Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association will hold its monthly meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 9 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 January meeting will be “Recruiting Strategies for Western Kansas” presented by Gina Riedel, Bandura+. The program will be submitted for HRCI and SHRM continuing education credits.

WKHRMA members can RSVP at wkhrma.shrm.org. The deadline to RSVP is noon on Jan. 4. 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.  

For more information on WKHRMA, visit wkhrma.shrm.org.

— Submitted

The Hays Police Department responded to 8 animal calls and conducted 18 traffic stops Fri., Nov. 30, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–700 block Allen St, Hays; 12:37 AM
Underage Possession of CMB/LIQ–600 block Park St, Hays; 11/30/2018 01:50:29 AM
Driving Under the Influence–100 block W 7th St, Hays; 1:59 AM
Credit Card Violations–Hays; 5:02 AM
Credit Card Violations–1300 block Vine St, Hays; 11/28 5:12 PM
Phone/Mail Scam–3100 block Hall St, Hays; 9:57 AM
Counterfeit currency/documents–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 11/29 5:54 PM; 5:56 PM
Civil Dispute–300 block E 16th St, Hays; 11:11 AM
Lost Animals ONLY–500 block E 16th St, Hays; 11:50 AM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–800 block Elm St, Hays; 12:20 PM
MV Accident-Hit and Run–4000 block Vine St, Hays; 1:55 PM; 1:56 PM
Criminal Threat–3500 block Vine St, Hays; 2 PM; 2:15 PM
Animal Call–1000 block Reservation Rd, Hays; 4:14 PM
Welfare Check–2700 block Plaza Ave, Hays; 5:07 PM
Gunshots/Non-Injury Shooting–500 block W 33rd St, Hays; 5:57 PM
Suspicious Activity–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 5:57 PM
Lost Animals ONLY–1100 block E 17th St, Hays; 6:26 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–1500 block 40 Bypass Hwy, Hays; 11/29 8 AM; 8:01 AM
Suspicious Person–200 block E 27th St, Hays; 8:20 PM
Domestic Disturbance–400 block E 6th St, Hays; 9:29 PM
Welfare Check–3100 block Hall St, Hays; 9:41 PM
Disturbance – Noise–400 block W 12th St, Hays; 11:41 PM
Driving Under the Influence–500 block W 7th St, Hays; 11:58 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 3 animal calls and conducted 22 traffic stops Sat., Dec. 1, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Disturbance – Noise–200 block W 6th St, Hays; 12:12 AM
False/Altered ID–500 block W 7th St, Hays; 12:34 AM
Civil Dispute–400 block W 5th St, Hays; 12:53 AM
Drug Offenses–100 block E 8th St, Hays; 1:13 AM; 1:14 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–2100 block E 21st St, Hays; 11/30 4:35 PM; 12/1 1 AM
Battery – Domestic–100 block W 7th St, Hays; 1:25 AM; 1:35 AM
Suspicious Activity–400 block W 20th St, Hays; 1:58 AM
Civil Dispute–400 block W 5th St, Hays; 2:42 AM
Civil Dispute–400 block W 5th St, Hays; 3:06 AM
Animal Call–1000 block E 41st St, Hays; 8:19 AM
Animal At Large–13th and Sunset Trl, Hays; 9 AM
Welfare Check–100 block E 15th St, Hays; 9:17 AM
Theft (general)–200 block E 29th St, Hays; 10:35 AM
MV Accident-Personal Injury–23rd and Walnut St, Hays; 11:29 AM; 11:30 AM
Welfare Check–1300 block E 21st St, Hays; 11:44 AM
MV Accident-Personal Injury–1800 block Walnut St, Hays; 12:57 PM
Found/Lost Property–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 5:34 PM
Abandoned Vehicle–2000 block E 21st St, Hays; 6:16 PM
Suspicious Activity–3300 block Vine St, Hays; 9:20 PM
Drug Offenses–700 block Ash St, Hays; 10:05 PM
Disturbance – Noise–400 block W 6th St, Hays; 11:25 PM
Disturbance – General–1100 block Elm St, Hays; 11:52 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 2 animal calls and conducted 24 traffic stops Sun., Dec. 2, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Driving Under the Influence–700 block Elm St, Hays; 12:23 AM
Found/Lost Property–400 block Elm St, Hays; 1:23 AM
Drug Offenses/DUI–500 block Elm St, Hays; 1:41 AM; 2:05 AM
Rape–1400 block Oak St, Hays; 2:45 AM; 3:53 AM
Disturbance – Noise–400 block W 4th St, Hays; 12:15 PM
Unattended Death–2500 block Vine St, Hays; 1:22 PM
Animal At Large–1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 4:26 PM
Lost Animals ONLY–27800 block Barclay Dr, Hays; 6:33 PM
Found/Lost Property–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 10:35 PM
Drug Offenses–1300 block Lawrence Dr, Hays; 10:41 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 9 animal calls and conducted 10 traffic stops Mon., Dec. 3, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Drug Offenses/DUI–2800 block Grant Ave, Hays; 12:25 AM
Overdose–300 block W 9th St, Hays; 2:52 AM
Animal Call–1700 block Pine St, Hays; 9:44 AM
Parking Complaint–3000 block E 14th St, Hays; 9:48 AM
Parking Complaint–500 block W 20th St, Hays; 10:11 AM
Parking Complaint–1600 block E 28th Terr, Hays; 11:17 AM
Animal Injured–200 block W 29th St, Hays; 11:50 AM
Theft (general)–100 block E 7th St, Hays; 11:53 AM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–27th and Vine, Hays; 2:41 PM
Stalking–600 block E 5th St, Hays; 2:42 PM
Parking Complaint–200 block W 38th St, Hays; 3:38 PM
Battery – Domestic–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 3:44 PM
Animal Bite Investigation–1200 block E 33rd St, Hays; 11:30 AM; 12:30 PM
Suspicious Person–1000 block Vine, Hays; 4:29 PM
Civil Dispute–2700 block Vine St, Hays; 4:55 PM
Theft (general)–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 5:12 PM
Found/Lost Property–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 5:35 PM
Found/Lost Property–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 6:20 PM
Domestic Disturbance–500 block W 37th St, Hays; 6:54 PM
Counterfeit currency/documents–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 12/2 9:45 PM
Burglary/vehicle–2700 block Hickory St, Hays; 10:18 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 6 animal calls and conducted 17 traffic stops Tue., Dec. 4, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Intoxicated Subject–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 2:37 AM
Burglary/business–3300 block Hall St, Hays; 12/2 10 PM; 12/3 8:30 AM
Lost Animals ONLY–1000 block E 41st St, Hays; 8:26 AM
Theft (general)–500 block E 8th St, Hays; 5/1 6 AM; 6/30 7 PM
Animal At Large–500 block E 20th St, Hays; 9:31 AM
Found/Lost Property–2900 block Vine St, Hays; 10:18 AM
Lost Animals ONLY–200 block W 22nd St, Hays; 12:39 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–4100 block Vine St, Hays; 12:50 PM; 12:57 PM
Phone/Mail Scam–900 block Commerce Pkwy, Hays; 2:08 PM
Theft (general)–1800 block of Fort St, Hays; 12/3 12 PM; 12/4 4:14 PM
Harassment, Telephone/FAX–1300 block Eisenhower Rd, Hays; 8:30 PM
Mental Health Call–1900 block Longfellow Rd, Hays; 8:46 PM

