Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association will hold its monthly meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Robbins Center (Eagle Communication Hall), One Tiger Place.
Registration is from 11:15 to 11:30 a.m., with a short business meeting starting at 11:30 a.m. The program for the February meeting will be “From Workplace Violence to the New Normal” presented by Lamar Roth, Excel Industries.
The program will be submitted for SHRM continuing education credits. WKHRMA members can RSVP at wkhrma.shrm.org. The deadline to RSVP is noon on Feb. 8.
WKHRMA is an affiliate chapter of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), a local professional organization for persons engaged in personal or human resource management.
Alicia BoorCan you feed your pregnant cows so their steer calves gain more weight and more heifer calves get pregnant? Recent research suggests that proper supplementation pays off.
As winter forage quality declines and cow nutrient demands increase, wise operators feed protein supplements to assure healthy calves plus cows that will rebreed rapidly. But protein supplements are expensive, so we usually feed only what the cow needs to stay healthy.
New research, though, suggests that this strategy of minimizing input costs may overlook the impact supplements have on the future performance of the unborn calf.
Recent research has shown that properly supplementing the cow can increase profitability of the calf she’s carrying. In one study, steers born from cows that received protein supplement while grazing winter range produced an extra 60 pounds of carcass weight per animal compared to steers from non-supplemented cows.
In other studies, the pregnancy rate of heifers calved from cows that received protein supplements while grazing corn residue or winter range was higher than heifers from non-supplemented cows. And steers from these supplemented cows graded choice more often.
This outcome, where supplementing protein to the cow improves the performance of her calves later in life is called fetal programming. It is thought to occur partly because cow nutrition affects development of fetal organs and muscles, which is highest during the last third of gestation. Since most winter feeding and grazing programs use forages that are low in protein, adequate supplementing can pay big dividends.
As your cows approach calving time, don’t overfeed but also don’t scrimp on the protein. Feed what is needed, both for the cow and her calf. You’ll be money ahead.
Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at [email protected] or calling 620-793-1910
Today Rain likely before 2pm, then rain and snow between 2pm and 4pm, then snow after 4pm. High near 35. North northeast wind 5 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
The best chance for accumulating snow will generally be along and north of highway 50. pic.twitter.com/xaeew1iljH
CORRECTED: Wetter is the former, not current, manager of the theater. Hays Post apologizes for the error.
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By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
NORTON — The former manager of the Norton Theater Association and a former employee of Norton Community Schools was arrested Wednesday on a charge of indecent liberties.
The post indicated Jeremy Wetter’s bond had been set at $50,000, and had been posted.
According to Wetter’s personal Facebook page, he was a cook at Norton junior high/high school between 2010 and 2015. He worked as a substitute teacher and crossing guard during the same time. Norton Superintendent Phil Wilson confirmed Wetter was a former employee and last worked for the district in 2015.
According to Wetter’s page, he also taught instrumental music at Northern Valley Schools in Almena from 2004 to 2009.
The Norton County Attorney was contacted for this story, but was unavailable for comment.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for much of western Kansas.
The advisory is in effect from noon Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, the NWS said.
Forecasters are calling for snow ranging from 2 to 6 inches, with the highest amounts along and north of Highway 50.
North winds between 15 and 30 mph Friday night and Saturday morning could lead to light to moderate blowing and drifting, the NWS warned.
“Expect snow covered roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving,” the NWS said, noting there is a “high uncertainty” of the actual amount of snow on the way.
Grow Hays recently appointed four new board members to serve in 2019. The newly elected board members are Brian DeWitt, Cory Eberle, Gina Riedel and Dustin Schumacher.
“When selecting board members we attempt to choose individuals that have specific skills and experience in areas that are critical to Grow Hays in the coming year. This year’s selections reflect that objective,“ said Doug Williams, Grow Hays executive director.
