Eagle Communications is looking for a team player and leader who has a desire to create a great customer experience. This position is responsible for planning, implementing and managing the billing operations, reporting, managing customer terms and conditions, financial forecasting and assisting with budget preparation for the Broadband division. Responsibilities include designing, implementing and enforcing policies and procedures, providing business intelligence to other departments as well as recommending effective billing processes and other related operational functions. If you enjoy working in a fast-paced, team environment and have an attention to detail then this position is for you.
Experience & Requirements:
This Hays, KS based position requires 2+ years of experience working in an accounting or finance-related field. Computer proficiency, including billing software systems and advanced functions of Excel are preferred. The candidate should have a general knowledge of fair credit practices, accounting principles and collection regulations. This position requires attention to detail, ability to prioritize work, problem-solving skills and excellent verbal & written communications skills.
Responsibilities:
Set priorities and design strategies for the billing system including researching & resolving problems; identifying billing system improvements along the way
Meet billing operational standards by contributing information to strategic plans and reviews; implementing production, productivity, quality, and customer service standards
Design, maintain and control reporting templates, systems and processes. Provide reports and business intelligence in support of sales, operations, financial and management requirements
Ensure all database information is consistent to ensure delivery of accurate information to other departments and conducting and managing system audits for and with various departments
Manage collections policy, process and vendor relationships; make recommendations to overall policy and procedure to reduce bad debt expense
Manage billing system admin staff and month end closing procedures to support the accounting department. Prepare and manage annual budget processes.
Monitor and report on division’s key performance indicators, tracking product and service trends, and service count data
Create training for onboarding new hires and provide ongoing education of billing system procedures and best practices
Salary:
Compensation is commensurate with experience, which will consist of salary and bonus along with a competitive benefits package including health insurance, 401K, paid vacation, and employee stock ownership plan.
Other Information:
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The selected candidate will be required to pass a criminal history background and motor vehicle check. Eagle Communications is an employee-owned company and an EEO employer.
Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, a condition that causes the joints to be crooked and stiff at birth, was the diagnosis provided when Duaine and Joan Foley’s son, Ward “Scarman” Foley, was born with clubfeet and clubbed hands, without hip sockets and many muscles and tendons, and with very little chance to live.
At the age of 2, he learned to walk with the help of specially-made braces that were required to be worn 24 hours a day. By the time he was 24 years old, Foley had survived more than 30 surgeries. After agonizing rehabilitation and years of ridicule and humiliation, his strong will to live has been tested many times over the years. He was severely burned in a 400-degree fryer, was beaten up by teenagers he was trying to help, and, at age 24, was hit and nearly killed by a drunk driver.
The journey hasn’t always been smooth, and thankfully it hasn’t prevented Foley, also known as “Scarman” from doing what he was ultimately meant to do in this life: raise awareness and inspire people from all walks of life, with all types of stories, to accept and love themselves. This Sunday, September 9, the first-ever Scarfest Kansas will be held at the Norton United Methodist Church, and the event, which will feature superscar speakers, pizza, and games and activities for all ages, will serve to unite and allow those in attendance to celebrate their scars, their disabilities, their differences, their lives, and the lives of all others.
For the past 40 years, Ward “Scarman” Foley has presented over 1,200 speeches worldwide, and has sold or donated tens of thousands of books while trying to spread hope throughout the world. “I was taught from an early age that while there is a lot I’m not able to do, there is a lot I am able to do,” Foley says. Foley says one of his greatest accomplishments in life was not overcoming his birth defects and the physical pain from surgeries and assorted mishaps, but rather it was surviving the accompanying bullying and humiliation that ultimately allowed him to learn to accept and love himself.
From this acceptance came the creation of Scarman, a blank doll that would allow children to draw their own scars on in hopes of beginning to love and accept themselves just the way they are. “Scarman was created from some of my scars, but he represents all of us,” Foley says. “We all have scars. Some we can see and some we can’t. Scarman is about empowering children and adults alike to see a glimmer of hope in the darkest of places. Especially from within.”
