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🎥 Hays Walmart $5M renovation finishes ahead of schedule

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Walmart employees celebrate the completion of their store remodel Friday with members of the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Although it took a week longer than expected, the remodel project of the Hays Walmart Supercenter still finished a week ahead of schedule.

A grand reopening ribbon cutting with the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce was held Friday morning.

Co-manager Tanya Whitter talked about some of the major improvements which started in the front store area with new entrance gates for customers.

New entry gates at both doors automatically open for customers.

“They automatically open when you come through,” Whitter explained. The store also has new security systems in the front end.

New signage fills the store walls as well as the different departments.  The entire store floor has been retiled with new concrete pathways leading into the store.

New lighting in the produce department

New refrigeration coolers and cases line the grocery area. The produce department has new lighting which Whitter says ensures the fruits and vegetables look like the colors they actually are.

“It’s just a fresh look for the store,” she added, “not just what the customers see but also things the customers don’t see. There’s lot of changes and lots of improvements.”

Employees working the new 3 in 1 counter are cross-trained to help customers with gun purchases, the automotive center and the paint department.

There’s now a new “3 in 1” counter. “Our automotive department, our paint department, and sporting goods –  for the gun sales –  with brand new cases. It’s basically an all-in-one counter…making it convenient for the customers.” Employees working the 3-in 1 counter are cross-trained to help customers in all three departments.

Restrooms have been updated with a mothers’ room added in the back restroom for nursing privacy.

The 11-week project exceeded $5 million, according to Whitter. “It’s a huge financial investment in our store and we’ve also invested in training of our associates.”

Perhaps the most highly anticipated change is the addition of the OGP department, or Online Grocery Pickup, which opened July 5.

Ten parking spaces are reserved at the north end of Walmart for pickup of online orders.

“You’ve seen all the parking stalls outside for it. You can go online and order your groceries and show up, pick a time, and we bring them out to your car for you,” Whitter explained to the crowd. “It’s very fast, very convenient. It’s a free service that Walmart provides.” She believes it will be very successful for the store.

The Walmart app used to order groceries online can also be used by customers to determine if an item is in stock and its aisle location in the store.

Computer screens at the checkout counters have also been updated with touch screens.

“It’s remarkable how advanced things are now,” added Whitter.

Even the parking lot got a facelift with restriping of the parking stalls and new trash cans.

She and co-manager Adam Armstrong both made a point of thanking the Walmart employees and its customers.

“We ask our associates to do a lot of things every day and then we through a remodel on top of that. We asked them to do their job plus we turned their department upside down and moved it halfway across the store,” Armstrong said with a smile. “But our associates, in Walmart fashion, did an outstanding job.”

Because the store is open 24/7, the renovation work took place while people were shopping.

“Our customers put up with us for 11 weeks. It’s kind of like coming into your house after you’ve been gone for a week and somebody rearranges your furniture and you run into stuff,” quipped Armstrong. “You don’t know where things are.”

“But we should be good for at least another seven years now, I think. We won’t be moving things. Everything’s where it’s gonna be.”

A lot of departments were rearranged on the general merchandise side to make for a better shopping experience, according to Armstrong.

“The way things are laid out now – once people get used to it – should honestly make more sense as they shop throughout the store,” he said. “As an example, we put the bacon next to the eggs, which most people buy together.”

Sarah Meitner, Brent Kaiser and Kathy McAdoo accept a $10,000 donation from Hays Walmart for the Accessible Recreation Complex park project. They’re flanked by Co-Manager Adam Armstrong and Community Involvement Coordinator Dawn Malott.

During Friday’s celebration, the Walmart employees also presented a $10,000 donation through the Walmart Foundation to the Hays ARC park project for an accessible playground in Seven Hills Park.

The Hays Walmart store, which has nearly 300 employees, is among 10 in Kansas scheduled for renovations and improvements this year.

Walmart has been in Hays for 35 years.

The Supercenter has been in its current location, 4301 Vine, for 18 years. Prior to that it was in the Vine Street shopping center now occupied by Hobby Lobby, ACE Hardware and the former Hastings store.

