness City 254,935
374-Sublette 345,275
216-Deerfield 187,899
106-Western Plains 118,890
217-Rolla 159,632
209-Moscow 194,436
227-Hodgeman County 161,336
482-Dighton 150,679
208-Trego County 217,291
407-Russell County 406,392
293-Quinter 95,444
452-Stanton County 194,473
431-Hoisington 152,221
350-St. John-Hudson 152,515
477-Ingalls 59,977
369-Burrton 35,251
509-South Haven 7,352
366-Woodson 11,435
457-Garden City 56,055
TOTAL $ 4,057,651

Aid awarded because of increased enrollment:
314-Brewster $ 88,396
230-Spring Hill 428,799
509-South Haven 54,026
431-Hoisington 121,581
323-Rock Creek 140,960
458-Basehor-Linwood 192,850
265-Goddard 282,844
327-Ellsworth 38,020
203-Piper 88,272
313-Buhler 79,540
262-Valley Center 60,841
500-Kansas City 407,548
383-Manhattan 25,844
457-Garden City 0
204-Bonner Springs 0
233-Olathe 0
TOTAL $ 2,009,521

City of Hays

The reconstruction of 13th Street from Main to Milner continues.

The intersection of 13th and Milner is scheduled to be open on Friday, August 28.

13th Street will remain closed from Pine to just west of Milner.

The entire project is scheduled for be complete the first week in December.

The city appreciates the public’s patience and understanding during the course of this project.

For more information, contact the Public Works Department at (785) 628-7350 or the contractor, APAC, at (785) 625-3459.

By James Bell
Hays Post

Early Sunday, Aug. 23, the Hays Police Department conducted a sobriety checkpoint in the 1000 block of Vine St. from 12:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.

During the checkpoint, 79 vehicles were stopped and nine drivers were given on-site sobriety tests, according to information released Tuesday from the HPD.

The checkpoint led to four arrests–two for DUI, one for possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of paraphernalia and one arrest for interference with a law enforcement officer.

The checkpoint was conducted in accordance with the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Impaired Driving Deterrence Program.

Video by Cooper Slough, Ricky Kerr and James Bell — Hays Post

Visitors to The Mall in Hays last Wednesday evening got an added bonus to their shopping.

A surprise marriage proposal by way of a flash mob – composed of the Fort Hays State University Tiger Deb Dance Team – took place in center court.

Thomas Matheny asked Kiersha DeBey, both of Hays, to marry him. She said “Yes,” to the applause of the shoppers.

Hays Fire Department

Allison Friesen was recently appointed to the position of Firefighter with the City of Hays Fire Department, according to HFD Chief Gary Brown. Firefighter Friesen is certified as an Emergency Medical Technician and holds a BS degree in General Studies from Fort Hays State University.

Prior to being assigned to regular duty, she completed an eight-week course of instruction to qualify as a basic firefighter and fire truck driver operator.

Friesen now starts an on-the-job training program for national certification as both a basic and advanced firefighter, including hazardous materials operations, and fire truck driver operator.

She will also complete advanced training to serve as an airport firefighter meeting FAA standards, and for technical rescue work including vehicle crash, machinery entanglement, building collapse, confined space, water and ice and trench cave-in rescue as well as rescue from heights.

After just more than an hour, the scene of a Monday bomb threat has been cleared, according to law enforcement officials.

Just before 2 p.m. Monday, a bomb threat was called in to Dollar General, 1208 E. 27th. Public safety officials evacuated the store and blocked traffic on several roads in the immediate area during the investigation.

Just after 3 p.m., the store was declared safe, with no bomb found.

According to Lt. Brandon Wright of the Hays Police Department, a suspect has been identified and is in custody. The identity of the suspect has not been released.

Check Hays Post for details as they become available.

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