Through the years, Foley’s journey to spread his message of hope, courage, and self-acceptance, while providing support, friendship, and unconditional love, has allowed him to accomplish great feats and meet people from all walks of life. In 1986, Foley rode his bicycle across the United States, from California to Alabama, for a surprise visit to his aunt, Mary Kay Woodyard. As a show of appreciation to Woodyard – who now resides in Norton – for helping him in his journey to self-acceptance, Foley pedaled his way along while his friend, Steve, followed closely behind in a car. The journey was demanding, but nothing was about to stop Foley from achieving the success of his cross-country ride.
Cars honked and people waved as Foley approached the final few blocks. Police officers on motorcycles led the way, and a news crew was waiting on Woodyard’s front porch excited to point out Foley as he rode up to her house. With a warm embrace, Foley realized what an accomplishment he’d managed to achieve. A dream had become a reality.
A year after his cross-country journey, Foley again made the headlines when he rode his bike across Canada in order to raise awareness for Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita. In August of 2015, he embarked on his third cross-country journey, Ride with Hope, to bring his message of acceptance, hope, and love across the pond to England. His ride began at Bristol Harbor, in Bristol, England, and ended in Hyde Park, in London, where he met with families from all over Europe.
“I cannot express the importance for children and their parents to know one another,” Foley told the Norton Telegram before embarking on his journey. “Meeting others with the same condition and challenges is truly joyous. It helps people to feel far less isolated and to have greater reasons to be hopeful as they join together to support one another. Families who felt frightened and alone now feel as if they’re part of one large, loving family.”
Donations received through the establishment of a fundraising campaign to support the logistics of Ride with Hope also aided in the purchase of Scarman dolls and coloring books for children. Over the years, Foley’s Scarman dolls have gained worldwide notoriety, and have been given to thousands of children in over 40 different countries. Appropriate for all ages, his 20+ page Color Me Scarman coloring books further promote his message of hope and acceptance. Foley’s 164-page memoir, Thank My Lucky Scars, has positively impacted and influenced countless lives locally, and the book has been enjoyed by many Norton Junior High School students as part of their MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support) Reading Class curriculum.
While this Sunday’s Scarfest Kansas is the first of its kind in northwest Kansas, Scarfest events have been held worldwide for many years. Scarfests are one-day festivals which bring families together to share their stories, make new friends, and bring hope and awareness to one another. Past Scarfest events have been held in San Diego, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Atlanta, Ga.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Dallas, Texas, while international Scarfest events have been hosted in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Fort St. John, Canada; Bogota, Colombia; London, England; Paris, France; Munich, Germany; Mexico City, Mexico; and Madrid, Spain.
Scarfest Kansas will begin this Sunday, Sept. 9, at 2 p.m., and will be held at the Norton United Methodist Church, 805 West Wilberforce, in Norton. An afternoon of fun has been planned, and those of all ages are invited to come enjoy pizza, superscar speakers, games, and activities. The Norton Police Department and Norton City Fire Department will also be on site with a police car and fire engine youngsters may look at and sit in. Throughout the afternoon, those in attendance will unit to celebrate their scars, their disabilities, their differences, their lives, and the lives of others. The event will end at 6 p.m.
For more information about this Sunday’s Scarfest, e-mail Ward Foley at [email protected] or call 785-871-0219.
The 2018 Young Readers’ Conference is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Fort Hays State University Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.
The event — which is themed “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” — is limited to the first 300 students.
David NorlinAn August 29 news story featured the Current First District Congressman’s chief of staff, Brent Robertson, calling Alan LaPolice, “a perennial joke candidate.” The psychological term for this is projection. Simply put, one accuses others of being what he sees, or fears, in himself.
What’s the evidence that the Congressman’s surrogate-pointed remarks have 3 fingers pointing back at himself? Why, Marshall’s column the previous day. He proclaims proud cosponsorship of the Congressional STOP act. STOP aims to fortify schools and apportion funds to “behavioral health” and early reporting of potentially violent persons. To be fair, this at least initiates action for school safety.
But.
First, being one of 33 cosponsors of a bill introduced more than a year before does not mean you crafted the legislation. Second, it has not been passed by the Senate, so is not actual law. Third, fortification does not necessarily mean safety, since ‘one entry’ guarantees a choke point, where large numbers can be taken out in a single burst. Fourth, money to identify early violence doesn’t begin to address the multi-billion-dollar need for truly sufficient mental health care.