Today Partly sunny, with a high near 28. North northeast wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph becoming southeast after midnight.

Friday Partly sunny, with a high near 32. South southeast wind around 6 mph.

Friday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. East wind around 6 mph.

Saturday Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. East northeast wind around 6 mph.

Saturday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 19.

SundaySunny, with a high near 38.

Options Inc. has announce three new advocates: Catherine Flipse, Sarah Mick, and Sarah Zerr.

They will join the shelter team, providing much-needed advocacy to our survivors in what is possibly the most difficult time in their lives.

Options continues to grow, as does the need for services.

“While it is unfortunate to see domestic and sexual violence claim such a prominent place in our community, we are never short of energetic, compassionate people who provide survivor-centered services day in and day out,” Options Inc. said in a news release.

For more information on how you can get involved, or if you or someone you know has been affected by domestic or sexual violence, call Options at 1-800-794-4294.

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

A 21-year-old Hays woman has been charged with having sexual relations with a 14-year-old.

According to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Ellis County District Court, Skylar Madison Henson was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

The complaint alleges that on three separate occasions earlier this year Henson had sex with a 14-year-old.

Henson has also been charged with two counts of distribution of marijuana.

The filing of criminal charges are merely allegations of criminal wrong doing. The defendant maintains a presumption of innocence unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

GOVE COUNTY  — Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s office have yet to determine the cause of a Sunday afternoon fire in Quinter.

Investigators believe they know the general area where it started but may never know what started the fire, according to Gove County Sheriff Allan Weber.

Just before 4 p.m., crews responded to report of a fire at Formation Plastics, 101 Sunset Ave. in Quinter, according to  Weber.

When crews arrived, the building was totally engulfed in flames and due to the nature of the business, the smoke was toxic. The fire continued to smolder until late afternoon Monday.

The business makes plastic items including seats for transport buses, items for circuit boards and other plastic parts.

The facility is a total loss. There were no injuries.

