The National Weather Service has issued both a freeze warning and a freeze watch across the area between 1 and 10 a.m. Central.

Low temperatures at or below freezing are expected across the freeze warning area. Low temperatures hovering around freezing are expected across the freeze watch area.

Efforts should be made to protect sensitive vegetation and animals.

ELLIS – Following a tour of the municipal swimming pool prior to their meeting, Ellis City Council members voted Monday to approve a $170,000 engineering contract with Lamp Rynearson, contingent upon Community Development Block Grant funding for a new pool.

Justine Benoit, grant administrator with Northwest Kansas Planning and Development, told the council if the city is awarded the grant, the state allows 90 days to accept the grant, one year to sign a contract with a general contractor, and two years to start the project.  The grant application must be submitted by May 15.

In other business, a new file server purchase from Eagle Technology Solutions for $6,765.34 along with monthly backup and disaster recovery option at $125 per month were approved for the Ellis Police Department.

Also approved was the Blue Cross Blue Shield policy renewal for employees’ dental plan, and term life and accidental death and disability plans.  The dental plan increased 1 percent.

The complete meeting minutes follow.

ELLIS CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING

Minutes

May 6, 2019

CALL TO ORDER

Mayor David McDaniel called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Present were Council members Bret Andries, Martin LaBarge, Jolene Niernberger, and Bob Redger.  Also present were Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman, City Clerk Amy Burton, Police Chief Taft Yates, and City Attorney Olavee Raub.  Council member Holly Aschenbrenner was present by telephone from 8:00 p.m. – 8:20 p.m.  Council member Steve Ferland was absent.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA

None

PUBLIC PRESENT

Glen Keller, Barbara Perkins, Justine Benoit, Joy Fischer, Jessica Shank, Millie Karlin, Nicole Carroll, Susan Schlichting, Ashley Rohleder, Dennis Bollig, Nancy Wright, Sheresa Brull, Ellie Brull, Grace Brull, Kristy Rhoden, JT Rhoden, Doreen Timken, Beth Schiel, Zach Schiel, Andy Smith, Vicki Doyle, John Dollil, Karista Pugh, Madison Gottschalk, Michelle Gottschalk, Abigail Mattheyer, Melvin Kinderknecht, Emily Mattheyer, Freda Fisher, Pat Bieker, Pam Dietrich, Sam Polifka, Vernie Pritchett, Craig Seibel, Margie Mickelson (arrived at 7:55 p.m.)

CONSENT AGENDA

Council member Bob Redger moved to approve the consent agenda containing the Minutes from the Regular Meeting on April 15, 2019, Bills Ordinance #2068, and the Manual Journal Entries for January, February, and March.  Council member Bret Andries seconded the motion. The Council approved the consent agenda 4-0.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

None

PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)

City Clerk: Award/Proclamation

Mayor David McDaniel read a Proclamation declaring May 5 – 11, 2019 as the 50^th Anniversary of Municipal Clerks Week.

SPECIAL ORDER

General Government: Financial – Budget Request

Jessica Shank, representing the Senior Companion program at Fort Hays State University, thanked the Council for their past support and presented the Senior Companion 2020 budget request.  Ms. Shank requested consideration from Council for $3,973, the annual support cost of one senior companion volunteer.  The request represents a decrease of $113 from the previous year.  Joy Fischer presented the 2020 budget request for the Foster Grandparent program.  Ms. Fischer requested consideration from Council for $3,718 to support one foster grandparent to serve in Ellis.  The request represents an increase of $2,718 from the previous year.  The Council took no action and will consider the request during budget preparation.

Committee: Special Project

The Ellis PRIDE Committee partnered with the Ellis High School KAYS organization to participate in a pilot program to obtain a youth’s perspective in conjunction with the State-wide PRIDE Committee’s First Impressions program.   Nicole Carroll, KAYS Sponsor, and students Karista Pugh, Madison Gottschalk, Michelle Gottschalk, and Abigail Mattheyer gave a PowerPoint presentation highlighting their project of possible ways of beautifying Ellis and also noting existing positive aspects of the city.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Swimming Pool: Contract

Prior to the meeting, Andy Smith, engineer with Lamp Rynearson, met with available Governing Body members and interested community members at the Ellis Municipal Pool to tour the current facility and visually highlight concerns noted in the Preliminary Engineering Report.  Mr. Smith entertained additional questions from the Governing Body from that tour.  After discussion, Council member Bob Redger moved and Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded a motion to approve the engineering agreement with Lamp Rynearson in the amount of $170,000.00, contingent upon Community Development Block Grant funding.  Upon a call for further discussion, Justine Benoit, grant administrator with Northwest Kansas Planning & Development, stated that if the City is awarded CDBG funding, the State allows 90 days to accept the grant, one year to sign a contract with a general contractor, and two years to start the project.  The grant application must be submitted by May 15^th.  Upon a call for the vote, the motion carried 5-0, with Council member Holly Aschenbrenner voting by telephone.