Fifth, and most important, there is nary a word here about making the public at large safer from guns: for example, automatic background checks, common-sense gun registration, and banning bump stocks and assault weapons.
In short, this attempt at public relations is a joke.
Anyone who has heard Alan LaPolice knows his grasp of the issues, his vision across party lines for real change in Kansas and the country, his rejection of big-money influence, and his pointedly sharp ability to cut through the brown matter, clarify green policy, and re-establish respect for the red, white, and blue.
If you have heard him. That is exactly what the Republican establishment does not want you to do. That is exactly why the Congressman refuses to debate in the First District. That is why he appears only in venues like small-town nursing homes. That reveals both arrogance and fear.
Alan LaPolice is not the joke candidate. And if you vote thinking he is, well, the joke will be on you.
David Norlin is Chairman of the Salina Planning Commission, former President of Salina Access TV, and a former College Director of Broadcasting and English Department Chair. He has twice run for Kansas State Office.
Randy ClinkscalesI am getting to the age that sometimes I look back on my life at the all the twists and turns. I know that all my “experiences” helped make me who I am today, and I am sure I am a better person for it. But, I really do not think I would want to go back and relive those events again.
I do not want to get into detail about my life, so let me pick on my grandmother again. She and my grandfather were married in the midst of the Depression. My grandfather was thankful that he got a job hauling crushed rock for the roadways in the Hill Country of Texas. My grandparents were thankful that they had a farm and could produce some of their own food such as eggs, pork, and beef. They knew that others were not so lucky.
My grandparents always recalled their blessings. This despite the fact that my grandmother’s father was murdered when she was only 18, that she and my grandfather had two boys that were both hemophiliacs, and who died because of hemophiliac-related illnesses; that my grandfather was involved in a bad train wreck and broke his neck; and on and on and on. Along the way, my grandfather was County Clerk for several terms, served as Sheriff of Hill County, Texas, became a policeman, and eventually Assistant Chief of Police in River Oaks, Texas.
I am sure that my grandparents had no idea where they ended up would have so many turns along the way.
I want to share this with you because I see this in estate planning. Years ago, when I was doing estate planning, people would come in and just tell me who they wanted to leave their property to. We would do a simple will.
Even today, I see some of that done with Legal Zoom and other online products. Also, I see it done in estate plans drafted by “big” law firms – you go through a series of questions, and they draft a set of documents for you.
What has changed? You have changed. I have changed.
How? We are living longer. We have more opinions about what we want and do not want. As an example, I know that I want my family to use every effort to keep me out of a nursing home for as long as possible. I have very definitive ideas about end of life and what is acceptable with me, and what is not acceptable to me. I have strong opinions about if I develop Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia, and what I want to happen going forward.
I also know what I do not know. I do not know what is going to happen to me. I do not know what is going to happen to my family. I do not know what is going to happen to my health. I do not know what is going to happen to my finances.
But, I know that, given the right questions, I can make a plan. I also know that I need to be sure that that plan is flexible.
I would respectfully suggest to you that life is not a straight line.
Many times, particularly if I am dealing with a client that may be in some type of health crisis, I explain to that client and their family that we do not know what all is going to happen. The purpose of my office, the purpose of many elder law attorneys, is to not have a “check the box” solution. It is to be able to tell the client where to turn through the maze of growing older.
You know it used to be this: You retired, you went on Social Security, and then you died. It is just not that simple anymore. And, that is not a bad thing. We have people, obviously, well beyond 65 that are thoroughly enjoying not only life, but are an integral part of our society.
Life is not a straight line. It is not a “check the box” about what happens when I die. It is much more than that.
As I said at the beginning, I have enjoyed my journey, but I do not know that I could have faced it all if I knew what was going to happen next. Don’t you feel the same?
Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.
Have you ever gone to the grocery store to buy kale and ended up with a box of Twinkies in your cart? A local health educator might have a program to help put you on the right track to eating better.
Jessica Moffitt, Prospectively Healthy certified health education specialist, is offering Grocery List Assist.
For a fee, Moffitt teams with her client to create menu plans and then helps the client use Dillons’ online Grocery Pickup service or another online grocery shopping app to select the groceries needed for the week.