GPCU

Golden Plains Credit Union would like to invite you to the Grand Opening of our new Downtown Mortgage location on Wednesday, December 12 at 4 p.m.  We will have a Hays Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting followed by refreshments and promotional giveaways.

“We are excited about our presence in downtown Hays and having another location for your mortgage needs,” said Ruth Ruder, vice president branch services in Hays.

Golden Plains’ Mortgage Lending department currently has three employees at the downtown location.  The hours are Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  We offer a variety of mortgage loans including 1^st mortgage, 2^nd mortgage, Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOC), Rural Development loans, First-time Homebuyer grants and Construction loans.

“Our convenient downtown location provides a one-stop shop for all your home buying needs,” said Melissa Amrein, assistant vice president mortgage services .

Please stop by on December 12^th and visit with our staff at 118 E. 11^th Street (across from Gella’s Diner).  We look forward to seeing you there!

About Golden Plains Credit Union
Golden Plains Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution. Golden Plains has 15 locations throughout Central, Western and Southeast Kansas, with approximately 79,511 members and over $648 million dollars in assets.

For more information visit gpcu.org.

MANHATTAN — Kansas Farm Bureau recognized members and friends at its 100th annual meeting Dec. 1 to 3 in Manhattan.

Sharon Schwartz, Washington County, received KFB’s Distinguished Service award. A native Kansan, she and husband Leo have operated a dairy, feeder pig facilities, Pork Chop Acres – a farrow to finish facility, and produced wheat, corn, soybeans, and sorghum on their family farm. Sharon served as a 4-H leader for more than 20 years and held leadership roles on the Kansas Pork Council, The United States Meat Export Federation and the National Pork Board during development of the highly successful, “Pork, The Other White Meat” campaign. Recently she has given 20 years of service in the Kansas Legislature where she diligently worked to protect and position agriculture and rural Kansas for success, chairing several committees including the House Ag Committee.

The organization presented 10 Friends of Agriculture awards. This award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to Kansas Farm Bureau and agriculture or rural Kansas. They included:

Scott Chapman, Mitchell County, has focused on agriculture throughout his life. He’s been a teacher, an extension agent and a true friend of ag. Scott’s retired as an extension agent but continues to remain involved in agriculture and Mitchell County Farm Bureau.

Craig Cooper, Sheridan County, served Kansas Farm Bureau’s 10th district for 32 years. In that role Craig worked to ensure county Farm Bureaus had the tools and resources they needed to succeed and that members were able to engage locally and beyond to ensure agriculture and communities in northwest Kansas remain vibrant.

Rosetta Deutscher, Ellis County, served as the Ellis County Farm Bureau coordinator from 1991 to 2001 and as Ellis and Trego County Coordinator from 2001 until she retired in 2016. With 35 years of service to Farm Bureau, she was instrumental in starting the ongoing Ellis and Trego County Kids Day on the Farm serving more than 400 kids a year, developing the Ellis County Ag in Motion Mobile Ag Education trailer, numerous Farm Safety Days and initiating the Fort Hays State University Collegiate Farm Bureau.

Steve Hines, Hamilton County, is a devout Farm Bureau member, serving on the resolutions committee, along with the hay and forage, and feed grains committees. Steve served on the Hamilton County Farm Bureau board for 24 years including stints as the President and Vice-President.

Diane Hoobler, Wabaunsee County, retired from Kansas Farm Bureau in 2012. She is an active Farm Bureau member, currently serving as president of Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau. She and her husband, Larry, open their farm for visitors whenever an opportunity arises. They value any chance to share ag’s story with others.

Larry Kepley, Grant County, has spent his entire life involved in agriculture. He’s been a farmer, a teacher, an extension agent and a leader locally, statewide and nationally. He helped organize the Southwest Kansas Pork Producers, served on local boards including Farm Bureau, the county fair board and Southwest Kansas Irrigators. Statewide, he’s served on the Kansas Wheat Growers Association and Kansas Wheat Commission holding offices in both groups.

Harold and Virginia Kraus, Ellis County, have served agriculture for more than 20 years. Harold is a founding member of the National Biodiesel board, and the Krauses were named Master Farmer and Homemaker in 1998. They have hosted the Ellis County Kids Ag Day on the Farm for 18 years and have two state historical sites on their farm.

Sandy Manner, Sedgwick County, recently retired from Farm Bureau as the 4th District Administrator after 18 years of service. In her tenure at Kansas Farm Bureau, she served her counties well, participated in a variety of Farm Bureau committees and designed training tools and protocols for county officers and board members statewide.

Darrell Monfort, Allen County, has been active in farming since the age of 10 starting on his family’s farm. He is active in the community serving on the fair board, leading 4-H clubs, and is a spokesperson for local media on ag issues. He’s also very active in Kansas Farm Bureau and the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association.