Sewer: Repair/Maintenance

City Attorney Olavee Raub reported on the Cedar Lane lift station project.  There is an existing 10’ easement that the work could be completed in without the need to obtain additional easements from the adjacent property owners.  Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman requested approval to proceed with the project by allowing him to upgrade the existing Loveless pump.  Council member Martin LaBarge moved to approve upgrades to the existing Loveless pump in the amount of $2,500, with funds to come from the Sewer Depreciation Reserve fund.  Council member Bob Redger seconded the motion.  The motion carried 4-0.

NEW BUSINESS

Police: Acquisition

Police Chief Taft Yates presented two bids for the purchase of a new computer server for the Police Department.  Craig Seibel, Eagle Technology Solutions, was on hand to answer questions from Council.  After discussion, Council member Bret Andries moved to purchase a Dell PowerEdge T140 file server from Eagle Technology Solutions in the amount of $6,765.34 along with the monthly backup and disaster recovery option at $125 per month.  Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded the motion.  The motion carried 4-0.  The monthly backup option will be charged to the Police Department’s budget, as well as $2,500 of the file server purchase, with the remaining $4,265.34 to be taken out of Special Machinery.

General Government: Committees

Mayor David McDaniel reviewed the current City committee appointment roster and announced his new appointments for 2019.  Several vacant positions remain and Mayor McDaniel hopes to have them filled by the next meeting.  It was the consensus of Council to table approval of the roster of appointments until the next Council meeting.

General Government: Licenses/Permits

Council member Jolene Niernberger moved to approve the Fireworks Permit Applications from the Ellis Baptist Youth Group and the Ellis Softball/Baseball Association, contingent on each applicant submitting proof of liability insurance.  Council member Martin LaBarge seconded the motion.  The motion carried 4-0, with Council member Bret Andries abstaining due to perceived conflict of interest.

Personnel: Benefits

City Clerk Amy Burton presented the policy renewal rates for the employee’s dental plan and term life and accidental death and disability policy.  Both policies are through Blue Cross Blue Shield.  The dental plan reflects a 1% increase in premiums, while the life and AD&D policy premiums are unchanged.  Council member Bob Redger moved to approve the Blue Cross Blue Shield dental and term life and accidental death and disability policies as presented.  Council member Martin LaBarge seconded the motion.  The motion carried 4-0.

Public Works: Disposal

Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman requested approval to sell several of the Department’s vehicles and the cargo bed from the newly purchased 2011 GMC Sierra.  Council member Martin LaBarge moved to authorize the sale of the 1988 Chevy 1-ton, the 2004 Ford F-250 ¾-ton, the 1990 Ford ¾-ton, and the cargo bed from the 2011 GMC Sierra on the Purple Wave auction site.  Council member Bob Redger seconded the motion.  The motion carried 4-0.

Sanitation: Repairs/Maintenance

Council member Bob Redger moved to ratify the invoice from Staab Repair in the amount of $1,496.94 for repairs to the 1999 Ford F350.  Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded the motion.  The motion carried 4-0.

Campground: Special Project

Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman presented two bids for storm sewer supplies for the Campground Expansion Project.  Council member Bret Andries moved to approve the low bid from Municipal Supply in the amount of $4,240.73, for storm sewer materials.  Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded the motion.  The motion carried 4-0.

REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS

Public Works

Mr. Scheuerman announced the City was the successful bidder for one of the pickups being sold by sealed bid from Golden Belt Telephone Company.  The City purchased a 2011 GMC Sierra ¾-ton pickup with the high bid of $16,914.00.

Council member Bob Redger inquired if the Department could possibly repair the curb at 10^th Street and Monroe by Golden Belt Coop.

Police

Police Chief Taft Yates presented the Department’s Monthly Activity Report for April and the May Staff Calendar

City Clerk

City Clerk Amy Burton presented the monthly financial statements for January, February, and March 2019 and the draft minutes from the recent Planning Commission/Board of Zoning Appeals and Campground Committee meetings.

Individuals interested in running for Mayor, City Council, and City Treasurer must file with the County Clerk by noon on June 3^rd.

The City received payment from the City of Brownell for two of the City’s old storms sirens.  It was the consensus of Council to deposit the proceeds of the sale back into the Capital Improvement Fund.