 

Ellis County applies for federal grant to fund Northwest Business Corridor

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By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

Ellis County officials are hoping a federal program that helped the city of Hays pay for planned reconstruction of Vine Street will help the county move forward with the Northwest Business Corridor project.

The county submitted its grant application Friday, ahead of the Monday deadline for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant.

The county has been working on making improvements to 230th Avenue and Feedlot Road to complete the bypass around Hays, dubbed the Northwest Business Corridor, for several years, and the BUILD Grant could go a long way toward paying for the approximately $10.78 million project.

Phillip Smith-Hanes

“We’ve been working very hard for about two months now on that application,” County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes said. “Its 30 pages of documentation that you have to put together, answering specific questions.”

According to the DOT, the BUILD program was developed to make investments in infrastructure across the county, and there has been almost $2.4 billion awarded to 233 projects rural projects since 2009.

One of those projects was the city of Hays’ Vine Street Corridor Project just last year.

The city of Hays was awarded just more than $6 million. The grant application from Ellis County will total approximately $8.7 million.

Smith-Hanes said officials believe there is about $900 million available through the BUILD grant program nationally.

After setting aside $800,000 for the project in February, the county commission voted last week to set aside another $100,000 for the project. All $900,000 was transferred from the Special Road and Bridge Fund.

Public Works Director Bill Ring told the commission that the additional funds were needed to equal 20 percent of what was requested in the grant.

The proposed improvements would consist of a complete rebuild of 230th Avenue north of Hays. The road is currently rock and it would be upgraded to pavement. It would also address the width and steepness of the hills in the road.

Feedlot Road from 230th Avenue to U.S. 183 would also see improvements.

Smith-Hanes said there has been significant industrial development in that region and there are a lot of businesses in the area that could benefit from the improvements.

At last week’s county commission meeting, Commissioner Dustin Roths reiterated his support for the project.

“I can’t express enough how important I think it is to commerce and all of northwest Kansas,” he said.

Smith-Hanes also said the engineering firm, Driggs Design Group of Manhattan, has been a big part of putting together the grant.

The DOT will announce grant recipients in November or December.

Ring said if the county were to receive the grant funding, construction would start in the spring of 2020.

KDHE issues stream advisory for Big Creek after sewer leak

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The sewer line contents are being trucked to the Hays wastewater treatment plant.

Residents and pets should not enter these waterways

TOPEKA – Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a stream advisory for Big Creek in Hays downstream of the intersection of 27th Street and U.S. 183 Bypass on the west side of town. The stream advisory is a result of a sewer line break earlier in the week. The City of Hays is working to replace the sewer line and no sewage is currently being discharged into Big Creek.

RELATED: Sewer line & lift station still shut down; new replacement pipe to arrive Monday

Elevated bacteria levels were recorded at downstream locations of Big Creek and other contaminants may be present in the stream from the sewage spill. Residents and pets should not enter Big Creek at this time.

KDHE is determining if any sources upstream of Hays are contributing to the elevated bacteria levels. KDHE will rescind the advisory once water samples show no health risk and water contact in the creek has been deemed safe.

— KDHE

Illegally trafficked toads find new home at Sternberg

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Sternberg Museum of Natural History

The Sternberg recently received three young Sonoran Desert Toads that were being illegally kept and sold.

Once staff members at the museum heard about the unfortunate event, they were happy to take them and add them to museum’s animal family.

None of them have names yet, but they are quickly making their way into the hearts of the Sternberg staff. Especially with Sternberg volunteers who have had the opportunity to spend lots of time with them, helping them adjust to being handled.

If you have ideas for names for the toads, there is a suggestion box at the museum admissions desk.

They love to eat crickets and to splash around in their water bowl. They have already grown in the few weeks the museum has had them. Alicia Gaede, Sternberg naturalist, said the toads will likely get much larger than they are now, and eventually will eat mice.

“I am happy we have them, but I hate the circumstances of how we got them,” she said.

