After one year as the head coach of the Hays High girls basketball program, Alex Hutchins has been chosen to take over the boys program at Hays High.
Hutchins, a Scott City native, led the Lady Indians to a 14-8 record this past season. He previously coached the boys at Minneapolis and Elizabeth, Colo., and served as an assistant boys coach in Scott City.
He replaces coach Rick Keltner, who stepped down as the boys coach earlier this year after 34 seasons as head coach of the Indians.
HFD
The Hays Fire Department will be inspecting and flow testing fire hydrants on Wed., April 17, 2019 in the area of Thunderbird to Vine St. between 41st St. and 27th St. also at Enersys. 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.
KSDE
TOPEKA — Forty-one schools representing 19 districts across Kansas will take part in Apollo, the fourth phase of the Kansans Can School Redesign Project, the Kansas State Department of Education announced Tuesday.
The names of the schools and districts were shared during the Kansas State Board of Education meeting. Tuesday’s announcement brings the total number of schools taking part in the redesign process to about 150, representing 66 school districts.
Goodland USD 352 and Oberlin USD 294 are the two northwest Kansas districts taking part in the effort.
The Kansans Can School Redesign Project was announced in 2017 in support of Kansas’ vision for education – Kansas leads the world in the success of each student. The vision was created in 2015 based on feedback from 20 community meetings and seven business conversations that took place across the state.
During those conversations, Kansans said that schools need to place an equal amount of focus on helping students develop nonacademic skills, such as social-emotional growth, as they do on developing academic skills. This vision calls for a more student- focused system that provides support and resources for individual success.
In order for the state to achieve this vision, Kansans have to think differently about how students are educated. The current educational system has worked well for some students, but not for all students. By personalizing education, students engage in learning that is personalized to their individual preferences and at a pace that ensures they are achieving to their fullest potential.
More engagement means fewer student absences, fewer behavior referrals and an increase in student achievement. When a student’s learning is designed around what he or she is passionate about, the likelihood of that student graduating and moving toward a successful future increases.
School redesign is a process driven by four principles:
The first phase of the school redesign project was Mercury 7. All Kansas school districts were invited take part in the inaugural phase – only seven spots were available. To be considered for the project, districts had to designate one elementary school and one secondary school to be redesigned around five outcomes established by the Kansas State Board of Education, the five elements identified as defining a successful Kansas high school graduate, and what Kansans said they want their schools to look like in the future.
Each district also had to have support of their faculty, school board and the local Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) or other professional organization.
KSDE received 29 applications for the first phase. The seven districts were announced in August 2017. Each district represented one of the Mercury 7 astronauts.
KSDE gave the remaining Mercury 7 applicants an opportunity to take part in Gemini I. Twenty-one districts accepted the challenge.
Mercury 7 districts and a few Gemini I districts launched their redesign plans in the fall of the 2018-2019 school year. The remaining Gemini I participants will launch no later than the spring of 2020.
In February 2018, KSDE announced the third phase – Gemini II: The Space Walk Begins. Nineteen school districts were announced as participants for Gemini II.
For the Apollo phase, KSDE invited districts to designate one or more elementary and/or secondary school to be designed around the five outcomes established by the Kansas State Board of Education, the five elements identified as defining a successful Kansas high school graduate, and what Kansans said they want their schools to look like in the future. Like the phases before, each district applying to become an Apollo district also had to have support of their faculty, school board and the local Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) or other professional organization.
The Apollo districts must be able to launch a new school design in the 2020-2021 school year.
All schools selected for the redesign process will serve as demonstration sites for other Kansas districts.
Districts and the schools taking part in the Apollo phase of school redesign process are:
It is the goal of the State Board of Education and KSDE, to have all 286 Kansas school districts started in the redesign process by 2026.
For more information about the Apollo project or the Kansans Can School Redesign Project, visit https://www.ksde.org/Agency/Fiscal-and-Administrative-Services/Communications-and-Recognition-Programs/Vision-Kansans-Can/School-Redesign/Application.
Avoid fast food. Most fast food is over-packaged in containers that will take forever to break down.
Buy recycled products whenever possible. Good things come in less packaging.
Change a light bulb. Consider replacing standard bulbs with compact fluorescent ones and you will get more light for less money.
Don’t buy aerosols. They cannot be recycled so they fill up the landfill.