Karen Dreiling will serve as Board Chair, Eddie Herrman as Vice-Chair and Ron Fields as Past Chair. Others rounding out the 13 member Board are Joannah Applequist, Lance Bickle, Joseph Boeckner, Mary Martin, Bob Muirhead and Deron O’Connor.
“Whether you are starting a new business, expanding an existing business, adding to your workforce, need to find financing, or just do not know where to start on a problem, Grow Hays is here to assist,” Williams added. “Give us a call to find out how we can assist you in your business success.”
To contact Grow Hays, call 785-628-3102 or go online to www.GrowHays.com.
Note: Ron Fields is the news and information director for Hays Post.
Hays city commissioners will decide Thursday whether to approve a resolution for improvement of East 41st Street from Home Depot east to Vineyard Park.
A 3/4-cent sales tax was enacted April 1, 2005, for the Home Depot Transportation Development District (TDD), which currently includes Home Depot, IHOP, Hampton Inn, Town Place Suites by Marriott, the former JT Travel Plaza and a yet-to-be developed area for 47,000 square feet of retail space.
The TDD tax outperformed projections allowing for the 2004 TDD bonds financing the Phase I improvements to be called early and completed in January 2018.
Special Counsel Kevin Wempe with Gilmore & Bell has determined the 3/4-cent TDD sales tax could continue until March 2027 to fund a portion of Phase II improvements.
Phase II includes grading, pavement, storm sewer and waterline along East 41st east of Home Depot to Vineyard Park.
According to Kim Rupp, city finance manager, the TDD has collected a total of $2,730,214 over the last 163 months, averaging $247,000 annually the past three years.
“Adding in an estimate for the newly developed property in the district, which includes a hotel and travel plaza, we project that TDD sales tax revenue to increase to $282,000 per year. Based on these provisions, we agree that the current annual TDD sales tax collections would support debt service,” Rupp wrote in a memo to the commission. The undeveloped property is not included in the estimate.
A low bid for the improvement project, $692,133.50 by Paul-Wertenberger Construction of Hays, will also be considered.
(Click to enlarge)
Other Jan. 10 agenda items include a request for annexation of 23.310 acres of property on the west side of the Highway 183 Bypass and West 33rd Street by owners Robert and Sondra Swift; a pool reimbursement request of $19,668.70 from the Hays Recreation Commission for one-half of the 2018 pool operating loss; and a report from Mehran Shahidi, Sister Cities Advisory Board member, about his recent trip to China.
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.
NORTON — The Norton County Hospital and police are warning of a potential telephone scam in the area affecting patients.
“The callers are identifying themselves as representatives of Norton County Hospital and asking for information such as name, date of birth and social security number prior to issuing a survey about the patient’s experience,.” the Norton Police Department reported in a social media post. “Please know that Norton County Hospital will not call and ask for personal details such as these over the phone. If you are suspicious of a call, please do not provide personal information and notify Norton County Hospital and local law enforcement.”
The NPD also reported that movie prop money also has been found the area.
“The money comes in all levels of denomination. These bills look extremely realistic and need to be closely inspected. All have printing which identify the money as prop or play money, but if produced for payment in a low light setting or to a cashier with a long wait line, the printing could be easily overlooked,” the department said. “Please keep an eye out for this and as always, feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.”
After a whirlwind transition, Gov.-elect Laura Kelly will be sworn in as the 48th governor of Kansas on Monday, and Kansans will have their first glimpse of how she grasps the key levers of governance.
H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University.
Having assisted former Gov. Mike Hayden in his transition of 1986-87, I experienced first-hand how high political expectations and rigid time constraints confront a new administration.
Governors rise and fall on the quality of appointments they make to top positions, and Kelly has set a high bar for herself. She has stated her administration will be “diverse, dynamic, and highly skilled. People who know what they’re doing. Highly-skilled people will be our No. 1 choice. We need really top-notch managers.”
Remember that former Gov. Sam Brownback started off his administration with a cast of partisans and ideologues, many with limited competence. A budget director associated with Americans for Prosperity could not keep his numbers straight. A securities commissioner purged nonpartisan staffers and used his office as a political campaign. A social welfare agency head vowed to transform social services with religious fervor and lasted less than a year.