The museum previously had a Sonoran Desert Toad, named Jabba, but it died of natural causes.

The toads are not on display yet, but once they get a little bigger and learn to eat from their caretakers’ hands, they will be moved to the bigger cage with the chuckwallas, where the public can see them. Staff hopes to have the toads on the display by the end of the summer.

As the name suggests, these toads are found in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and are the largest toads native to the United States. Sonoran Desert toads have extremely potent, defensive toxins that are released from glands in the skin.

Gaede said once the toads have been handled as pets, they are unlikely to cause harm to humans.

These toads depend on water more than most desert species typically do. During dry periods they will burrow and come out when it rains.

For more picture, and videos of these cuties, check out the Sternberg Facebook page every Monday in July. Click here to see a video of the toads.

Hays Post reporter Cristina Janney contributed to this story.

Railway cars carrying ethanol derail in Hays on Sunday

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By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

A Union Pacific train derailment in Hays caused some home evacuations and a few road closures near downtown late Sunday afternoon.

“A little after 5 p.m. dispatch received a call from Union Pacific Railroad concerning a derailment they had near the intersection of Ninth and Milner,” said Kim Rupp, Hays public information officer.

“At this time there are three tanker cars off the tracks,” he said.Train derailment Hays KS Train derailment 2 Hays KS Train derailment 3 Hays KS Train derailment 4 Hays KS

By 6:30 p.m. there was no immediate danger to the public, and no injuries had been reported.

“They do contain ethanol, however, there are no leaks, so there are no hazards to the public,” Rupp said.

While there was believed to be no immediate danger, some limited evacuations of housing were immediately conducted after the derailment in the vicinity as a precautionary measure.

The fire department set up a 300-foot perimeter, but no intersections were closed by 6 p.m.

The traveling public is asked to avoid the area and observe cones and barricades while the accident is being cleared, Rupp said.

 

Portion of 230th Ave. closed through Thursday

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ELLIS COUNTY

The Ellis County Public Works Department is announcing that a small bridge/culvert replacement project will begin Monday, July 15.

The 1600 and 1700 block of 230th Avenue, between 55th and Feedlot Road, will be closed to through traffic beginning at 7:30 a.m. Monday, July 15, and will reopen at 5 p.m. Thursday, weather permitting.

The project will widen the area by the current culvert and increase safety for the traveling public.

Motorists traveling in the affected closure area should use alternate routes of travel until the project is completed. It is recommended to use U.S. 183 to avoid the affected area.

This is one of the first steps for the improvement of 230th from Interstate 70 north to Feedlot Road, along with milling the surface of Feedlot Road from 230th to U.S. 183. Further improvements will be made to Feedlot in late summer to early fall.

For more information, call (785) 628-9455.

KRUG: Unusual finds at area farmers markets

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Donna Krug

I had fun pulling together the handout material for my recent 4th Friday program at the Great Bend Senior Center, titled, “Field to Fork.” I wanted to highlight the wonderful produce available at our Farmer’s Markets, so I stopped by the day before my program and found just what I was looking for. I found fresh beets and kohlrabi that would be fun to share the next day. I turned to one of my favorite resources, The Rolling Prairie Cookbook, by Nancy O’Connor, for a description and recipes using these fun vegetables.

If your beets come with the greens attached, so much the better – you have two vegetables. Before storing in the refrigerator cut the greens off the root, leaving approximately two inches of greens attached to the crown to prevent bleeding. For longer storage life, do not wash your beets before you refrigerate them, as wet beets tend to rot.

Preparing beets is simple. They are delicious and gorgeous when eaten raw. Peel and coarsely grate as an addition to salads or to add crunch and variety to sandwiches. Baking beets with the skins on or steaming beets are also great ways to prepare beets. One of my favorite recipes in O’Connors book is for “Quick Grated Beets.” Begin by washing, peeling and coarsely grating 4 medium sized beets. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add beets, and stir to coat well. Sprinkle with 1-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, cover and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and add water or vegetable stock to prevent scorching. Cook until just tender and season with salt and pepper. You can also sprinkle with fresh dill or parsley before serving.