Mr. Scheuerman and Ms. Burton met with David Barber, USDA Loan Specialist, regarding left over funds from the USDA Waterline Project in 2016.  The funds may either be applied to the existing loan, or expended on additional improvements to the USDA project.  It was the consensus of the Council to explore additional improvements to the waterline infrastructure.

Attorney

City Attorney Olavee Raub reported that Senate Bill 105 allowing cities to select an earlier date to swear in newly elected officials is not in effect until July 1^st; therefore, a draft resolution will be presented in June for consideration.

Ms. Raub will be absent at the June 3^rd Council meeting.  City Prosecutor Cassy Zeigler will attend the Council meeting in her absence.

Mayor Update and Announcements

Council member Jolene Niernberger provided a summary of legislative updates from the League of Kansas Municipalities Leadership Summit.  Ms. Niernberger stressed the importance of residents completing the 2020 Census Survey, as federal grant dollars received by the City could be negatively impacted by an inaccurate census.

ADJOURNMENT

Council member Bob Redger moved and Council member Martin LaBarge seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting.  The motion carried 4-0.  The meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m.

FHSU University Relations

Twelve science and math students at Fort Hays State University have been awarded the National Science Foundation’s Noyce Scholarship for the upcoming school year.

This scholarship is designed to help support high-achieving math and science students who want to become secondary or middle level teachers after graduation.

The scholarship is a “cost-of-attendance” scholarship worth over $13,000 per year and a stipend to attend state or regional conferences.

Students also enroll in a seminar class to discuss teaching in rural schools, attend a week-long field experience trip at a school in southwest Kansas, and are all members of the STEM-Ed Club here at FHSU.
FHSU is awarding six new students this scholarship, as well as six second-year students. Overall, FHSU will have awarded Noyce Scholarships to 38 students over the past seven years.

“Our program so far has been very successful at identifying and nurturing promising young teachers to not only begin in the STEM teaching field, but also to stick with it through those first few tough years,” said Dr. Bill Weber, assistant professor of mathematics.

The following students are listed in alphabetical order and are receiving the Noyce Scholarship for the first time:

Seth Boxberger, Russell sophomore majoring in mathematics and secondary education.

Kole Clarke, Lyons junior majoring in biology and secondary education.

Nicholas Schmidt, Hays senior majoring in mathematics and secondary education.

Ethan Shippy, Hays junior majoring in biology and secondary education.

Cayla Steinert, Olmitz junior majoring in biology and secondary education.

Judson Tillotson, Fort Scott sophomore majoring in mathematics and secondary education.

The following students are listed in alphabetical order and are receiving the Noyce Scholarship for the second time:

Alexis Meinert, Garden City senior majoring in mathematics and secondary education.

Diana Sabados, Brighton, Colo., senior majoring in mathematics and secondary education.

Chantal Solorzano, Dodge City junior majoring in biology and secondary education.

Joshua Stark, Hays junior majoring in chemistry and secondary education.

Kathryn Westerhaus, Junction City senior majoring in biology and secondary education.

Lauren Zerr, Russell Springs senior majoring in mathematics and secondary education.

A reception will be held at 4 on Thursday, May 9, in the Memorial Union’s Trails Room to celebrate these scholars.

FHSU University Relations

For the third year in a row, more than 4,000 graduates will cross the stage during Fort Hays State University ‘s spring commencement ceremonies. To accommodate this large volume of graduates and their families, the university will continue holding two ceremonies.

The practice of two ceremonies will continue, but instead of being split between an evening and a morning ceremony, both events – Friday, May 17, and Saturday, May 18 – will begin at 9 a.m. in Gross Memorial Coliseum.

Graduates from two colleges, the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, will march on Friday.

Saturday’s ceremony is for graduates from three colleges: the College of Education; the Peter Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics; and the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

The schedule leading up the start time is the same both days: Doors to the coliseum and Cunningham Hall will open at 7 a.m.; graduates can pick up name cards, caps, gowns and tassels from 7 a.m. until 8:45 a.m.; line up begins at 8:15 a.m.

This year’s Commencement exercises encompass 4,078 graduates from the summer and fall 2018 and from spring 2019. The totals are 93 associate degrees; 3,115 bachelor’s degrees; 868 master’s and Education Specialist degrees; and two Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees.

Graduates and faculty will be seated on the main floor of Gross Coliseum.

Seating arrangements for the disabled are available on the main floor on either side in front of the stage. Drivers will find Gates 2 and 3, at the northwest and southwest corners, most convenient for dropping off passengers with disabilities. There are no reservations for this area. One person, if necessary, will be allowed to accompany an individual in this seating area.

