ELLIS — The Ellis High School Alumni Association is creating a cookbook. The group is collecting recipes from anyone who has connection to the Ellis schools (St. Mary’s, Washington Grade School and Ellis High School).

“Whether you were/are a staff member, parent or student, we’d love to have your favorite family recipes!” the group said in a news release. “There is a limit of four recipes per person! Have a favorite school lunch memory you’d wish to share, let us know!”

Email recipes/memories (using the submission form below) to [email protected] or mail to EHS Cookbook, PO Box 212, Ellis, KS 67637.

Direct questions to Syliva at 785-656-1955 or Rita at 785-650-4225. Recipes must be submitted by May 31 in order to make the book, which is expected to be ready for purchase in fall 2019.

Friday Sunny, with a high near 68. North northwest wind 8 to 10 mph.

Friday Night Clear, with a low around 43. North wind around 6 mph becoming south after midnight.

Saturday Sunny, with a high near 83. South wind 7 to 14 mph.

Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 52. South southeast wind 9 to 13 mph.

SundayA slight chance of showers between 1pm and 4pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday NightA 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49.

MondayA 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63.

RUSSELL COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an incident that wounded a police officer in Russell.

Just after 8p.m. Thursday, police responded to the Days Inn, 1225 South Fossil Street after report of a suicidal subject, according to a media release.

Shots were fire during the welfare check and the officer was injured. Police took the suspect into custody.

The wounded officer, a 17-year-veteran of the department was transported to the hospital in Russell and later to the hospital in Hays for treatment. Authorities have not released the officer’s name or the name of the suspect.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the investigation.

UPDATE: 5:00 p.m. Thursday
James D. Pfaff, has been located and is in the custody of the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department, according to Undersheriff Scott Braun.

——-

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

Area law enforcement officials are on the lookout for a suspect who fled a traffic stop early Wednesday morning in Ellis County and are asking the public’s helping in locating the suspect.

According to Ellis County Undersheriff Scott Braun, at approximately 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, an Ellis County Sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop at mile marker 172 on Interstate 70 on a car driven by 56-year-old James D. Pfaff.

Braun said the deputy because suspicious of the possibility of illegal drugs in the vehicle and detained Pfaff in order to search the vehicle. While waiting for a K-9 unit to arrive on scene, Pfaff was able to flee the scene in his vehicle, according to Braun.

Pfaff proceeded east on I-70 into Russell County at speeds in excess of 100 mph, Braun said, leading enforcement officials on a chase south of Gorham toward the south county line. There, he drove into a field and was able to escape from law enforcement.

Pfaff’s car was found unoccupied a short time later.

Law enforcement officials from the Barton, Ellis, Rush and Russell County sheriff’s departments, the Kansas Highway Patrol, and Hays Police Department all assisted in the pursuit.

Braun said Pfaff is not considered a danger to the community, but they are asking for the public’s helping in locating him. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact law enforcement.

HPD

Beginning Fri., April 19 through Sat., April 20, the Hays Police Department (HPD) will join other law enforcement agencies in Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma to stop what has been an increasing epidemic for the past several years.

In an effort to change this trend, law enforcement across the six-state area will be extra-vigilant when patrolling around city, state and federal highways. Deaths and injuries continue to increase from both alcohol and drug impaired drivers. Regardless of whether a drug is legal or illegal, it’s a serious crime to drive while impaired by any drug. We can no longer share our roadways with these drug impaired drivers. Impaired driving is not a victimless crime.

Additional officers will be out patrolling, looking for impaired drivers in Hays. Officers will issue citations to any individual who refuses to obey the traffic laws, whether it is for driving while impaired, for speeding, texting, or failing to buckle up. If a suspected violator refuses to submit to a blood test, a search warrant may be obtained for that individual’s blood.

We are using 4/20 as a date to draw attention to the drugged driving epidemic, simply because it’s the day where people on 4/20 at 4:20 PM light up their drugs as a celebration. JAMA (Journal of American Medicine Association) has found a 12% increase in the relative risk of a fatal crash compared to identical time intervals on control days.

Even one death is unacceptable. Please don’t drive while impaired, slow down, put the phone away or turn it off, and always buckle up.

Help keep our streets safe.

CHEYENNE COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just after 8a.m. Thursday in Cheyenne County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Peterbilt semi driven by Kelly D. Johansen, 60, Hiawatha, was northbound on Kansas 161 four miles north of Bird City.

The semi left the roadway to the right. The driver overcorrected and the semi fell on its side and tipped over the east edge of the roadway.

