We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Tag: kansas

HPD tactical teams will train Jan. 30 in Hays

Posted on

The Hays Police Department will conduct training from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 30. A portion of the training will be in the 400 block of East Sixth.

Police officers will be training with special tactical equipment. The HPD said in a news release the realistic training is being done with great care and safety.

Residents might see law enforcement officers move through the area, and the HPD said there is no need to be alarmed, and there is no danger to the community.

Anyone with questions or concerns can contact the on-site supervisor (designated by a reflective green vest) or Chief Don Scheibler at (785) 625-1030.

Water weighs heavy as Ellis County considers budget priorities

Posted on

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

Ellis County commissioners laid out their budget priorities for 2015 at a special meeting Wednesday afternoon.

Among the items the commissioners identified were economic development and zoning in an effort to expand business opportunities in the county, and public safety.

Public safety also was discussed, focusing on Interstate 70 traffic.

“With Hays PD and our Ellis County Sheriff’s Department, I think we are very fortunate to live in Ellis County. I think they do a good job,” said Commissioner Dean Haselhorst.

All three commissioners agreed that how paid time off in certain departments is handled will be a major issue this year.

The commissioners also agreed water was one of the biggest issues facing Ellis County in the future.

“We can talk lots and lots of things as a body, but the No. 1 influence on what we are going to do in Ellis County is water,” Commissioner Swede Holmgren said. “We need to be creative about saving water but also improved use and distribution of water.”

Commissioner Barbara Wasinger said it would be a good idea for the county to take some of the ideas the city of Hays and offer certain incentives for replacing showerheads and toilets with more water-efficient appliances.

Holmgren added the commission do not want the water situation to deter people from moving to and building businesses in the community.

USD 489 goals, budget update on work session agenda

Posted on
By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post
The USD 489 Board of education will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday for a work session. Among the agenda  items, Superintendent Dean Katt will present an update on the USD 489 budget.Katt also will update board members on the district’s SMART goals, changes in policies the board is working on and will revisit throughout the year.

Additionally, Katt and board attorney Bill Jeter will discuss recommendations for current policy changes. An updated policy manual will be made available prior to the meeting.

Members will also be presented with a revised board administrative calendar. The discussion also will address changes in formatting for the current policy document and an updated policy manual will be available prior to the meeting.

Finally, Katt and Jeter will lead a discussion about current central office administrator contracts and the format of future contracts for these administrators.

The meeting will be held at Toepfer Board Room at Rockwell Administration Building, 323 W. 12th.

The USD 489 website provides a full work session agenda.




 

HPD activity log, Jan. 15

Posted on

AOBB-Logo-Main11

The Hays Police Department conducted 22 traffic stops and received one animal call on Wednesday, Jan. 15, according to the HPD activity log.

Suspicious activity, 400 block West Seventh, 1:30 a.m.
Abandoned vehicle, 2700 block Hillcrest, 8:43 a.m.
Assist, 1700 block Volga, 1:02 p.m.
Lost animals, 1100 block Drum, 2:41 p.m.
Assist, 1000 block Fort, 3:46 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident, 1000 block East 27th, 4:55 p.m.
Harassment/telephone/FAX, 2200 block Marjorie, 5:31 p.m.
Theft, 100 block West 12th, 5:15 p.m.
Harassment/telephone/FAX, 600 block Walnut, 10:30 p.m.
Warrant service/failure to appear, 100 block West 12th, 11:17 p.m.

NW Kan. counties included in disaster declaration (UPDATE)

Posted on

WASHINGTON — Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 37 counties in Kansas, including Ellis County, as natural disaster areas due to severe and ongoing drought.

“Kansas continues to face one of the worst droughts since the Dust Bowl,” Roberts said. “The lack of rainfall has had a devastating impact on our crops, and our ranchers are facing severe hardship due to a lack of available feed caused by the drought. I applaud the USDA for continuing to recognize this hardship, and I am pleased that Kansans can tap into vital USDA resources and rebuild their farms, ranches and communities.”

“The USDA’s Disaster Designation is welcome news at a time when Kansas producers — who contribute to an affordable food supply across the globe — are experiencing the results of a devastating drought,” Moran said. “In spite of the exceedingly dry conditions, this designation will mitigate the drought’s effects and enable farmers and ranchers to continue their agricultural operations.”

USDA designated Cheyenne, Clark, Comanche, Decatur, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Lane, Logan, Meade, Morton, Ness, Norton, Pawnee, Phillips, Rawlins, Rooks, Rush, Scott, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas, Trego, Wallace and Wichita counties as disaster counties.

Farmers and ranchers in the following eight counties in Kansas also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous: Barber, Barton, Edwards, Kiowa, Osborne, Russell, Smith and Stafford.

These counties will now be eligible for important disaster programs, such as the emergency loan program administrated by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). These programs will help the farmers and ranchers of Kansas make it through one of the most difficult growing seasons on record.

Affected farmers should contact their local FSA office for more information.

