By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Another fast-moving thunderstorm early Wednesday evening dropped an official 1.62 inches of rain in Hays along with a few minutes of BB-sized hail as measured at the K-State Agricultural Research Center south of town.

July has been a wet month with 6.78 inches of rain.

Year to date, Hays has had 17.67 inches of moisture.

The Hays Police Department responded to 6 animal calls and conducted 12 traffic stops Wed., July 25, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Animal Injured–700 block E 6th St, Hays; 7:15 AM
Welfare Check–2000 block Vine St, Hays; 8:16 AM
Unwanted Person–2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 8:54 AM
Mental Health Call–700 block E 6th St, Hays; 9:05 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–400 block W 11th St, Hays; 9:46 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–400 block W 4th St, Hays; 9:56 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–100 block W 4th St, Hays; 10:03 AM
Civil Dispute–3400 block Vine St, Hays; 9:55 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–100 block W 4th St, Hays; 10:07 AM
Sex Offense–300 block Milner St, Hays; 6/23
MV Accident-Private Property–300 block E 18TH St, Hays; 2:05 PM
Criminal Damage to Property–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 2:17 PM
Abandoned Vehicle–100 block E 14th St, Hays; 2:37 PM
Driving Under the Influence–700 block Milner St, Hays; 4 PM
Animal At Large–200 block E 32nd St, Hays; 4:22 PM
Suspicious Activity–300 block W 8th St, Hays; 4:08 PM
Phone/Mail Scam–2800 block Augusta Ln, Hays; 4/25 12 AM; 7/25 5:26 PM
Disturbance – Noise–3200 block Vine St, Hays; 11:01 PM

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Businessman Greg Orman of suburban Kansas City is seeking to right Kansas’ economic ship in his independent run for governor.

Orman’s running mate is Sen. John Doll from Garden City.

Orman, who formally launched his campaign in January, talked to the Hays Post by phone Wednesday.

“As I travel throughout the state, it has become very clear to me people are dissatisfied with what they are getting out of Topeka, and they are definitely dissatisfied about what they are getting out of Washington,” Orman said. “Kansans have known for the last 10 years intuitively that something in Kansas has gone very wrong in the state.

“Ultimately, I believe what happens over the next five years in Kansas is going to determine the path our state is on for the next several decades. I want this to be a place where my two daughters and all our sons and daughters and grandchildren feel inspired to build their lives. I think we need to put it on a different path—one that is focused more on solving problems and less on scoring partisan points.”

Orman noted he and his running mate are not accepting contributions from PACs or lobbyists.

Orman laid out ways he thought business in Topeka needs to change to bring about a more prosperous Kansas.

He said he would begin by outlining an economic development strategy for the state.

Kansas has many strengths it can leverage to grow the economy, Orman said, including its geographic location in the center of the United States. As the economy is moving from being a bricks-and-mortar economy to a distributive economy, Kansas should be the distribution capital of America, Orman said.

Not only does Kansas have access to rail, but the state has access to low-cost inputs for manufacturing from agriculture and energy.

Orman said Kansas needs to have regulations that encourage businesses to locate here. In his discussions with entrepreneurs across the state, Orman said businesses have found getting sites approved to be cumbersome and time-consuming, which has driven some companies out of Kansas.

Orman proposes the state enter into regulatory compacts with local governments. If they agree to certain timelines for regulatory approval, the state will target highway and economic development dollars to those areas.

On taxes, Orman said he believes the Brownback tax plan resulted in tax avoidance. The repeal of tax breaks for LLCs has resulted in increases in tax revenue.

Orman said he saw ways of continuing to use state funds more efficiently. However, instead of across-the-board cuts, he said he would make targeted adjustments to the budget.

“We are engaged in a costly and expensive border war with Missouri over economic incentives,” he said. “We pay to move companies from one side of State Line Road. Missouri then pays to move our companies from the Kansas side of state line road to the Missouri side of State Line Road.”

Orman suggested working with Missouri to create a “no-fly zone” in Kansas City to avoid this costly back-and-forth poaching of businesses.

Criminal justice and marijuana
Orman also would seek to streamline the criminal justice system. He would support making the possession of small amounts of marijuana a ticketable offense. He thinks minor offenses should not include detention, especially for juveniles.

