Due to adverse weather conditions, alley cleanup activities are postponed until further notice. Once conditions improve, crews will resume collections in the unfinished areas and continue until complete. 

It is anticipated that all areas will be complete within 1-2 days of resuming cleanup activities.

Visit <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/DocumentCenter/View/3332/2020-10-23-Alley-Cleanup-Map">www.haysusa.com</a> to view a map showing all completed areas. Contact Public Works at 628-7350 with any questions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603720608081.jpeg" alt="Progress of the alley cleanup as of Friday, Oct. 23.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Progress of the alley cleanup as of Friday, Oct. 23.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>City of HaysDue to adverse weather conditions, alley cleanup activities are postponed until further notice. Once conditions improve, crews will resume collections in the unfinished areas and continue until complete. It is anticipated that all areas will be complete within 1-2 days of resuming cleanup activities. Visit <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/DocumentCenter/View/3332/2020-10-23-Alley-Cleanup-Map">www.haysusa.com</a> to view a map showing all completed areas. Contact Public Works at 628-7350 with any questions.

Weather forces postponement of alley cleanup

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, area residents will gather at Breathe Coffee House, 703B Main, for "Can We Just Talk" — the first meeting of the black, indigenous and people of color community of Ellis County.

The informal meeting is designed to be a way to create a stronger community by enhancing the understanding of racial issues in a nearly entirely white community.

“This event grew from the development of a virtual community I
created in August 2020," said Nuchelle Chance, who organized the group with husband Demetrius Chance. "As a black woman, and specifically an underrepresented
minority in Hays, I am a firsthand witness to the fact that black, brown,
gay, Muslim, etc … people are not always made to feel welcomed and truly
included."

The isolation created by the pandemic even further compounded the problem Nuchelle said.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has been significantly transformative as it has
really exacerbated the loneliness that a minority can feel in a place like
this," she said. "For me, I felt that this cannot be the best-case scenario for how I want
my time in northwest Kansas to be remembered."

The BIPOC group and the meeting Tuesday is a direct response to that concern.

"I created the Black, Indigenous and
Persons of Color Community of Ellis County Facebook group as a safe
space for community building, inclusivity and support for underrepresented
minorities in the area."

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/bipocellis">That group can be found at www.facebook.com/groups/bipocellis.</a>

With this first meeting, they hope to expand the reach of their message of inclusivity.

"As the COVID-19 pandemic regulations have been
adjusting I felt we were at a place where we could expand and take this
movement from a virtual space to reality," Nuchelle said "After conversations with my husband Demetrius&nbsp;Chance,
friends, HHS, FHSU students and colleagues I felt we could take this group
to the next level.”

While Demetrius and Nuchelle organized the event, they credit Patrick McGinnis as also being instrumental in adding the in-person meetings.

“Patrick, owner of Breathe
Coffee House, has been an avid supporter of community initiatives and supported
diversity and inclusion efforts since we moved to Hays," Nuchelle said. "Prior to COVID, Patrick was hosting conversations like this and, through conversations with him, it was obvious that with collaboration we could take it to the next level to
promote real inclusivity in this place."

While they hope to create a more understanding culture in the area, they understand change takes time.

“We clearly know we cannot
solve all the problems of the world, let alone Ellis County, but we can
provide those small moments of acceptance, welcomeness, peace, tranquility,
support and love," Nuchelle said. "We love our neighbors, black, white, brown, gay, straight,
disabled, fully-abled, Christian, Muslim, non-believer, and so on. If nothing
more than letting others that look, feel, and think like us know that we are
here. Further, we welcome all allies even if they do not self-identify as we do.”

Having a group like this in Ellis County, she said not only helps create a more understanding culture but can also help the minority populations by giving them an opportunity to gather together.

“An organization like this is
critical in a community like this where it is so easy for minorities to want to
simply disappear and be invisible just to go along with their daily lives only
to be hyper-visible and overly tokenized when it suits the masses,” Nuchelle said.

After moving to Hays from North Carolina in 2018, she said she has seen how difficult first-hand life in Hays can be for the BIPOC community.

“One of the biggest things for me is the fact that the
representation in this community is very small,” Nuchelle said. 