Johansen was transported to the hospital in St. Francis and later air-lifted to a hospital in Denver. He was not wearing a seat belt, according the KHP.

HaysMed

HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System, is pleased to welcome Spencer Anderson, MPAS, PA-C to the Orthopedic Clinic.

Anderson completed his masters of physician assistant studies at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

“It’s always a good feeling to be able to recruit qualified staff to our orthopedic clinic,”  said Bryce Young, chief operating officer, at HaysMed.  “We serve patients from all over western Kansas and Anderson will be a great addition to our team of professionals.”

Anderson will be working with Dr. Oluwaseun Akinbo, orthopedic surgeon.                            

To make an appointment, call 785-261-7599 or go to www.haysmed.com/orthopedic-institute/.

Hays Post

The Herington USD 487 school board is set to interview outgoing USD 489 superintendent John Thissen tonight for the superintendent job, according to the district’s website.

Thissen resigned from the USD 489 job earlier this year citing personal reasons.

Thissen is in his third year as superintendent at USD 489, but his previous position was at Herington where he served as superintendent for nine years.

He is the final of four candidates for the position to be interviewed for the position.

In a twist, the superintendent position in Herington is being vacated by Ron Wilson who has been hired as the superintendent of Hays USD 489. Wilson will take over in Hays July 1.

 

 

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

An engineering design supplement for the North Vine Corridor roundabout project will be considered by Hays city commissioners tonight.

The agreement would give the engineering firm WSP more authority related to right-of-way property acquisitions needed as part of the project.

When the initial engineering contract was awarded, the scope of the project had not yet been formally defined.

“Without having the design started, we weren’t exactly sure which portions of property we would need to require right-of-way on,” said Jacob Wood, asst. city manager.

“We felt like it was better to have this happen after the fact, once we had a little bit of the design done and we know where the roundabouts are going to go, where the streets and sidewalks are going to go.”

There are approximately 34 land parcels involved in existing rights-of-way and easements for the Vine Street traffic roundabouts at 32nd/33rd, 37th, and 41st Streets.

“It’s kind of everything around the edges of each roundabout that’s not included in the current right-of-way,” Wood explained. “Some of the property will be a few feet; some are a little larger than that. This supplement will determine what those areas are and get the actual legal description.”

Cost of design supplement #1 with WSP is $49,904.65 to be paid with the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) contingency fund.

Also on the work session agenda are discussions requested by city commissioners about parks improvement policy and mayor-appointed boards and committees.

The first draft parks improvement policy provides an outline for determining priorities of park amenities as well as how matching funds from outside entities are considered.

Mayor Schwaller asked for a discussion of the various volunteer boards and committees throughout the city.

There are currently 13 Mayor-appointed boards and committees:

According to historical information collected by staff, there are a few boards and committees that have either outlived their initial purpose or provide very little continual value.

Therefore, city staff has recommended the following five groups be disbanded:

• Airport Advisory Committee
• Building Trades Board
• Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course Advisory Board
• Hays Beautification Committee
• Sister Cities Advisory Board

A memo to city commissioners explains how the recommendations were made.   The committees have regular meetings, yet very little to discuss. Staff spends a significant amount of time in preparing for, scheduling, attending, and managing the meetings.

It’s recommended the five areas be handled with ad hoc groups and meetings, allowing for continued targeted and valuable input to the city.

An ordinance and resolution to authorize general obligation bonds for  the Heart of America Second Addition and the King’s Gate First Addition.  Improvement district projects for those areas are complete, the assessments have been levied, and the projects are ready for permanent financing. The maximum principal amount will be approximately $360,000.

The complete April 18 agenda is available here.

The work session starts at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main..

 

 

 

The Hays Fire Department will be inspecting and flow testing fire hydrants on April 19 in the area of Hwy 183 to Elm St. between Hwy 183 Bypass to 6^th St., Allen St. to Vine St. between 5^th St. and 13^th St. and Vine St. to Commerce Pkwy between 13^th St. and Hwy 40.  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.   

Inspecting fire hydrants ensures that the valves operate properly and that there is no damage or obstructions that will prevent or interfere with the prompt use of fire hydrants in an emergency.  Firefighters are also checking the pressure and volume of water mains in each neighborhood for firefighting purposes. The associated flushing of water mains allows chlorine to be distributed throughout the system to eliminate bio-filming in the water mains.

Slight discoloration of the water supply may be encountered although there will be no health risks to the consumer.  All reasonable efforts will be taken to minimize the inconvenience to the public.  Drivers are asked to avoid driving through water discharging from a fire hydrant during the short flushing period.

For more information, please contact the Hays Fire Department at 628-7330.