Harry Watts, Riley County, retired from Kansas Farm Bureau this year after 18 years of service. Harry brought years of community development and government relations experience to Kansas Farm Bureau and served as our lead on policy and advocacy, most recently running the KFB Foundation.

Ted and Lisa Guetterman, both of Miami and Johnson counties, received the Kansas Farm Bureau Natural Resources Award. This award goes to the farm family who exemplifies good land stewardship. Ted and Lisa identified soil erosion as a major concern in all their fields so the family built miles of terraces and waterways. Ted also assists his landlord and other farmers in the construction of waterways and terraces. Throughout the past 35 years Ted’s family integrated new practices, such as drills and planters as well as GPS systems, leading to the farm becoming 100 percent no-till.

Amanda Taylor, Riley County, is the Sales Performance Manager at Farm Bureau Financial Services. She received KFB’s Partnership Award. This award recognizes someone from Farm Bureau Financial Services who has gone above and beyond for the state’s largest farm organization. Amanda works closely with Farm Bureau Financial Service agents in efforts to help KFB make membership gain and reach goals for account growth and retention.

FHSU University Relations

The Department of Music and Theatre at Fort Hays State University enjoyed success at the National Association of Teachers of Singing West Central Regional Student Auditions in Lincoln, Neb.

Students of Dr. Joseph Perniciaro, associate professor of music and theatre, and Dr. Ivalah Allen, associate professor of music and theatre, competed against students from Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas. Five students, who were regional finalists, placing in the top five in their respective divisions, have qualified to compete in the 2019 NATS National Student Auditions.

Students and their awards are listed alphabetically within their award category.

Regional Finalists and Winners
Eric Adams, Hays freshman majoring in music, fourth place, freshman men’s classical.

Rachel Nansel, Hays sophomore majoring in sociology, third place, upper college women’s music theatre. She also competed in junior women’s classical, but did not advance.

Raeanna Peacock, Hays senior majoring in music performance, second place, senior women’s classical.

Luis Valencia, Leoti freshman majoring in music education, third place, freshman men’s classical.

Katy Walters, Hays freshman majoring in music performance, fifth place, freshman women’s classical.

Regional Semi-Finalists
Braydon Boyer, Salina sophomore majoring in music performance, sophomore men’s classical.

Jeremy Claude, Hays sophomore majoring in criminal justice, sophomore men’s classical division.

Jenna Confer, St. Francis sophomore majoring in elementary education, sophomore women’s classical, lower college women’s music theatre.

Danni Dickerson, Riley junior majoring in music education, upper college women’s music theatre.

Roslind Finlay, Carbondale junior majoring in general education (theatre), lower college women’s music theatre.

Adam Flax, Hays senior majoring in music education, upper college men’s music theatre.

Matea Gregg, Hays senior majoring in communications, upper college women’s music theatre.

Rachelle Lumpkins, Hays sophomore majoring in music education, sophomore women’s classical division.

Jared Thom, Hays junior majoring in information networking and telecommunications, upper college men’s music theatre, junior men’s classical.

Ryan Will, Hays freshman majoring in psychology, lower college men’s music theatre.

Sarah Wysem, Hays freshman majoring in music performance, freshman women’s classical division.

NCK Tech

Business Technology students at NCK TECH recently achieved 2016 Microsoft Office Certification for both Word and Excel programs. These students now have the ability to obtain seven MOS certifications throughout the school year.

The certification provides industry–leading assessments of skills and knowledge through project-based testing giving students and professionals real-world exercises to appraise their understanding of Microsoft Office.

This guarantees that every certified user has demonstrated the ability to command the full features and functionality of Microsoft Office, preparing them for future academic or workforce opportunities.

MOS certification is a global phenomenon. Throughout the world, people in dozens of countries are receiving certification through Certiport.

“Students who earn MOS certifications have been shown to earn higher GPA’s, graduate at a higher rate and get higher-paying jobs,” said Jennifer Younger, instructor of NCK Tech’s business technology program.

Austin Miller, a Business Technology student, is currently ranked third in the state of Kansas for his score in Microsoft Excel.

Logan Staab, who manages the Microsoft Imagine Academy program for 150+ schools in Kansas and whose office is out of NCK Tech added, “Kansas students earn roughly over 2000 certifications each school year. Jennifer Younger’s class at NCK TECH continually produces some of the top results in the state”

The Business Technology program at NCK TECH, Hays Campus, is a nine-month program which focuses on the preparation, interpretation and analyzing financial statements using the business and financial tools, software and practices utilized by professionals. Applications are now being accepted for the 2019-2020 school year. For more information on the Business Technology program and NCK TECH, visit www.ncktc.edu.