Kohlrabi is a bit more unusual. It can be one of those intimidating vegetables. It has the look of an organic green Sputnik, with a taste like fresh, crunchy, broccoli stems accented by radish. It is a round bulb with a swollen stem that grows aboveground. The bulbs should be stored, unwashed, in a plastic bag. They will hold for about a week in the refrigerator. Smaller kohlrabi are the sweetest and most tender. Bulbs much bigger than the size of a tennis ball won’t be as tasty and often have a pithy flesh.

Tender, young kohlrabi is delicious eaten raw. Peel the outer skin with a paring knife. Slice, dice, or grate and add to salads. Use on raw vegetable platters or serve with a creamy dip. Substitute in recipes calling for radishes. Over the holiday weekend I grated a kohlrabi and John added it to a vegetable stir fry. Kohlrabi can also be steamed or boiled. For this preparation, don’t peel until after they are cooked.

Whatever vegetable you find at farmer’s market, you are sure to enjoy putting something locally grown on your plate. If you missed the program “Field to Fork” and would like to have a handout with recipes, just give me a call or send me an email. See you at the market!

Donna Krug is the Family and Consumer Science Agent and District Director for K-State Research & Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or [email protected]

South Korean KAMS students conduct experiments related to solar energy

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Two Korean students conduct science experiments with FHSU’s Dr. Arvin Cruz on  Thursday on the Hays campus.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Eight students from South Korea peered into brightly colored test tubes and furiously scribbled observations during a week-long camp at Fort Hays State University.

The students are replicating experiments from research conducted by Dr. Arvin Cruz, FHSU chemistry teacher, on substances that might be used as conductors in solar panels.

The students taking part in this Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Sciences camp are 16 to 17 years old and from the Daejeon High School for the Gifted in Daejeon, South Korea.

“They are very passionate,” Cruz said during a KAYS Morning Show interview. “We started [Wednesday], and they are very dedicated and almost all of them indicated they wanted to go into some area of science as a profession.”

Cruz said this can be a recruiting tool for FHSU, but more importantly it is a way to interest more students in going into the sciences as a profession.

A KAMS volunteer assists a Korean student look for substances that could be used in solar panels during an experiment on the FHSU campus Thursday.

“A lot of this is science awareness,” Cruz said. “The future of science lies in these young kids. That is why we devote a lot of our time engaging them and having global partnerships, mainly for recruitment in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics).”

Cruz said one student who studied with the program several years ago has now been admitted to a university in South Korea to study quantum knots, which is the subject on which the students in the KAMS program are conducting their experiments this summer.

The students in the exchange participate in a selection process, and only the best of the best are selected to come to the U.S. Cruz said he thinks that has made the program even more successful.

Students from Daejeon High School for the Gifted in Daejeon, South Korea, conduct chemistry experiments at FHSU Thursday.

Soyoung Lee, South Korean chemistry teacher and one of the students’ sponsors, said the work is allowing the students to understand chemistry’s broader effects on mankind.

She said, with fellow sponsor and English teacher Myoung Hee Choi translating, the students may continue their studies in another field, but they are learning the research process through their experiments with Dr. Cruz.

Lee said the students are not working toward a grade — they are not competing — so they can try new things and experience science just for the sake of learning.

In addition to learning aspects of chemistry and research, the students are also being immersed in the English language.

“Instead of just learning from texts, they are able to express themselves in English. They can communicate,” Choi said. “It has been a challenge even for me.”

This exchange began three years ago with chemistry students from the U.S. also traveling to South Korea. Although no U.S. students were able to go abroad this year, the South Korean students have continued to take advantage of FHSU’s hospitality.

In the evenings the students have been experiencing the Hays community, including a night out bowling. They also will tour FHSU’s Sternberg Museum and Exploration Place in Wichita.

Since all three years of the exchange have focussed on alternative sources of energy, the students last year toured Greensburg and were able to see how that community has made the transition to green energy.