———

UPDATE: 12:43 p.m. Jan. 16

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Federal officials have designated portions of 11 western and central states as primary natural disaster areas because of a drought.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s announcement Wednesday includes counties in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Kansas, Texas, Utah, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Oklahoma and California.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement that he sympathizes with farmers and ranchers who are dealing with the lack of rain and snow, and assured them that the USDA will stand by them.

The designation means eligible farmers can qualify for low-interest emergency loans from the Agriculture Department.

Counties adjacent to those that are affected also are eligible for assistance.

The United States Drought Monitor reports that while storms have dumped rain and snow in the East, droughts are persisting or intensifying in the West.

Kansas Reads: ‘Bleeding Kansas’ by Sara Paretsky

Posted on

TOPEKA — The State Library of Kansas has announced the eighth annual Kansas Reads, one-book/one-state reading and discussion project. This year’s selection, “Bleeding Kansas” by Sara Paretsky, relates to the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. While Bleeding Kansas is a contemporary novel, its title appropriately alludes to the Bleeding Kansas era of the 1850s.

bookBleedingKansas

Kansas Reads: Bleeding Kansas kicks off today and runs through March 20. Part of the project will feature scholar-led book discussions at Kansas City Kansas Public Library–Wyandotte Branch, Augusta Public Library, Dodge City Public Library, Atchison Public Library and Salina Public Library.

Author Sara Paretsky also will host a book discussion through an interactive Twitter chat at 7 p.m. March 11 using the hashtag #ksreads.

This year’s title is available in a variety of formats as well as book discussion kits. For details on how you can participate in this reading and discussion project, stop by your local library or visit www.kcfb.info/ksreads2014.html.

Kansas Reads: Bleeding Kansas is supported by the Kansas Humanities Council, a nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to promoting humanities programs across Kansas. Find out more at www.kansashumanities.org.

Brownback will propose restoring oil, gas payments to counties

Posted on

Hays Post

TOPEKA — A legislative “misunderstanding” that caused state payments to counties to drop a year earlier than expected has prompted a proposed policy change increasing payments under the Oil and Gas Depletion Trust Fund by $7.5 million this year.

The fund is used as a buffer against sudden drops in revenue when oil production decreases.

Don Hineman, R-Dighton
Don Hineman, R-Dighton

The cuts to nearly 70 counties was made a year too soon, according to the office of Gov. Sam Brownback. The change prompted a lawsuit to change the funding, an action Ellis County commissioners decided to join last fall.

“I understand the confusion and frustration by members of the Kansas House and counties in western Kansas,” Brownback said in a statement Tuesday. “This is why I have agreed to propose increasing the payments to counties.”

Rep. Don Hineman, R-Dighton, was among the lawmakers pushing for the change.

“This fund is a very important safety net for the counties and I am pleased that we were able to work with Gov. Brownback to find a solution,” Hineman said. “It is important that the counties have funds set aside for the day when the wells finally begin to run out. This agreement ensures that money will be there for them.”

The change in reimbursement rates from the state to counties went from just more than 12 percent to 6 percent last year.

HPD activity log, Jan. 14

Posted on

AOBB-Logo-Main11

The Hays Police Department conducted 14 traffic stops and received eight animal calls on Tuesday, Jan. 14, according to the HPD activity log.

Disturbance, 800 block East Eighth, 1:12 a.m.
Search warrant, 1300 East 33rd, 2:57 a.m.
Overdose, 100 block Ash, 2:02 a.m.
Mental health call, 1000 block Reservation, 4:10 a.m.
Suicidal subject, 500 block East 20th, 5 a.m.
Animal at large, 100 block East 17th, 8:19 a.m.
Found/lost property, 4400 block Vine, noon
Civil transport, 2200 block Canterbury, 10:18 a.m.
Shoplifting, 4300 block Vine, 10:28 a.m.
Motor vehicle accident/private property, 1000 block West 27th, 12:56 p.m.
Burglary/residence, 900 block Walnut, 1:54 p.m.
Abandoned vehicle, 700 block Main, 2:09 p.m.
Drug offenses, 500 block Mission, 1:21 p.m.
Animal at large, 2300 block East 13th, 2:19 p.m.
Animal at large, 17th and Ash, 2:54 p.m.
Mental health call, 1000 block West 28th, 3:35 p.m.
Juvenile complaint, 1200 block Main, 4:30 p.m.
Assist, 1000 block Fort, 4:58 p.m.
Lost animals, 3300 block Lincoln , 5:01 p.m.
Animal at large, 800 block Ash, 5:44 p.m.
Criminal damage to property, 500 block East Eighth, 8:20 p.m.

Former Junction music minister sentenced in molestation case

Posted on

By DEWEY TERRILL
Little Apple Post

JUNCTION CITY — Geary County Attorney Steve Opat said Tuesday that Jordan Young, former music minister for Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church in Junction City, has been sentenced to more than 24 years in prison.

Jordan Young
Jordan Young

The prison term stems from Young’s convictions in an child molestation case.

As part of the sentence handed down in Geary County District Court on Monday, Opat said Young also will be required to register with authorities for the rest of his life and was assessed a “post-release of lifetime.”

“Basically, means if and when he ever gets out on parole or post-release, if he has occasion to screw it up, he goes back to the Department of Corrections,” Opat said.