Dillons Grocery Pickup, formerly known as ClickList, has been offered in Hays since July. Moffitt is just getting Grocery List Assist off of the ground.
Moffitt
Moffitt said many of her clients said they struggled with grocery shopping.
“One of the things I hear a lot from my clients is not necessarily the difficulty to eat healthier but the difficultly in knowing what to pick out at the grocery store or how to get quality produce that is going to last or just (having) the time commitment to do so,” she said.
Moffitt establishes a menu plan with input from her client. She then goes into an online grocery shopping account and puts all the items into their grocery list. The client checks the cart to make sure they don’t already have items on the list, then the client arranges for grocery pickup and payment through the app.
Dillons Grocery Pickup app allows customers to arrange for pickup up to three days in advance. You have an hour window to pick up the groceries. Dillons will load the groceries in your vehicle for you. Right now, Dillons is offering the first three pickups free with a charge of $4.95 per pickup after that, according to its mobile app. Pickups are available from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the 1902 Vine store in Hays.
Dillons has hundreds of digital coupons available through its app, but paper coupons can also be used at pickup. Dillons currently is unable to accept government benefits (including WIC and SNAP) as payment, according to its website. You also can’t add prescriptions to Grocery Pickup at this time, but Dillons said it is working to add this feature. See Dillons website for more details on the service.
Grocery List Assist services start at $40 per week. Although Moffitt lives in Hays, she said she will work with any grocery app in any location.
Moffitt will cater her meal plans to specific dietary restrictions and preferences such as low-salt or vegan. She also tries to work with few ingredients, minimal prep time and simple kitchen utensils. However, if you have a slow cooker or pressure cooker and like to use those tools, she will work those in also.
She also works to reduce waste, so if you have leftover ingredients, she will work with you to incorporate those into future menus.
“I also like taking things that we all like to eat like macaroni and cheese. I have an amazing recipe for macaroni and cheese that I love to start people out with,” she said. “You can still do things like macaroni and cheese and hamburger and lasagna, and you just make better choices in that recipe to make it a little bit healthier.
Moffitt sends a PDF copy of the recipes to clients and then touches base by phone with the client once a week to discuss how the meals went.
Moffitt recommends meal planning for anyone trying to get a better handle on their eating and diet.
“It is a really helpful tool I use in my home to make sure we have the meals ready for the week and we know what we are going to cook and we have all of the groceries,” she said. “It also reduces impulse purchases and convenience store shopping, which is great for saving time and money for the client themselves. I also think it helps us make healthier choices just because of the structure that comes from it rather than making decisions based on convenience or mood or emotions that we are feeling at the moment.”
Grocery List Assist and its menu planning feature can help clients make necessary diet changes for health reasons.
“I think the biggest thing people need to consider when they are faced with obstacle — when they are faced with a prescreening diagnosis or a full-blown diagnosis like diabetes or hypertension is to understand you have to make a lifestyle change. It is not a diet that is going to end in six months or a year. It’s a commitment you are going to have to make for the rest of your life.
“With that commitment, I think it is easier to make one better choice at a time. It might be in the direction of total health rather than trying to do everything all at once or overnight.”
One month, she might talk about reducing sugary beverages, and the next month she might help you work on decreasing sugar in desserts.
Moffitt noted Grocery List Assist can be a temporary tool. Once you have a library of recipes, you can create your own menu plans.
“Hopefully, it is just a stepping stone to move them in the right direction, so they can make these choices themselves and their own meal plans,” she said.
Moffitt will be offering cooking demonstrations and health lectures again this fall and winter through the Hays Recreation Commission. She offers classes for adults and children 3 through 7.
For a complete list of classes, see her webpage or check out Prospectively Healthy on Facebook.
Today Scattered showers, mainly before noon. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 69. North northeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tonight A 30 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms, mainly after 1am. Patchy fog after 3am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 63. North wind 6 to 9 mph.
Friday A 30 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 72. Northeast wind 7 to 10 mph.
Friday Night A 30 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 60. Northeast wind 6 to 11 mph.
SaturdayA 30 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms, mainly before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71.
Saturday NightMostly cloudy, with a low around 58.
