The Hays Police Department responded to 9 animal calls and conducted 6 traffic stops Tue., Aug. 13, 2019, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Drug Offenses–3700 block Vine St, Hays; 2:20 AM; 2:30 AM
Animal At Large–200 block E 12th St, Hays; 7:34 AM
Dead Animal Call–8th and Vine St, Hays; 7:51 AM
Animal At Large–700 block E 6th St, Hays; 8:50 AM
Lost Animals ONLY–200 block W 16th St, Hays; 11:03 AM
Civil Dispute–500 block E 6th St, Hays; 12:15 PM
Suspicious Activity–2700 block Hall St, Hays; 12:25 PM
Animal Injured–300 block W 43rd St, Hays; 1:47 PM
Custody Dispute–1300 block Steven Dr, Hays; 2:12 PM; 3:29 PM
Drug Offenses–100 block Ash St, Hays; 4:03 PM; 4:07 PM
Violation of Restraining Order/PFA–1800 block Milner St, Hays; 4:40 PM; 4:48 PM
Suicidal Subject–1500 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 4:50 PM
Disturbance – General–200 block W 12th St, Hays; 5:27 PM
Welfare Check–1000 block Elm St, Hays; 5:46 PM
Theft (general)–1200 block Main St, Hays; 4 PM
Suspicious Person–200 block E 32nd St, Hays; 6:35 PM
Drug Offenses–600 block Commerce Pkwy, Hays; 7:14 PM
Storm Damage–3700 block Vine St, Hays; 9:51 PM
Assist – Other (not MV)–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 11:49 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 14 animal calls and conducted 8 traffic stops Wed, Aug. 14, 2019, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Abandoned Vehicle–1900 block Lincoln Dr, Hays; 12:20 AM
Drug Offenses–3400 block Vine St, Hays; 3:06 AM
Dead Animal Call–27th and Hickory, Hays; 8:03 AM
Animal At Large–1300 block E 33rd St, Hays; 08/14/2019 08:08:29 AM
Found/Lost Property–3200 block Vine St, Hays; 9:07 AM; 9:32 AM
Animal At Large–1700 block Vine St, Hays; 10:53 AM
Suspicious Activity–17th and Ash, Hays; 11:24 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–2900 block  Indian Trl, Hays; 11:33 AM
Theft (general)–1600 block Main St, Hays; 8/13 10:40 AM; 10:44 AM
Burglary/vehicle–1700 block Marjorie Dr, Hays; 12:28 PM
Welfare Check–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 12:44 PM
Animal Cruelty/Neglect–500 block W 20th St, Hays; 1:31 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–2500 block Vine St, Hays; 2:12 PM
Welfare Check–6th and Pine, Hays; 2:37 PM
Arson–400 block E 8th St, Hays; 3:21 PM
Shoplifting–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 7/17 1:30 PM; 3:13 PM
Shoplifting–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 7/17 10:45 PM; 11:58 PM
Shoplifting–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 7/11 2 PM; 2:58 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–300 block W 11th St, Hays; 4:11 PM
Disturbance – General–1300 block E 33rd St, Hays; 5:46 PM
Drug Offenses–400 block E 8th St, Hays; 6:45 PM
Animal Call–1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 7:33 PM
Burglary/vehicle–200 block Ash St, Hays; 7:38 PM
Criminal Trespass–2900 block Vine St, Hays; 7:15 PM; 7:48 AM
Theft (general)–500 block E 8th St, Hays; 4/1 12 AM; 8/14 7:40 PM
MV Accident-Private Property-Hit and Run–2200 block General Custer Dr, Hays; 8:23 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 10:24 PM
Disturbance – Noise–2200 block Walnut St, Hays; 10:30 PM
Domestic Disturbance–1600 block E 27th St, Hays; 10 PM; 10:37 PM
Burglary/vehicle–400 block  W 3rd St, Hays; 8/13 10 PM; 8/14 10 AM
Suspicious Activity–1600 block W 29th St, Hays; 10:50 PM; 10:55 PM

The Kansas Department of Transportation has started work on a surface recycle and chip seal project on a portion of K-9 in Norton County.

The project area covers 13 miles beginning at the east U.S. 283 junction and extending east to the Phillips County line. In addition to the K-9 project, crews will also complete a chip seal on K-173 near Densmore. Traffic will be reduced to one lane through the construction zones and directed by flaggers and a pilot car during daylight hours. Minor delays not exceeding 15 minutes should be anticipated. Work is expected to be complete by the end of September, weather permitting.