Young pleaded no contest in November and was found guilty of one count of aggravated criminal sodomy and three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

According to a stipulation of the facts filed in court, Young was employed as a music teacher at the Apostolic Academy when nine teenage boys came forward on Aug. 5, 2012, and said Young was sexually inappropriate and/or had engaged in sexual acts with the boys.

Young was arrested and charged in the case following a Junction City police investigation in August 2012.

Hays Kiwanis gets ready for international’s 100th year

Posted on

Hays Post

Jan. 21 is a big day for Kiwanis International, which will mark its 99th anniversary.

kiwanisSymbolThe first Kiwanis Club was formed Jan. 21, 1915 in Detroit, according the Hays Kiwanis board member Jerry Ubert. The Hays club was established May 7, 1953.

With that in mind, the local group is thinking about making a splash to celebrate the Kiwanis century mark. The club was planning on discussing a special project beginning with today’s board meeting.

“Between now and next year, we’ll try to do something special,” said Ubert, who has been with the club for 30-plus years. “We just don’t know what it is yet.”

Hays boasts the largest club in the state of Kansas, he said, noting that metro areas often have multiple clubs in a single city.

With approximately 95 members, membership in Hays is near an all-time high.

Ubert said in the 1980s and 1990s, there were times when membership dwindled to the 50s, but that interest has been renewed in the service organization in recent years.

Among the service projects the club undertakes each year is the annual Easter Egg hunt at Fort Hays State University, the placement of flags throughout the community for Memorial Day, and lending a hand with Special Olympics. Club members also visit area schools for the “Breakfast of Champions” program, where students who have maintained or increased their grades are recognized.

The club meets at noon Thursdays at The Bakery Shop, 200 E. Eighth.

For more information on the Hays Kiwanis Club, click HERE.

HPD reminds community to lock cars

Posted on

Kari Blurton
Hays Post

Law enforcement is reminding the community to lock their cars. Hays police say warmer weather can cause an increase in car break-ins. According to Lt. Ron Rounkles, this time of year also plays a part in thefts.

Lt. Ron Rounkles, Hays Police Department

Rounkles said making sure your car is locked is the most important way to deter theft.  He also advised parking your car in a visible spot.

HHS students hope ‘Promapalooza’ will shed light on eating disorders

Posted on

By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

Two Hays High students hope the used prom dresses hanging in your closet will help raise awareness about the dangers of eating disorders.
Eating disorders coalition

Juniors Kirsten Ellard and Britney Werth , both 17, are asking the public to donate gently used prom dresses for and event called “Promapalooza,” where the dresses will be resold for around $20.

Ellard said proceeds will go to the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy and Action.  According to Ellard, an online “Healthy Eating Survey” — available on the Hays High website through Friday — already has revealed some HHS students suffer from eating disorders.

Kirsten Ellard, Hays High Junior

According to Ellard, the idea started as a school project, but the students decided to turn it into a “community-wide event” instead.

Ellard said dresses can be donated at both Master Cleaners locations in Hays, 200 W. Eighth or 2403 Vine.

The date for “Promapalooza” will be announced soon.

HPD activity log, Jan. 13

Posted on

AOBB-Logo-Main11

The Hays Police Department conducted 17 traffic stops and received six animal calls on Monday, Jan. 13, according to the HPD activity log.

Abandoned vehicle, 2700 block Augusta, 7:39 a.m.
Motor vehicle accident, 20th and Fort, 8:22 a.m.
Bicycle/lost, found, stolen, 1400 block Main, 8:33 a.m.
Animal at large, 13th St and Canterbury, 8:56 a.m.
Found/lost property, 1500 block Marjorie, 10:45 a.m.
Motor vehicle accident/private property, 300 block West Seventh, 6:15 a.m.
Disorderly conduct, 1700 block Sunset, 11:34 a.m.
Drug offenses, 1100 block East 22nd, 11 a.m.
Abandoned vehicle, 1500 block Marjorie, 2:56 p.m.
Shoplifting, 1900 block Vine, 3:03 p.m.
Bicycle/lost, found, stolen, 2100 block Ash, 3:20 p.m.
Animal at large, 4500 block West 19th, 3:18 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident/private property, 4300 block Vine, 11:30 a.m.
Suspicious activity, 1800 block Milner, 3:36 p.m.
Dangerous animal, 2900 block Hillcrest, 4:30 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident, 2700 block Thunderbird, 4:33 p.m.
Civil dispute, 100 block East 14th, 4:59 p.m.
Burglary/vehicle, 500 block West 36th, 10:30 a.m.
Theft, 4900 block East Seventh, 6:30 p.m.
Contempt of court/failure to pay, 100 block West 12th, 8:13 p.m.
Found/lost property, West Seventh, 3 a.m.
Contempt of court/failure to pay, 100 block West 12th, 9:20 p.m.
Contempt of court/failure to pay, 100 block West 12th, 9:20 p.m.
Drug offenses, 300 block East 33rd, 10:51 p.m.
Warrant service/failure to appear, 700 block East Seventh, 11:37 p.m.

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File