“They were so excited about how it re-established itself,” Cruz said.

Both South Korean teachers said they wished to thank FHSU and everyone involved with the students for making the camp possible. The students will be headed home on July 16.

FHSU earns 5 No. 1 rankings in June 

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FHSU University Relations

Degree programs offered by Fort Hays State University through its FHSU Virtual College received five No. 1 rankings, six top-10 national recognitions and several other rankings in June for being among the best and most affordable programs offered by U.S. colleges and universities. 

CollegeValuesOnline.com
No. 1, Top Master’s in Counseling Degrees Online 2019
CollegeValuesOnline gave FHSU’s M.S. in counseling (school) the No. 1 spot for its affordability, program quality and support services. Fort Hays State’s counseling program is accredited by the Kansas State Department of Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

“An affordable online master’s in counseling is a great way to continue with higher education and gain a postgraduate degree as one continues to work,” said CollegeValuesOnline. “An advanced degree in counseling paves the way for career growth and better prospects, and an online format allows one to study and gain work experience at the same time.”

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/30rmTA1.

No. 1, Top 20 Most Affordable State Universities for Online Bachelor’s Degrees 2019
FHSU’s Virtual College was ranked No. 1 out of 367 colleges and universities based primarily off of affordability and wide selection of online majors.

“Students may choose from 60 affordable, award-winning and ranked online programs like business administration, criminal justice, education, international business, marketing and nursing,” said CollegeValuesOnline.

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2JmzQW5.

CollegeFactual.com
No. 1, 2019 Best General Psychology Schools for Non-Traditional Students in Kansas
Ranked out of 10 colleges and universities, FHSU’s Virtual College received this top spot for its top academic quality and support for non-traditional students in its psychology programs.

“Students will pursue a rigorous curriculum that is more than just theory but also features an emphasis on experiential learning,” says FHSU’s website. “Upon graduation, students will already have a solid foundation in the science of mental processes coupled with the valuable skills from enriched, applied experiences that employers are seeking.”

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2LJ7Spd.

No. 1, 2019 Best General Biology Schools for Non-Traditional Students in Kansas
CollegeFactual.com also gave FHSU’s Virtual College the No. 1 ranking in biological sciences based on academic quality and support for non-traditional students.

“The Department of Biological Sciences at FHSU provides students with a strong foundation in all aspects of life science,” says FHSU’s website. “Our unique programs, modern facilities, one-on-one teaching philosophy and robust research opportunities allows students to fully explore their primary areas of interest – from molecules to mammals.”

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2S4sFVg.

OnlineSchoolsReport.com
No. 1, Best Online Master’s Degrees in Art and Art History
FHSU’s Virtual College received this top spot for its school and program reputation, student retention, overall tuition and fees and more.

“A stand-out in online master’s programs, FHSU lands the No. 1 spot on our list for its Master in Liberal Studies with a concentration in art history,” says OnlineSchoolsReport. “The degree covers 31 total credits, and students are able to concentrate in specific time periods like medieval art or 20th century art.”

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2JorZra.

No. 4, 10 Best Online Economics Degrees
OnlineSchoolsReport also gave FHSU’s online bachelor’s in economics program a top-10 ranking based on the quality, as indicated by student engagement and faculty credentials. This ranking also includes student-to-faculty ratio, graduation rates and faculty experience and training.

“Our unique, academically rigorous programs prepare students for the most in-demand jobs in the marketplace, with courses that span the entire business landscape and elevate credentials for prospective employers around the nation – and the world,” says FHSU’s website.

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2JpOBHS.

AffordableSchools.net
No. 5, 35 Top Value Affordable Accounting Degree Online Programs (Bachelor’s) 2019
Tuition, student-to-faculty ratio, online features and curriculum options are just a few of the reasons FHSU’s Virtual College earned this high ranking from AffordableSchools. Over 150 colleges and universities were identified.