Eating food from your garden is better for your health and the environment.
Find out how to dispose of hazardous waste. The Barton County landfill offers this service on the third Saturday of each month. Items like paint cans, unused pesticides and used motor oil are some common waste materials.
Get your water from the tap. While it may be necessary to filter contaminants from your water supply, drinking filtered water will keep plastic bottles out of the landfill. (And FYI: plastic beverage bottles take 450 years to decompose.)
Have a green picnic. Avoid using paper or plastic plates or utensils. Use separate trash bags to collect paper, glass and aluminum.
Identify energy wasters. (Examples: turning off lights, fix dripping faucets, etc)
Join an environmental group. Get involved in your community and encourage others to do their part.
Keep the car at home. Whenever possible walk or ride a bike to complete errands. An added benefit to this tip is that you will be exercising regularly.
Look at labels. Is it hazardous? Also check to see if the packaging is recyclable.
Make scratch pads from paper you have written on one side.
Say No to paper and plastic bags at the supermarket. Bring your own bags along.
Observe the 3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
Plant a tree. Trees add beauty to the landscape & shade provided can save energy.
Quit throwing away batteries. Use rechargeable batteries whenever possible.
Recycle everything. Set up storage bins at home to collect newspapers, glass, aluminum, plastics and cardboard. Recycle food waste by starting a compost site.
Stop a leak. Organize a stop a leak day where family members tighten, insulate, replace, caulk or do whatever else they can to make their house tight.
Turn off the lights. Add stickers to lights reminding family members.
Use recycled paper and other recycled products whenever possible.
Visit the recycling center in your community. Ask for a list of items they accept.
Write a letter. If a company is doing something you do not like let them know. It is also good to let a company that is working hard to be earth friendly that you appreciate their efforts.
Examine the world around you. Try to make everything you do “Earth friendly.”
Yell at a litterer. Well, maybe don’t yell, but you should say something. Remind the person how unsightly scattered trash is and how bad it is for the environment.
Zero in on specifics. There are so many issues related to environmental problems and solutions. Choose one or two to really get serious about. Do not try to do everything at once.
I hope your awareness has been raised so that every day is Earth Day in your household.
Donna Krug is the District Director for the Cottonwood Extension District. You may reach her at: [email protected] or (620)793-1910.
By JACKIE MUNDT
Pratt County farmer and rancher
In the months and years leading up to the most recent presidential election, you may have heard me say, “There is no question we will have a female president someday, I just hope it’s not her.”
Hilary Clinton didn’t get votes like mine; not because of her gender, because of who I observed her to be.
There is a subtle feeling of hypocrisy that creeps into the ongoing conversation about gender on the national level. Singling a woman out as the first to do something or talking about how great it is to see a woman in a specific position feels like a fail for feminism in my mind.
Yes, women can do anything they set their minds to, but so can men. Equality is the basic tenant of feminism. Yet gender remains front and center in the national debate.
Professionally, I don’t feel disadvantaged because of my gender. In a boardroom, people respect me because I work hard to be engaged, understand the issues and share my opinions. The few people who have shown signs of sexist behavior in my presence quickly learned I don’t tolerate it, and they no longer have the privilege of working with me. That may sound arrogant, but I understand my value and know how others should treat me.
Conversely, it is naïve to think gender never matters. It absolutely does. There are women pioneers who have fought for my current comfort. Women still often have a completely different set of expectations and challenges to face — from the pressures of conforming to stereotypes, to the considerations required to maintain personal safety.
Amid this complex and often uncomfortable conversation surrounding gender, I wonder about my generation’s role. We won’t be like the pioneers of previous generations sacrificing and fighting for the far-off dreams of equality. Our firsts and successes are in some ways only a matter of time.
Recently, I attended an event aimed at helping women in agriculture grow. Surprisingly, there were more adults in attendance than students. These women worked as university professors, highly skilled industry professionals, and farmers and ranchers. Each are excellent role models and wanted to share because they are proud of what they have achieved.
Students at the event were genuinely interested in developing their skills. They were excited to have access to great role models, but I wonder if our efforts where actually counterproductive. We were, in some cases, the ones saying they need to fight to have a chair in the boardroom or they will be treated differently. They already expect a seat at the table.