“We waste a lot of resources in Kansas arresting kids who are buying dime bags of weed,” he said.

The candidate supports the legalization of medical marijuana and growing industrial hemp. He did not go so far as saying he supported the legalization of marijuana for recreational use.

Orman said he supports a reevaluation of the Kansas criminal justice system.

“Ultimately, I think we can look at our whole criminal justice system, starting in pre-trail confinement and going all the way to the people we choose to imprison and just evaluate,” he said. “Do we really have a system that is serving the needs we are hoping to serve, which is No. 1 to keeping the public safe, No. 2 to deter negative behaviors, but No. 3 to do it in such a way that is responsible from a resource standpoint? The people who entrust us with their money deserve to have us spend their money well.”

He said he was concerned about pay for corrections officers, noting low pay may be contributing to a high turn over at the state’s prisons.

“We can’t have prison guards continuing to work 12-hour shifts, and, in some cases 16-hour shifts, and expect to keep those guards safe and expect to maintain public safety as well,” he said.

The third thing Orman said he would like to do to save Kansas money is negotiate pricing for Medicaid prescriptions. The state’s portion for medication through Medicaid is 10s of millions of dollars per year.

Schools
On school funding, Orman said although the Kansas Supreme Court in its latest ruling on school finance did not approve the state’s level of funding, it did set parameters the Legislature can work from.

Orman said the real issue is making sure students receive an equitable education throughout the state and much of that is trying to make up gaps for low-income students. He said he supported targeted solutions, such as summer reading and learning programs.

Orman’s wife was a public school teacher in Turner. He said, “My wife said to me ‘Greg, the best education policy is a growing economy, because so much of what happens to that student outside of the classroom has an impact on their educational outcomes.’ Do they have to work until 2 in the morning at a convenience store to help their family pay bills? Do they have a single parent, and the parent is working two or three jobs and can’t be involved in their education?”

Immigration
Immigration has been a hot topic in the Republic primary race for governor. Orman said he supports federal immigration reform, but he does not support ending a state policy that allows undocumented Kansas residents to pay in-state tuition. He said he did not think that move would save the state money. It would likely mean a drop in enrollment as these young people would not be able to attend college.

“At the end of the day, these kids are living here. We want them to improve their lives,” Orman said. “We want them to be put in a position where they can do higher value-added work, contribute more to the economy, contribute more to our communities. I think it really misunderstands the situation if we raise the prices and think these kids will be able to pay it.”

Health care

Orman supports the expansion of Medicaid in Kansas. He said he thinks in can be done with an attention to cost by focusing on population health and trying to keep people healthy instead of treating them when they are sick.

Orman said he thinks Kansas sends a horrible message to people who are working in Kansas and not making a lot of money.

“The message is if you get sick, quit your job,” he said. “In Kansas to qualify for KanCare, you have to make 41 percent of the federal poverty line. To qualify for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, you have to earn 138 percent of poverty line. So if you are a single, working mother making 10 bucks an hour and you get sick, the only way to get health care is to quit your job. I think that is the absolute wrong message. We want to be building pathways for people to improve their lives and give them opportunities to contribute more.”

He said he also saw health care accessibility as a workforce development issue. If a worker can live in Colorado and make $13 an hour and receive health care or work in Kansas, earn the same amount and not receive health care, he said they are going to choose to live in a state where they can access health care. Orman said Kansas has put itself at a disadvantage compared to the states who have expanded Medicaid.

Correctd: 11:04 a.m. July 27 for time of campaign announcement.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

WILSON — After a fire destroyed Wilson’s historical museum, a new museum will be a featured attraction during the annual Wilson After Harvest Czech Festival on Friday and Saturday.

The former House of Memories museum in the community’s historic opera house burned on Nov. 6, 2009. Most of the artifacts in the museum collection were lost to fire or water damage.

Joyce Kraus, museum volunteer, said the fire was a great loss to the community.

“A lot of us cried,” she said. “It was like losing a member of the family when we lost that.”

An all-volunteer group has worked for almost 10 years to rebuild the museum collection and find a new home for the museum. The community of Wilson is primarily a farming community of about 800 residents.