Dustrol Inc. is the primary contractor for the project with a total contract cost of approximately $1 million.

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
FHSU University Relations and Marketing

Wednesday was move-in day for freshman students in the learning communities at Fort Hays State University.

They got a taste of the culture of their new home-away-from-home in a hurry.

A learning community is a group of first-year students who share common interests, take classes together, live on the same floor in a residence hall and participate in activities together throughout the year.

As they drove up to Victor E. Village – the residence hall that houses those in the learning communities – they were greeted by numerous student volunteers who not only helped them unload their vehicle but carried in their belongings as well.

“That was unbelievable,” said Jeff Wick from Wamego, whose son, Jacob, is a member of the Everybody’s Business Community. “It took only one trip to get everything in. It was fantastic having that one extra step to take the stress out of moving in.”

Wick also was impressed with how quickly university personnel had cleaned up after a thunderstorm with wind gusts of 80-plus mph blew through Hays the night before.

Quick reaction to an emergency was all in a day’s work for several FHSU departments.

Dean Dreiling, one of the grounds supervisors, arrived on campus about 9 p.m. Tuesday after the storm and, along with three other employees of the grounds/greenhouse department, began clearing tree branches from the streets and sidewalks.

“A lot of us have been here for a long time, and everybody knows where to head,” said Dreiling, who has been with FHSU for 21 years.

Clean-up crews returned to work at 7 a.m. Wednesday and worked for two days to get campus back to normal.

“It’s really a team effort,” he said. “I see it around here a lot. All the different departments work so well together, and it sure makes it enjoyable to work here.”

The wind blew in a wall in the Akers Energy Center, knocking over some electrical gear. Power plant employees and others came to campus to help Keith Dreher, director of energy management, remove the debris. A temporary wall is being installed until total damage is assessed.

“There were guys there from the power plant, physical plant, grounds, maintenance, construction crew, others,” Dreher said. “It’s amazing the response you get when you’re trying to get things back in order, the people you have show up to help.”
It was business as usual when students and their parents arrived on campus early Wednesday morning. On Thursday, more freshmen moved into other residence halls.

The Wicks came to Hays Monday night and got a reminder of what summer weather in western Kansas can be like. The family lived in Hays for several years before moving to Wamego six years ago.

“The storm brought back some memories of when we lived here,” Wick said, “and so did coming to campus – great memories, and we look forward to visiting often.”

Bruce and Wendy Schultz from Hutchinson also were taking a trip down memory lane while moving their daughter, Ashton, into the Imaging With Tiger Pride Community on the second floor.

The Schultzes are both graduates of FHSU and are pleased that their second daughter decided to attend their alma mater. They also were pleasantly surprised with the extra help they received.

A pair of freshmen witnessed that type of support first-hand the night of the thunderstorm.

Some students already moved into Victor E. Village as part of the Golden Beginnings Program for new first-year students. They can move into their residence hall a few days before the rest of the students, giving them another opportunity to network with their peers.

Tuesday’s storm knocked out power to the university, which relied on back-up generators for several hours. Students in Victor E. Village gathered on the first floor of the building until the storm passed.

“People who were calm were helping everyone, like me, who weren’t so calm,” said Kristen Reed from Fort Collins, Colo. “We are part of a Learning Community here, and it was literally a community effort (Tuesday).”

Reed is an elementary education major and part of the Opportunity through Education Community.

Reed admitted being visibly shook up by the severity of the storm, but Lauren Haselhorst from Kinsley, about an hour from Hays, took it all in stride.

“We’ve had a tornado just 300 yards away from our house before, so I’m kind of used to this, being from this part of the state,” said Haselhorst, who is part of Imaging with Tiger Pride.

Nonetheless, she was still impressed with the collaborative effort it took to prepare for the huge task of welcoming hundreds of students to campus.

“It was neat to see everyone working together to get everything ready for the big move-in,” she said.

And she did mean everyone. Even Dr. Tisa Mason, the university’s president, helped students move in and carried bags into McMindes Hall Thursday morning.

Activities for first-year students will continue for the next 40 days. Classes will begin Monday.

Even before she started her first college class, Reed was convinced she made the right choice where to attend college. After graduating with 600 classmates in her Colorado high school, Reed wanted to attend a regional out-of-state college where she could play softball and pursue a degree in education.

Fort Hays State proved to be the right fit.

“I came here for a campus visit my junior year,” Reed said, “and I knew then that this is it. This is where I want to be.”

Salina Post

SALINA — An attempt to hide from police didn’t work for a 23-year-old Plainville man.