It’s time to stop acting surprised when a woman does something outstanding. Anyone can find a reason to be an outsider in the group: the only woman, the youngest person, the most rural or any number of other qualifiers. None of that matters if the person brings value to the conversation.
We should be teaching young women and men the same things. If you are a person who brings value by your words and actions, you will earn respect. Focus all your energy on being your best. It will make you stand out, but in the most desirable way.
“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
ANDOVER − Life Care Center of Andover, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility, is welcoming a new executive director, Daniel Laffery.
Laffery earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Fort Hays State University and completed his Nursing Home Administrator license in curriculum a Via Christi Villages in Manhattan, Kan. He originally entered the medical field as a medic in the Army National Guard. Long-term care became a passion of his, and he has been in the industry for 20 years.
“I personally enjoy working with the seniors of this nation as they have played a vital role in making it what it is today,” said Laffery. “I have respect for them and believe they deserve to be cared for properly and treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Originally from Clay Center, Kansas, Laffery and his wife of more than 20 years relocated to Mulvane, Kan., with their two children. Before coming to Life Care Center of Andover, Laffery served as a long-term care consultant and an executive director for a veterans home and assisted living.
“I had actually been looking for a few months before joining,” said Laffery. “After interviewing with Matt, the regional vice president, and observing the Life Care facility in Andover, I realized this could be a great place to serve the seniors of this area.”
Life Care Center of Andover is one of eight skilled nursing and rehab facilities in Kansas managed by Life Care Centers of America.
Founded in 1976, Life Care is a nationwide health care company. With headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, Life Care manages more than 200 nursing, post-acute and Alzheimer’s centers in 28 states. For more information about Life Care, visit lcca.com.
— Republished with permission
Wednesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Breezy, with a light and variable wind becoming north 15 to 20 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Breezy, with a north wind 17 to 20 mph.
ThursdayMostly sunny, with a high near 64. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 14 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.
Thursday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 39. North northwest wind 8 to 17 mph.
FridaySunny, with a high near 71.
Friday NightClear, with a low around 47.
SaturdaySunny, with a high near 82.
After one year as the head coach of the Hays High girls basketball program, Alex Hutchins has been chosen to take over the boys program at Hays High.
Hutchins, a Scott City native, led the Lady Indians to a 14-8 record this past season. He previously coached the boys at Minneapolis and Elizabeth, Colo., and served as an assistant boys coach in Scott City.
He replaces coach Rick Keltner, who stepped down as the boys coach earlier this year after 34 seasons as head coach of the Indians.
By HANNAH BRANDT
KSNT
A Kansas woman got viral attention for donating 204 pairs of shoes to Nebraska flood victims after buying all the remaining shoes at a Payless store that was closing.
On Wednesday, Addy Tritt will be featured on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” A show spokeswoman said that while Tritt generously gives back to her community, she is actually in debt herself with student loan and even relies on family support to buy groceries.
Tritt, a Fort Hays State graduate, said she wanted to help others because so many people have helped her in the past. When the price at a Hays store dropped to $1 per pair, Tritt negotiated with the business to buy the remaining shoes for $100.
They included 162 pairs of baby shoes, two pairs of men’s shoes, and the rest were women’s shoes.The retail price of the shoes would have been more than $6,000.
— Republished with permission
Tritt’s story, which was originally published by Hays Post, went viral, being distributed by news outlets globally.
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is scheduled to air at 4 p.m. Wednesday on Eagle Cable on CBS Chs. 10 and 610.
By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
A request by the owner of a lot on the southeast corner of 22nd and Wheatland in Hays was approved last week by the city commission for rezoning of the south 60 feet of Lot 2 from Neighborhood Conservation District (NC.3) to Commercial General District (C-2).
The same rezoning was approved by the city commission in January for Lot 1 to the north plus the north 20 feet of Lot 2.
Lots to the west, across Wheatland, are already zoned C-2, while 22nd is a major collector street. The area is identified as Medium Density Residential in the city’s current Comprehensive Plan.
According to Jesse Rohr, public works director, a bufferyard between C-2 and NC.3 zoning districts is required.
“The developer will have some options,” Rohr told city commissioners, “whether they incorporate a certain amount of fencing or landscaping. … It is a minimum of six foot.”
According to Rohr, the developer plans installation of a privacy fence at least six foot high plus some landscaping and screen shrubbery.