NORTON COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are alerting residents in northwest Kansas to counterfeit cash.
On Wednesday, the Norton Police Department recovered a counterfeit $100 bill that was turned in by a local merchant.
On social media, police wrote, “We feel it is important for all citizens to be aware and attentive to things of this nature.
Things to notice: the money pictured below states “FOR CINEMETIC USE ONLY” in multiple locations as well as “For Motion Picture Use Only.
Another key indicator is the phrase “This note is not legal tender for all debts, public and private.”
Police reminded residents, “If you think you have recovered fraudulent money or have questions about what to look for, please contact the Norton Police Department.”
ACCESS Public Transportation announced Wednesday it is adjusting its fares for riders beginning on Oct. 1, to put itself in line with other Kansas public transportation programs.
All rides that ACCESS provides in the city of Hays will increase from $1.50 per one-way ride to the new rate of $2. The Ellis County rides and rides to the Hays airport will increase from $3 per one-way ride to $4.
Riders in the city of Hays and Ellis County who have already purchased ride tickets can still use those tickets without paying an additional charge until Oct. 1. However, after Oct. 1, all riders will have to supplement the current ride tickets with an additional 50 cents or $1 fee when they utilize ACCESS Transportation.
For more information or to schedule a ride, call 785-628-1052 to speak to an ACCESS dispatcher.
Ellis County Democratic Chair Henry Schwaller will be joined by Democratic nominee for Kansas Secretary of State Brian McClendon on Monday for the grand opening of the Kansas Democratic Party’s Ellis County Field Office.
The event will be from 5 to 6 p.m. at 1502 Vine and will also include Democratic lawmakers, candidates, local officials and community members.
McClendon, who goes by the nickname “BAM,” will also hold “Conversations with BAM McClendon” for the public at 4 p.m. Monday at the Downtown Hays Pavilion.
Also Monday, McClendon will attend the monthly luncheon of the Ellis County Bar Association.
Back Row (L to R): Auntonio Jones, son of Auntonio and Jodie Jones; Cade Lewis, son of Paul and Jenette Lewis; Logan Shaw, son of Doug and Jill Shaw. Front Row (L to R): Cora Milbourne, daughter of Ben and Jacy Milbourne; Cassie Waldschmidt, daughter of Pete and Sandy Waldschmidt; Cameryn Kinderknecht, daughter of Tim and Rhonda Kinderknecht.
ELLIS — The 2018 Ellis High School Homecoming royalty has been selected. The theme is Fluff the Feathers, and the homecoming game will be played on Friday, Sept. 14, against the Ellinwood Eagles with a dance following. The parade will be on Friday afternoon starting at 2:30 p.m.
The schedule of events is below:
Saturday and Sunday: Decorate class floats
Monday through Thursday: Spirit Days
Monday: Favorite Holiday Day
Tuesday: Patriotic Day
Wed.: Decades day (FR: 50’s, SO: 70’s, JR: 80’s, SR: 90’s)
Thurs: Class Color day (Fr: Orange, SO: Blue, JR: White, SR: Black)
Friday: Orange and Black
Thursday: Bonfire
**Homecoming Rehearsal with candidates @FB field during seminar (Mr. Kohl)
**approximately 8:15 @ Fairgrounds (sunset—7:47)
Friday:
** 10:30 – 11:30 AM @ EHS
– Class competition Olympics in gym
** 11:30 – 12:00 @ EHS
-STUCO BBQ
** 12:00 – 1:30 @ FB field
-Powder puff (30 min)
>SR v. JR
>SO v. FR
—Boys ref
-Staff v. students VB (30 min after Powder Puff)
>4 boys from each class make up student team
** 1:30 – 2:30 @ Old HS parking lot
-Parade Line-up
** 2:30 – 3:15 Parade and Pep Rally
-Parade Route: East from Old HS to stop lights, turn left on
Washington St. and proceed to Memorial Park
Turn Left to Jefferson St.
-Pep Rally: @ Jefferson and 9th Street (Memorial Park)
** 5:00 – 6:00 FFA BBQ @ Old High School
** 6:30 Crowning
** 7:00 – 9:40 Football Game
**9:00 – 12:00 Dance
Operations Analyst & Billing Solutions Manager