“This is an excellent program for students who wish to work in the private sector as a corporate or public accountant,” says AffordableSchools. “Students will benefit from small class sizes and a range of directed electives. They will be expected to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours of coursework, a capstone project and a comprehensive final.”

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/32h1OKj.

No. 4, 20 Best Affordable Colleges for Psychology Degree Online 2019
FHSU’s Virtual College also received a top ranking from out of more than 300 schools based on tuition, student-to-faculty ratios, graduation rates and national rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

“The Department of Psychology at FHSU provides compelling, hands-on experiential programs that will arm individuals with practical skills and theory,” says FHSU’s website.

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/30mx4pu.

No. 5, 20 Best Affordable Colleges for RN-BSN Online 2019
AffordableSchools also ranked FHSU’s online bachelor’s in registered nursing degree the No. 5 spot in more than 450 universities and colleges for its one-year tuition rates for in-state students, average student-to-faculty ratios, graduation rates and national rankings by U.S. News & World Report.

“At FHSU, we provide programs and courses designed to meet your diverse career objectives in a student-centered learning environment with undergraduate and graduate programs, post-graduate certificate programs and a doctoral degree program,” says FHSU’s website.

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/30pbUHc.

No. 7, 25 Best Affordable Master’s in Marketing Online Degrees 2019
FHSU’s Virtual College received this top-10 ranking for its quality, tuition, location and delivery format.

“Marketing is about being an advocate for the customer and providing the customer’s voice to the rest of the company,” says FHSU’s website. “It is both a science and an art – great marketing is systematic and analytic but is also creative.”

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2LaEqc7.

No. 14, Top Value Business Administration Online Degree Programs 2019
Ranked out of more than 500 colleges and universities, AffordableSchools gave FHSU’s online business administration degree program the No. 14 spot for its student-to-faculty ratio and tuition.

“This program was designed for students who are interested in a broad-based curriculum that will help them achieve their professional goals,” says AffordableSchools. “Focused on management, the online program delivers information on industry standards as well as practices for the field.”

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2XVwVMa.

CollegeConsensus.com
No. 8, 50 Best Online Undergraduate Business Programs 2019
Based on affordability, convenience and reputation, FHSU’s Virtual College earned this top-10 spot from CollegeConsensus.

“This affordable degree is priced at over $10,000 less than the average cost of a degree in this ranking,” says CollegeConsensus. “There are no residencies associated with this program, which U.S. News & World Report calls one of the top 50 online undergraduate business degrees in the country.”

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2Eq9BuS.

BestColleges.com
No. 15, Best Online Master’s in Gifted and Talented Education Programs
BestColleges ranked FHSU’s online master’s in special education (gifted) based on academic outcomes, affordability and the breadth and depth of online learning opportunities.

“This degree focuses on the challenges and practical needs facing facilitators of gifted learners,” says BestColleges. “FHSU’s master’s in gifted and talented education online requires 36 credits, which students can complete in 18 to 24 months with no on-campus sessions.”

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/32eEwVq.

TheBestSchools.org
No. 12, Best Online MBA in Management Information Systems Degree Programs
FHSU’s Virtual College earned this ranking based on the quality of the program, types of courses offered, faculty, rankings, awards and reputation.

“Students benefit from numerous internship and scholarship opportunities, student organizations and professional development services, outreach and community engagement process, and access to centers such as the Management Development Center,” said TheBestSchools.

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2Puo7o4.

OnlineColleges.com
No. 16, Best Online Colleges for Adults Going Back to School in 2019-20
OnlineColleges gave FHSU’s Virtual College this ranking based on online programs and percentage of students enrolled in distance education, graduation rates of non-first-time students and percentage of non-first-time students receiving financial aid.

“An institution dedicated to innovation, FHSU has developed a Virtual College that supports dozens of degree programs and over one-hundred specializations for those programs,” says OnlineColleges. “FHSU has a 95-percent job placement rate, and its graduates have a 100-percent pass rate on certain licensure exams for nursing and education.”

To view this ranking, visit https://bit.ly/2Qvb5ZC.

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