The short transition will challenge Kelly to assemble an administrative team that is not only skilled but also rises to her ideal of a bipartisan path forward.
Kelly brings a wealth of experience to the budget process, having served on the Senate Ways and Means Committee for 14 legislative sessions, most of those as the ranking minority member. She has reviewed the budgets proposed by four governors, two Democrats and two Republicans, but has never had to put together her own budget from scratch.
The new governor will want to address her top priorities, education and Medicaid expansion, but also begin to repair other state services that have been allowed to deteriorate over the last eight years. In doing so, will she be able to keep spending in line with tax revenues, not only for year one, but also for years two, three, and four?
Be assured that Republicans will be gaming Kelly on taxes. Their siren call will likely begin with “return the windfall.” Of course, estimating any “windfall” resulting from national tax reform of 2017 is guesswork at best, and to whom any windfall should be returned is completely unknown. Kelly should not hesitate to remind these gamers of her newly acquired veto pen and of her top priority for tax reform—phasing out the sales tax on food.
Kelly may be less well acquainted with borrowing, the third leg of state finance, and will be besieged by debt wizards and highway lobbyists who see more debt as the answer to any budget squeeze. Self-described “conservative” Republicans compiled an appalling record on borrowing over the last eight years, repeatedly pushing current obligations onto future generations and issuing historic levels of tax-supported debt dramatically out of line with surrounding states. They swept the proceeds of long-term highway debt to pay for a disastrous tax experiment instead of highway improvements. The governor should proceed with caution here.
Every new governor is easily diverted by the many dozens of meritorious and conflicting claims for state action of one kind or another. Kelly’s disciplined campaign demonstrated her ability to keep a focus on key issues, while attracting a broad political coalition. Maintaining that discipline will constantly test her governorship.
Kansans see their governor as the face of state government and should expect Kelly to chart new direction for the state. She is also challenged to depart from discredited practices in governance of the last eight years.
H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University and served with former Kansas Governors Bennett and Hayden.
The first two women to serve as members of the Ellis County Commission took part in their final commission meeting Monday with a new commission set to be sworn in next week.
After serving six years on the commission, Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, was elected to the 111th District Kansas House seat in November and will be sworn in next week.
Commissioner Marcy McClelland, R-Hays, was defeated by Republican challenger Butch Schlyer in the August primary.
McClelland, who served one term on the commission, thanked her fellow commissioners and county employees at Monday’s meeting.
McClelland
“This has been an eye-opening adventure for me, as an Ellis County taxpayer,” McClelland said. “I am proud of the fact that the sales tax was enough to complete the projects that were started and trust that they will soon be finished.”
Wasinger also thanked staff and employees and said she looks forward to continue serving Ellis County.
“There’s no better place to live, I think, then in Kansas and here in Ellis County,” Wasinger said. “We’ve got a pretty good thing going and hard workers and wonderful people.”
Wasinger will be sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives at a ceremony Monday in Topeka.
“I’m proud to be serving Ellis County in the state Legislature,” she said.
Roths
Commissioner Dean Haselhorst said Monday, “Thank you both for the past years, it’s been a lot of fun. … We’ve made it through the challenge so we’re going forward.”
Wasinger said to Haselhorst, “You ushered me into this job six years ago and now you’re ushering me out.”
At Monday’s meeting, Wasinger submitted her letter of resignation as a commissioner.
At a meeting of Republican party precinct chair members in December, Dustin Roth, R-Hays, was appointed to fill the term on the commission vacated by Wasinger.
Schlyer
Roths and Al Ackerman, who ran against Wasinger in the Republican Primary Election in 2016, answered questions during the December meeting before the precinct chairs selected Roths. Wasinger, John and Becky Pile all three voted for Roths while Lucas Roths and Chase Berg abstained.