Nine months ago, the Robinson family whose parents at one time operated the Wilson World newspaper made available the home that had been used for the World offices at low price to the Wilson Community Foundation. That home at 411 24th is now open as the Wilson Heritage Museum. The newspaper’s printing equipment is still in the basement of the house. The museum was also aided in its rebuilding efforts through a grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.

The new museum features a Czech room as well as exhibits featuring the military history, and schools, churches and businesses of Wilson. New banners that depict a timeline as President Wilson worked to help Czechoslovakia become an independent democracy are expected to arrive in Wilson this week in time to be on display at the Czech Festival this weekend. This year’s Czech Festival is honoring 100 years of U.S. and Czech diplomatic relations.

Other featured museum items include Czech traditional costumes, Czech glass, needlepoint and photos and books on Czech history and geography.

Some remnants of the old museum remain. The museum has on display the remains of a money bag from one of the local banks that survived the fire. Also in the collection is a DVD that was shot in 2002 that shows the House of Memories collection before the fire.

Kraus said the museum is still in its infancy. Volunteers have worked with other museums to find cases to house artifacts. They are also applying for a K-State program that aides smaller museums by sending students to assist volunteers like the group in Wilson.

The museum is still accepting monetary donations as well as historical items for its collection. The museum is a nonprofit so all donations are tax-deductible. If an item is donated for the collection, Kraus said the museum is asking the donor to fill out a form explaining the item’s importance to the history of the area. For more information on donating, you can contact Kraus at 785-658-2328 or by mail at PO 322 Wilson, KS or contact the Wilson City Hall.

The museum will be open during the Czech Festival from noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday (except during the parade) and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The Czech Festival will have many of its standard favorites, including Czech folk dancing, polka music, kolache eating contest and sporting events. The annual toilet races have been renamed the Porcelain Throne of Games. Racers ride on toilet bowls that have been mounted to push lawn mower bases and a pusher navigates the team around an obstacle course. Those races will be at 2 p.m. Saturday.

New this year will be performances by Southeast Nebraska Bohemian Bagpipe Band and the Oklahoma Czech Folk Dancers.

For teens, there will be oversize games from 9 p.m. to midnight Saturday in Lions Club Park. This will include a night beach ball volleyball game facilitated by a lighted volleyball net.

For more information on the festival, call 785-658-2272 email [email protected] or see the festival’s Facebook page.

See the festival schedule below.

Friday, July 27

3:00pm			Miss Czech Princess Pageant (change from online schedule)
4:00pm			Annual State Meeting Kansas Czechs Inc
4:00pm			Arts & Crafts Show
4:00pm	–	1:00am	Drinks Entertainment & More!
4:00pm		7:00pm	Live Entertainment featuring Joe Dolezal
4:00pm			Centennial Celebration Welcome by Sharon Valasek Honorary Consul to Czech Republic
5:00pm		6:30pm	BBQ Kick Off (free will donation) with Mid State Cookers
5:00pm			KRSL Russell Radio Broadcasting LIVE on Russell’s Classic Country AM990
5:30pm			Pong Tournament
5:30pm			3-on-3 Basketball Tournament
6:00pm		7:00pm	Czech Dinner (open to public)
6:30pm			Czech Dancers
7:00pm	–		Flag Raising Ceremony performed by American Legion Post #262
7:00pm	–		City Band
7:00pm	–		Ice Cream Social
7:00pm		9:00pm	Mark Popp
7:30pm	–	11:30pm	Czech Fest Midway Rides & Games
8:00pm	–		Kolache Eating Contest
8:00pm	–	12:30am	The Brad Husak Polka Band
9:00pm	–	12:30am	Live Entertainment featuring Kill Creek Rising

 