An officer was driving at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday when he saw a white male in a camo hat duck behind cars at Casey’s, 215 W. Crawford, Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said Thursday.

The officer recognized the man as Michael Emerick, 23, Plainville, and knew that Emerick had active Saline County District Court warrants, so he stopped and attempted to make contact, Forrester said.

When the officer approached, Emerick ran a short distance before the officer was able to apprehend him, Forrester said, adding he was also allegedly found to be in possession of methamphetamine.

Forrester said Emerick was arrested on the two felony warrants — one for failure to appear and one for probation violation — as well as on suspicion of the following:

• Felony obstruction
• Possession of methamphetamine
• Possession of drug paraphernalia

The Hays Police Department responded to 10 animal calls and conducted 31 traffic stops Fri., Aug. 9, 2019, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Suspicious Activity–300 block E 6th St, Hays; 12:13 AM
Suspicious Activity–1700 block Agnes Dr, Hays; 2:19 AM
Driving Under the Influence–500 block E 5th St, Hays; 2:50 AM; 3:01 AM
Suspicious Activity–300 block E 17th St, Hays; 2:30 AM; 2:35 AM
Found/Lost Property–Hays; 8:46 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–200 block W 14th St, Hays; 10:07 AM
Driving Under the Influence–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 10:15 AM; 10:19 AM
Animal At Large–1800 block E 26th St, Hays; 10:25 AM
Animal At Large–1200 block Vine St, Hays; 10:29 AM
Credit Card Violations–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 11:54 AM
Theft (general)–1300 block Vine St, Hays; 11 AM; 12:54 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–100 block E 16th St, Hays; 12:58 PM
Credit Card Violations–1600 block E 28th St Terr, Hays; 6 PM; 4:05 PM
Lost Animals ONLY–4100 block Kings Ct, Hays; 4:16 PM
Animal Call–400 block Fort St, Hays; 5:03 PM
Found/Lost Property–1300 block  Ash St, Hays; 2 PM
Animal At Large–6th and Oak, Hays; 5:10 PM
Harassment (All Other)–600 block  Main St, Hays; 4:12 PM; 6:12 PM
Assist – Other (not MV)-1000 block Elm St, Hays; 6:14 PM
Criminal Damage to Property–1000 block Reservation Rd, Hays; 7:27 PM
Bicycle – Lost,Found,Stolen–100 block W 18th St, Hays; 7:29 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 5 animal calls and conducted 24 traffic stops Sat., Aug. 10, 2019, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Driving Under the Influence–500 block W 7th St, Hays; 12:04 AM
Driving Under the Influence–100 block W 6th St, Hays; 2:06 AM
Curfew Violation–1500 block US 183 Alt Hwy, Hays; 2:26 AM
Pursuit/Chase–200 block E 25th St, Hays; 3:23 AM
Mental Health Call–500 block E 8th St, Hays; 4:15 AM; 4:31 AM
Rape–400 block Ash St, Hays–5:17 AM
Found/Lost Property–700 block Allen St, Hays; 8:35 AM
MV Accident-Private Property–500 block W 16th St, Hays; 10:28 AM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–200 block W 43rd St, Hays; 10:58 AM
Welfare Check–800 block Walnut St, Hays; 8/7 1:22 PM; 8/10 1:22 PM
Lost Animals ONLY–1300 block E 33rd St, Hays; 3:09 PM
Mental Health Call–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 4:28 PM
Shoplifting–1000 block  Main St, Hays; 2:45 PM; 3 PM
Lost Animals ONLY–500 block E 6th St, Hays; 7:18 PM
Criminal Trespass–100 block E 7th St, Hays; 7:45 PM; 7:57 PM
Civil Dispute–1000 block E 41st St, Hays; 8:54 PM
Drug Offenses–250th and Norfolk, Ellis County; 11:28 PM
Drug Offenses–800 block Walnut St, Hays; 11:30 PM; 11:53 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 3 animal calls and conducted 13 traffic stops Sun., Aug. 11, 2019, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Disturbance – General–100 block W 20th St, Hays; 12:15 AM
Driving Under the Influence–600 block Elm St, Hays; 1:42 AM
Driving Under the Influence–300 block E 15th St, Hays; 5:14 AM