There are several other areas in Hays – along Vine, 27th and 13th Streets – where the same zoning situation exists with commercial districts directly abutting residential districts.
Both rezoning requests by property owner Darrell Dreher were first approved by the Hays Area Planning Commission.
Mayor Henry Schwaller said it would have been best if both lot requests were brought forward at the same time, noting the city cannot require that.
“We heard from the neighbors the first time around. This couldn’t have helped. I appreciate you contacting the neighbors again,” Schwaller told Rohr.
Some property owners near the rezoned lots have expressed concern about the wide range of business types permitted in the C-2 zone.
C-2 zoning allows 28 types of businesses or uses:
In other business, the city commission:
Sean Musil was absent from the April 11 meeting.
Mark Hancock, MD, hematologist/oncologist, has joined medical staff of HaysMed at the Dreiling/Schmidt Cancer Institute at HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System. Hancock has been seeing patients on a part-time basis and has moved to full time status.
Hancock completed medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He completed a residency at Parkland Health and Hospital Southwestern Medical School and a fellowship at Simmons Comprehensive Cancer, Southwestern Medical School. He is board certified in Medical Oncology.
Hancock joins the cancer team of Anthony Accurso, MD, hematologist/oncologist; Lyle M. Harrison, MD, radiation oncologist; Babu Prasad, MD, radiation oncologist; Lyle M. Harrison, MD, radiation oncologist; and Robert Rodriguez, MD, hematologist/oncologist.
Hancock is accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment please call 785-623-5774 or go to https://www.haysmed.com/dreiling-schmidt-cancer-institute/
— HaysMed
Whether you know someone who has been abused, you just want to show your support for survivors, or you are an abuse survivor yourself, you are invited to a community event!
The Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center is hosting a Community Candlelight Vigil on April 18th at 8:00 p.m. The vigil will be held at the Hays East Frontier Park on Old Highway 40.
Glow sticks will be provided.
Come share a story or just be a supportive ear!
For more information contact:
Tabitha Wolf
Forensic Interviewer / Child & Family Advocate
Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center
Cell: 620-214-0706
– SUBMITTED –
CENTRAL CITY, Neb. — When catastrophic flooding hit central Nebraska this spring, Eagle Communications employee-owners went into action — both in the field during recovery efforts and over the airwaves collecting money for the American Red Cross.
Eagle operates broadband, television and telephone systems in 29 Nebraska communities, as well as radio stations and broadband services in Kansas, Missouri and Colorado.
As part of the fundraising effort, Eagle’s Kansas radio stations kicked off Eagle Cares, a cash drive that will result in $16,515.12 being donated to the American Red Cross to aid recovery efforts in the Midwest. The donation also includes a generous contribution from the Robert E. and Patricia Schmidt Foundation.
“Eagle Cares really started as soon as our broadband field teams in Nebraska set out to work to ensure our communities stayed connected in the midst of the flooding,” said Travis Kohlrus, vice president of broadband. “Those teams inspired our employee-owners, companywide, to come together to give back to our friends and neighbors in the communities we serve.”
As part of a check presentation at Eagle’s Central City location Tuesday, Rachelle Lipker, executive director for the American Red Cross Central and Western Nebraska area, expressed her gratitude.
“We are certainly proud of the work the Eagle staff has done to rally Kansas communities to help those affected by the recent flooding. Donations of time and money are vital in ensuring the Red Cross is able to mobilize quickly and help those during times of need,” she said.
Besides the cash donation, Eagle employee-owners put in countless hours working to restore critical broadband services in the flooded region. Crews quickly restored services to the community of Silver Creek, where a washed-out bridge cut the fiber-optic network.
“We worked as fast as we could, constantly assessing the safety of our teams, to ensure we could get our communities back up and running,” said Kelly Bandt, Eagle system maintenance technician. “We are thankful for your patience and hopeful our communities will recover quickly. We are proud to be Nebraska Strong.”
About Eagle Communications
Eagle Communications, Inc. is a Kansas-based Broadband Services and Media Company with more than 290 employee-owners. The company operates 28 radio stations in Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri as well as broadband, TV and phone services in 59 Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado communities. The company also offers business solutions, including technology as a service, broadband, telephone, TV and advertising in most service areas. For more information visit www.eaglecom.net.
Disclosure: Eagle Communications is the parent company of Hays Post.