Saturday, July 28

7:45am			Czech Run/Walk/Bike
8:00am			Arts & Craft Show
8:00am			Country Store
8:30am	–	9:30am	Legislative Coffee & Kolaches
8:30am			City Band
9:00am			Bake Sale
9:30am			Czech Dancers Performance
9:50am			Grand Marshal Presented
10:00am			Parade
10:00am			Softball Tournament
11:00am			Mid-Day – Dinner
11:00am			Czechoslovakian Centennial Welcome Sharon Valasek Honorary Consul to Czech Republic
11:00am	–	4:00pm	Come Czech us Out – Samples & Live Music
11:15am	–	12:30pm	SE Nebraska Bohemian Bagpipe Band
11:30am	–	5:30pm	Czech Fest Midway Rides & Games
11:45am			Turtle Races
12:00pm	–	2:00pm	Kid’s Czech Culture Activities & Czech Egg Painting
12:30pm	–	1:30pm	Oklahoma Czech Folk Dancers
1:00pm	–	3:00pm	Live Entertainment featuring Joe Dolezal
1:00pm	–	4:00pm	Mark Popp – Balloon Twister
1:00pm			Music with Bob Boatright
12:00pm			Quilt & Other Prizes Drawing (change from online schedule)
2:00pm			KS Czech Queen Pageant
2:00pm			Bingo
2:00pm			2018 Porcelain Throne of Games
3:00pm	–	3:45pm	SE Nebraska Bohemian Bagpipe Band
4:00pm	–	5:00pm	Oklahoma Czech Folk Dancers
4:00pm			Polka Mass – Wes Windholz & the St. Catherine Singers
5:00pm			Wilson Disc Golf Tournament
6:30pm			Polka Dance featuring Wes Windholz
6:30pm			Talent Show
8:00pm	–	10:00pm	Teen Dance*All Ages*
10:00pm	–	12:00am	Teen Dance *Ages 10 – 13*
9:00pm	–	12:00am	Teen Tailgate & Games *Ages 14 & older Only*
9:00pm	–	1:00am	Live Entertainment featuring Homebrew

 

 

Ellis County received ample moisture from the fast-moving storm that swept through the area Wednesday evening.

Most of Hays reported in excess of 1.5 inches, with the heaviest rain recorded southeast of Hays with 2.36 inches in the gauge.

The Ellis area, which saw a historic church and school damaged by straight line winds estimated at 80 mph or more, saw reports of approximately 1.2 inches of rain.

Most of Trego County had about an inch of precipitation, with the most significant report at 1.45 inches just east of WaKeeney.

The chance for more rain or thunderstorms persists through the weekend. Click HERE for the complete expanded forecast.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Hays city commissioners will take a final look at the draft 2019 budget, with a levy of 25.00 mills, during their meeting tonight and are expected to set a public hearing date of August 9.

In other business, commissioners will hear from Public Works Director Jesse Rohr about the Crawford Addition request for annexation, rezoning and final plat.

The property site, at the northwest corner of 48th and Roth, is being considered as a location for a new Tractor Supply Company retail store.

The requests have already been approved by the Hays Area Planning Commission.

A bid award will be considered for construction of a three story drill tower at the Fire/Rescue Training Facility on the south ball field of the old Frank Stramel ball fields in south Hays. American Fire Training Systems had the low bid of $145,917. The city received a $272,000 grant from the Dane G. Hansen for funding to construct the facility which will be used for regional training.

The meeting will open with the 2018 Water $mart Landscape awards to Jeff and JoAnn Jordan for their residential property and Commerce Bank for the business property at 2200 Vine Street.

The complete July 26 agenda is available here.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.

RCH

PLAINVILLE – The official groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 of Rooks County Health Center’s (RCH) expansion project was held on Tuesday, July 17. Construction of a dedicated rehabilitation center is a nearly 11,000 square foot addition and is expected to take 16 months to complete. The addition will house all of RCH’s rehabilitation services including Physical, Occupational, Speech Therapies, and Cardiac Rehab.

Phase 1 was completed February 2017 and included the on-site MRI/Nuclear Medicine addition.

Bill Stahl, RCH chief operating officer began the event by thanking the numerous individuals and businesses involved in the endeavor. Stahl noted that the project was a team effort that included the RCH board of directors, medical providers, Rooks County Health Care Foundation, USDA, Miller Architects, Commercial Builders of Hays and the entire staff at Rooks County Health Center.