An interpreter for people who are hearing impaired will be near Section C.

Both ceremonies are free and open to families of graduates and to all friends of the university. No tickets are required. All seats in Gross Memorial Coliseum are first-come, first-served and are normally filled one hour before the start of the ceremony.

Traffic in the Gross Coliseum area is extremely heavy for Commencement. Parking lots adjacent to Gross Coliseum typically fill up quickly, but ample parking is available on the main campus. In the event of rain, unpaved lots near Gross Coliseum will be closed, making it necessary to park on the main campus.

For the a full Commencement schedule, go to:
https://www.fhsu.edu/commencement/schedule/index
For a schedule of events leading up to Commencement, go to:
https://www.fhsu.edu/commencement/Activities/index

Shuttle bus service will be provided both Friday and Saturday between the campus and Gross Coliseum. The shuttle buses will stop in parking lots and wherever drivers see people walking to or from Gross Coliseum.

Persons other than degree candidates attending Commencement are asked to enter through the four coliseum gates and not through Cunningham Hall.

Commencement will also be broadcast live at https://fhsu.edu/commencement/watch-live.

Maps, directions, and general information, including links to accommodations in Hays, are available from www.fhsu.edu/commencement/. The direct link to a rehearsal video is www.fhsu.edu/commencement/rehearsal/.

HFD

The Hays Fire Department will be inspecting and flow testing fire hydrants on Thu., May 9, 2019 in the area of Vine St. to Ash St. between 27th St. and Pine St., the area of Hall St. to Pine St. between 18th St. and 7th St., and the area of Hall St. to Fort St. between 27th St. and 15th St.

This is part of a coordinated effort by the city of Hays to inspect all fire hydrants in the city and flush all water mains annually.

Grazing system that has benefitted steers can boost cow-calf operations too 

Researchers at the Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center in Hays have found that a grazing system shown to be beneficial for the performance of steers also has great potential for cow-calf producers.

For several years, beef producers have capitalized on modified intensive early stocking, a grazing strategy that focuses on double-stocking steers in pastures for the first half of the summer and pulling the heavier steers off the grass later in the grazing season.

John Jaeger, a beef cattle scientist in Hays, said much of the research points to the fact that when steers were managed this way, producers reported a 26 percent increase in pounds of beef produced per acre, and their net returns increased by nearly 19 percent.

So Jaeger, range scientist Keith Harmoney and their research team set out to see if modified, intensive early stocking could similarly benefit cow-calf pairs.

“We’ve just completed our fourth year of data collection,” said Jaeger, noting that the project focused on weaning calves from the cow at an average of 150 days of age (the traditional time is 200 days), and increasing the early-summer stocking rate of cow-calf pairs to 1.45, compared to the normal 1.00 rate.

The results were astounding.

“The first and most obvious thing is that we continue to see those early-weaned cows being about a half body-condition score better in October compared to conventionally weaned cows,” Jaeger said.

And, he adds, “the really good news from all this is that they are carrying that added body condition through the winter and they still have an advantage at calving. The following May, when they are being turned back out, they are still three-tenths of a body-condition score better than the cows that were conventionally weaned in October.”

The bottom line, he notes, is that the research is showing an economic advantage for cow-calf producers who are willing to adjust their stocking rates early in the summer, much like what has been shown for many years with steers.

Jaeger notes that early-weaned calves in the modified early intensive stocking system “had about a 10 pound, 205-day adjusted weight advantage compared to the season-long stocked calves. And we are getting 1.45 times more calves off the same amount of pasture compared to season-long stocked animals.”

The researchers also noted a benefit in pregnancy rates; cows in this system had a 10 percent greater first service conception rate and a 5 percent greater rate of conception compared to conventionally weaned cows.

“Perhaps one of the largest benefits of utilizing this system is that there was almost no incidence of bovine respiratory disease in calves weaned in late July and early August, compared to calves weaned at the more traditional time in October,” Jaeger said.

He added that the researchers believe that warm, dry days and more consistent temperatures in late July and early August play a significant role in helping avoid the higher rates of bovine respiratory disease normally observed during fall weaning.

The results are “something that can be beneficial if a producer is retaining ownership on those calves,” Jaeger said. “Early-weaned calves that get a higher energy diet early in life tend to grade better, so if the cow-calf producer is retaining ownership, they should see those benefits in their grid payouts.

“In addition, by weaning late July or early August, if a producer is not retaining ownership, they have the potential of selling those calves before we see the traditional dip in the market when the majority of calves are being weaned.”