The Hays Police Department responded to 8 animal calls and conducted 24 traffic stops Mon., Aug. 12, 2019, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Animal At Large–300 block W 11th St, Hays; 8:53 AM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–600 block E 5th St, Hays; 8:56 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–2700 block Hickory St, Hays; 9:10 AM
Animal At Large–2200 block Henry Dr, Hays; 9:47 AM
Suspicious Person–1000 block Country Club Dr, Hays; 10:16 AM
Welfare Check–500 block E 8th St, Hays; 10:41 AM
Lost Animals ONLY–1300 block Douglas Dr, Hays; 11:39 AM
Animal At Large–300 block W 19th St, Hays; 12:01 PM
Criminal Damage to Property–200 block W 5th St, Hays; 8/9 10 PM; 8/10 8 AM
Animal At Large–2500 block Indian Trl, Hays; 1:59 PM
Animal Cruelty/Neglect–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 2:26 PM
Animal Call–300 block E 7th St, Hays; 2:47 PM
Welfare Check–2700 block Augusta Ln, Hays; 4:28 PM
Suspicious Activity–500 block E 20th St, Hays; 5:13 PM
Juvenile Complaint–600 block Main St, Hays; 8:08 PM
Drug Offenses–100 block W 48th St, Hays; 10:05 PM; 10:10 PM
Criminal Damage to Property–27th and Walnut, Hays; 10:30 PM; 10:40 PM
Unwanted Person–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 11:41 PM

The 22nd annual Youth Outdoor Festival, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been canceled.

According to a news release, Tuesday night’s storm caused damage to the Hays City Sportsman’s Club facilities, and the site is without power due to a private electrical line being down.

Repairs will not be completed in time for Saturday’s event.

— Cover photo courtesy KDWPT

For 57 years, Omer Knoll has been creating art. From charcoal drawings to bronze sculptures, Knoll has amassed quite a collection, some of which is now on display at the Hays Public Library Schmidt Gallery.

The exhibit will be part of the Hays Arts Council Fall Gallery Walk on Friday, Aug. 23, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Knoll will be on hand that night to discuss individual pieces and his creative process.

Knoll was born in Hays and has lived much of his life in Ellis and Rooks counties. The 84-year-old said the display calls attention to his and the area’s Volga German heritage.

“I want to show the work, and I’m proud of the work,” Knoll said. “If they see this stuff, it lets them know that it didn’t happen by itself. It took a great deal of hard work.”

One of the pieces on display is titled “Johnny.” It was created in 1962, and Knoll said it was his first completed sculpture created the way he wanted.

Omer called the show “a little bit of a love story” because a few of his late wife Mary’s paintings also are on display. One, of Grant Villa, is a collaboration of both Omer and Mary. The couple, who were married for 42 years, met as art students at Fort Hays State University.

Knoll has a few projects that he wants to complete and is hoping to raise the funds needed to finish them.

The exhibit will be on display at the library through late September.

— HPL

GREAT BEND — Rosewood Gallery in downtown Great Bend is a place known for heirloom quality, solid-wood furniture. But it is quietly becoming a place known for quality quilting, too.

That’s because Rosewood Gallery Lead Sherri Nickelson, an expert quilter, has been teaching her love of quilting, crocheting and sewing to some of Rosewood’s clients, who have shown a desire to learn the skilled process. For more than a year, a handful of Rosewood clients have participated weekly in sewing projects that involve quilting or crocheting.

“It started with a few of them and as others got interested, it has grown,” explained Nickelson.

About an hour is about all that they can handle each session, so we move slow, but we are consistent with working on the projects every week. We stagger the sessions throughout the week, so that we can work with them individually.”

Nickelson teaches each client one or two days a week. The net result is a collection of baby quilts that will be donated this fall to a local organization in need of the blankets. She also has one client, Debbie Wasinger, who prefers to crochet, so Nickelson works with her to create dish cloths.

“She’s been learning to count stiches and that takes extra patience, but she’s been able to complete several dish cloths,” said Nickelson. “That’s a big accomplishment for anyone learning to crochet.”

On the other hand, quilt making is a team project, explained Nickelson. Each client does work on the same quilt until that quilt is completed.

“For instance, Jesse (Kerns) just completed the work on the top part of the quilt we are working on; now he knows next week when he comes in to sew, he’ll work on a different quilt,” explained Nickelson. “They see the end product and know that they had an important hand in a group effort. It’s just another concept to keep clients engaged and involved who show an interest in something and want diversification in the workplace.”

Next project up for the sewing group is a patch-work quilt. Nickelson said she creates the designs each time, making them a bit different to keep the interest of her students. She is also preparing to introduce embroidery into their sewing projects.

“We are thankful to have Sherri working with our clients,” said Tammy Hammond, Rosewood Services Executive Director. “Her ability to share her talents by patiently teaching each individual is remarkable. I enjoy seeing their progress!”

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