Stahl also thanked the Dane G. Hansen Foundation for providing a grant that enabled the project to move forward at a critical juncture. Also noted were area community foundations and charitable trusts that provided financial support such as the William H. Andreson Charitable Trust, Pat Berkley Taylor Community Fund, Heartland Community Foundation and the Rooks County Health Center Auxiliary.

Stahl closed his remarks by acknowledging the hundreds of private donors who contributed to the project, saying “As with any worthwhile project the heart and soul is the individual donors and businesses, supporters of quality healthcare in Rooks County, too numerous to mention. This expansion truly could not be accomplished without the citizens and supporters of Rooks County stepping up, digging deep and investing to help our community and the entire region for generations to come”.

AJ Thomas, CEO of RCH, is also the former Director of Rehabilitation Services at RCH and admitted his excitement about the commencement of construction. “The new rehabilitation center will provide patients and the community access to state-of-the art care with unique features like a zero-entry therapy pool with an adjustable floor with variable water depth and an indoor walking tracking. With this addition, we improve our ability to serve the growing demand for therapy services which allows patients to stay close to home for their needs and save on travel and lodging expenses.”

Thomas went on to say “RCH is extremely fortunate to be able to continually progress and expand on the number of health services and initiatives available to patients.”

In addition to the new MRI and Nuclear Medicine suite, RCH created Doctors Without Delay, the first walk-in clinic in the region in addition to a number of proactive and preventative health screening initiatives offered monthly such as discounted lab screenings held on the first Friday of every month and after hours mammogram screenings on the second Tuesday of each month.

Summing up the strides that RCH has taken over the last few years, Thomas said “while we are very fortunate to have a visionary board that confronts the challenges facing rural health care with foresight and determination, our success would not be possible without the dedicated culture of caring created by RCH’s employees and the generous support of the community.”

Driven by the staff’s dedication and compassion for quality health care, RCH has received state and national recognition for work ranging from enhanced positive outcomes for stroke and heart attack events, low re-admission rates among discharged patients and sepsis education and treatment protocols.

This fall, RCH will be honored in New York for its work in preventing sepsis and promoting sepsis awareness in the region. RCH is the only critical access hospital in the nation to be so honored.

You can follow the construction progress of RCH’s new rehabilitation center on Facebook or visit www.RooksCountyHealthCenter.com.

A Chicago writer recently traveled with her sister to their hometown of Hoxie, stopping along various northwest Kansas towns, including Hays and Russell, along the way.

Read author Denise Crosby’s column on the trip HERE. The article was published this week in the Aurora Beacon-News, a suburban newspaper published by the Chicago Tribune.

The Hays Police Department responded to 9 animal calls and conducted 8 traffic stops Tue., July 24, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Suicidal Subject–1300 block W 27th St, Hays; 2:30 AM; 4:13 AM
Water Use Violation–2800 block Plaza Ave, Hays; 6:46 AM
Juvenile Complaint–1200 block Vine St, Hays; 8:09 AM
Animal At Large–1100 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 9:10 AM
Assist – Other (not MV)–Hays; 9:21 AM
Animal At Large–1000 block Elm St, Hays; 10:23 AM
Animal At Large–1300 block E 33rd St, Hays; 11:33 AM
Drug Offenses–1500 block Marjorie Dr, Hays; 11:41 AM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–1000 block E 28th St, Hays; 1:05 PM
Assist – Other (not MV)–1000 block Fort St, Hays; 1:39 PM
Suspicious Vehicle–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 1:55 PM
Custody Dispute–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 2:50 PM
Juvenile Complaint–2000 block Marshall Rd, Hays; 4:52 PM
Juvenile Complaint–1800 block Vine St, Hays; 2:20 PM; 2:30 PM
Criminal Threat–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 6:16 PM
Harassment (All Other)–3300 block Hall St, Hays; 6 PM; 6:05 PM
Assist – Other (not MV)–2300 block Lincoln Dr, Hays; 6:50 PM
Suspicious Activity–100 block W 4th St, Hays; 10:03 PM; 10:07 PM

Today A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Northeast wind 7 to 11 mph.

Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. East wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light southeast after midnight.

Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. South southeast wind 5 to 13 mph.

Friday Night A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast wind 8 to 13 mph.

Saturday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84.

Saturday Night A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.

Sunday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78.