Commissioner Haselhorst said of the two incoming commissioners Monday, “We’ve got two new commissioners who are coming in so that is going to be interesting to start over again. But looking forward to that challenge.”
By ISABELLE BRAUN Hays High Guidon Editor-In-Chief
The National Scholastic Press Association has honored 44 news sites for journalism excellence with the 2019 Pacemaker finalists.
The NSPA Pacemaker award has a rich tradition, and the association started presenting the award to high school newspapers a few years after the organization was founded in 1921. Throughout the years, yearbooks, magazines, online sites and broadcast programs were added to the competition.
“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” said Laura Widmer, executive director. “NSPA is honored to recognize the best of the best.”
The state with the most sites named as finalists is California with 13 schools, and in Kansas, only two were given this award: The Guidon Online and The Harbinger Online of Shawnee Mission East High School.
“It’s considered the Pulitzer Prize of high school journalism,” instructor Bill Gasper said. “Now what they’re going to do is go through and look at them again. That’s when they pick the actual winners.”
To determine finalists, judges studied approximately 200 websites from 34 states, separating online sites into two categories based on school population. Now, judges will now look online at each of the finalist’s websites to make sure they are frequently posting before the spring conference in Anaheim, Calif., on April 25 to 27.
“It’s a heck of an accomplishment,” Gasper said. “To become a Pacemaker finalist is one of the top awards you can get. It’s just a tremendous honor. We’ve won two Pacemaker finalists and one Pacemaker for the print newspaper several years ago, so it’s been a while since we’ve gotten it.”
The recognition is courtesy of all of the staff members from the fall 2018 school semester, including Editor-in-Chief, senior Isabelle Braun, Online Editor-in-Chief, junior Madison Weber, Associate Editor, junior Allison Hillebrand, Photo Editor, senior Jacob Maska and Sports Editor, senior MacKenzie Fagan; sophomores Kalyssa Boyle, Addie Braun, Allison Brooks, Anna Brull, Alicia Feyerherm, Caitlin Leiker, McKena McBride and Alexis Pfannenstiel; juniors Dellilah Herrera and Yesenia Maldonado, and seniors Cody Conger, Brittani Park, Scout Perryman, Taylor Schiffelbein and Rebekah Porter.
“I’m just so extremely happy to be recognized,” Gasper said. “The online edition is something we’ve worked so hard on to improve the last few years to get to this point. I’m so proud of all my current and past students for all of their hard work to develop an award-winning online edition. They all should be very proud.”
Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act will be the featured halftime performer at Thursday’s Fort Hays State University basketball games.
Tyler Scheuer bills himself as the “most-booked halftime act in college basketball 2017-2019,” and has been seen on “America’s Got Talent,” “Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” and “Regis and Kelly,” among others.
FHSU plays Northeastern State at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Scheuer will perform at both halftimes.
The Ellis Grade School Honor Choir will perform the national anthem.
McDonald’s of North Hays will host “Coffee with a Cop” from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Jan. 17, in conjunction with the Hays Police Department.
The event brings police officers and community members they serve together over coffee to discuss community issues, learn more about each other and build relationships in an informal, neutral environment. All Coffee with a Cop attendees will receive a free small cup of coffee, courtesy of McDonald’s.
Area McDonald’s restaurants will continue to work with law enforcement departments throughout the year to host additional Coffee with a Cop events with the goal of improving relationships between law enforcement and community members – one cup of coffee at a time.
“As a McDonald’s owner/operator, being involved in the community is the cornerstone of my business. Supporting our local law enforcement is a huge priority for our organization,” said Gail Kuehl, owner/operator, McDonald’s of Hays, Russell and WaKeeney. “I hope that community members will attend our Coffee with a Cop event and feel comfortable to ask questions, bring forward concerns or simply get to know our officers.”
Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association will hold its monthly meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Robbins Center (Eagle Communication Hall), One Tiger Place.
NORTON — The former manager of the Norton Theater Association and a former employee of Norton Community Schools was arrested Wednesday on a charge of indecent liberties.