Many factors are involved, including weather and the availability of forage, but Jaeger said the research points to an economic opportunity for beef producers.

He encouraged cow-calf producers to contact their local extension agent to learn more on how to incorporate this into their operation, or the benefits of adjusting their stocking rates for cow-calf pairs.

USPS

Every second Saturday in May, letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers, who participate in the NALC Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive — the largest one-day food drive in the nation.

This year the drive will be Saturday, May 11.

Led by letter carriers represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO), with help from rural letter carriers, other postal employees and other volunteers, the drive has delivered more than one billion pounds of food the past 25 years.

Carriers collect non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes and in post offices and deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters. Nearly 1,500 NALC branches in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands are involved.

The United States Postal Service, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, AFL-CIO, United Way, Valassis and Valpak Direct Marketing Systems are all supporting this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive.

To donate, just place a box or can of non-perishable food next to your mailbox before your letter carrier delivers mail. The carrier will do the rest. The food is sorted, and delivered to an area food bank or pantry, where it is available for needy families.

With 42 million people facing hunger every day in America, including 13 million children, this drive is one way you can help those in your own city or town who need help.

FHSU University Relations

Fort Hays State University’s Dr. Pauline Scott, professor of English, and graduate students Stacie Rupp, Vanessa Schumacher and Karel Webster presented their research at the College English Association 2019 national conference in New Orleans.

Scott’s paper, “ ‘Stars, hide your fires’: Hallucinations and Hidden Things in the Shakespeare/Nesbo Macbeths,” compares Shakespeare’s classic play with a modern work of noir fiction by Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbo.

The 16th/17th-century playwright, she says, produced work intended to honor a new king and at the same time warn him about the “corruptive potential of great power.” Nesbo’s work, though a “depiction of the hidden machinations of power within a polluted, economically bleak urban landscape,” yet makes Shakespeare’s work “more relevant than ever.”

Rupp’s presentation, “Operating in the Dark: Blinding Consequences in Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein,’ ” is a study of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” She finds in the novel another story of the corruption of power.

Victor Frankenstein, having found a way to create life, is blind to the monstrous nature of his creature and thus “is rendered powerless.” The monster, however, realizing its own power, “begins taking life rather than conceiving it.”

Schumacher’s “Operating in the Dark: Literal and Figurative Blind Spots in Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ ” focuses on themes of blindness, especially the physical blindness in the case of Gloucester and a failure of perception in Lear. Each, operating out of his own infirmity, makes tragic errors of trust and are led to doom.

Webster’s study of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel “The Great Gatsby,” “‘Start Him? I Made Him!’: Blindness of the Mentoring Tradition in The Great Gatsby,” analyzes the dynamics of mentoring as depicted in the feelings of love, family and sexuality in the relationship between Jay Gatsby and his mentors and then between Gatsby and his guidance for the novel’s narrator, Nick Carraway.

EMPORIA — Hats off to the nearly 1,100 candidates for graduation at Emporia State University.

They will be honored in three separate commencement ceremonies on May 10 and 11 in White Auditorium, 111 E. Sixth Ave., in Emporia:

All students earning graduate degrees will be honored at 6 p.m. Friday, May 10.

Students earning bachelor’s degrees from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will be honored at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 11.

Students earning bachelor’s degrees from the School of Business and The Teachers College conferring degrees at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 11.

Students from the Hays area, their honors and degrees, include:

Dustin Allen Bittel of Ellis, Magna Cum Laude Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with a minor in Journalism

Margaret Rose Burke of Hays, Master of Library Science with a concentration in Archives Studies

Layne Merle Downing of Hays, B.S. in Business in Management with a minor in Information Systems

Vera Haynes Elwood of Hays, Master of Library Science

Carly Jean McCracken of Hays, Master of Library Science

Alex R. Muirhead of Hays, Master of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Rachel Ann Muirhead of Hays, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre

Sara Renee Schoenthaler of Hays, Master of Library Science

Students who are finishing their degrees in May and August are eligible to walk during spring exercises. There are nearly 600 undergraduates and more than 500 graduate students who are candidates for degrees.

Allen Schmidt of the Kansas Board of Regents will give remarks at all three ceremonies.

Thursday Rain likely, mainly between 10am and 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 51. Breezy, with a north wind 16 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday Night  Mostly cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 34. North northwest wind 11 to 16 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph in the evening.

Friday Partly sunny, with a high near 60. Northwest wind around 7 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.

Friday NightA 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. South wind 5 to 7 mph.

SaturdayMostly cloudy, with a high near 65.