It’s so small that it seems that for minorities, even seeing other
people with a shared background can be comforting she said.

She said her family has experienced a few incidents that enforce
her belief that groups like this are helpful to the entire community.

“Even if they are just microaggressions, they still have an impact on
someone’s fears,” Nuchelle said. “Being accused of potentially robbing a store, just
because you are a black man in a hoodie, or being profiled by the police just because
you look suspicious based on your skin color, it is problematic. But it is happening
across the nation.”

It’s really just about bringing a sense of community and
showing that you are not by yourself, she said.

From those living in more urban settings, even with recent strife, often have more support in their communities, by virtue of the larger populations, Nuchelle said.&nbsp;

“In bigger cities, there is a sense of community in that you can walk
outside, or go to your neighborhood store and see people and communicate with
people that have lived experiences like you, look like you and perceiving the
world like you, but that doesn’t happen in Hays or northwest Kansas for the
majority of people that brown or black,” she said.

And she said in northwest Kanas the frequency of growing up in a
racially homogenous community creates misunderstandings and biases against minorities, simply because of the lack of experience with different groups.

With that lack of understanding comes troubling situations.

“Truth be told, now and in the past years in the current political
climate, it has really emboldened many people to spread these heinous and nasty thoughts,” Nuchelle said. “And it’s become
super polarized.”

With the lack of diversity in Hays, she said this area
is particularly susceptible to biases stemming from a lack of mutual
understanding and sense of community that bridges different backgrounds.

Even this month, Nuchelle said in Hays members of the BIPOC
group had reported racially motivated incidents.

A Hispanic member was walking while passed by a recent
political rally that saw people driving around Hays in support of President Donald
Trump’s re-election campaign.

“He was verbally assaulted by the protestors,” she said. “As
he was walking to work they drove by and called him a (racial slur).”

“You can’t even mind your business and go to school and be
brown without being harassed,” she said. “it’s disgusting, it’s intolerable and
it’s unfortunate. But at the same time, the burden of that lies on the
marginalized.”

“It’s one thing to be marginalized,” Demetrius said. “But
when you don’t have people to connect with it makes living here hard, it makes
it tough. To be able to be around people like look like you, that
think like you, it creates more of community with each other and changes the
climate.”

The opportunity to be around others can create an encouraging environment
that can spur change, he said.

He said with the situations that have created strife across the U.S. are not new.

“People are now standing up. People are now talking about
it,” Demetrius said. “These are situations and issues that people have felt for years, for generations. &nbsp;

While the desire to create change is being fostered, he said he has to start at home.

“We can't depend on federal legislation or state legislation
to make changes,”&nbsp;Demetrius said. “We have to start locally and we have to focus on
change and what can we do in this community to make it easier for people that
are marginalized to potentially survive more peacefully.”

While he acknowledges that Hays is generally a safe community, concerns for minorities remains a concern.

“I know that they say Hays is a great place, and compared to
a lot of cities, Hays is a great place to live,"&nbsp;Demetrius said. "It’s peaceful. People walk
around with their houses unlocked, so you can see the sense of security here,
but there are also issues when it comes to race.”

“It’s not going to be a week-long battle or a month battle,”
he said. “Racism has been in Hays for generations, so it’s nothing that is going
to be corrected soon, but this is laying the foundations and starting the
process for us to create the community that everyone envisions.”

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/734145120470637/">For more information about the meeting visit their facebook page.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603641929326.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELL Hays PostAt 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, area residents will gather at Breathe Coffee House, 703B Main, for "Can We Just Talk" — the first meeting of the black, indigenous and people of color community of Ellis County.The informal meeting is designed to be a way to create a stronger community by enhancing the understanding of racial issues in a nearly entirely white community.“This event grew from the development of a virtual community I
created in August 2020," said Nuchelle Chance, who organized the group with husband Demetrius Chance. "As a black woman, and specifically an underrepresented
minority in Hays, I am a firsthand witness to the fact that black, brown,
gay, Muslim, etc … people are not always made to feel welcomed and truly
included."The isolation created by the pandemic even further compounded the problem Nuchelle said."The COVID-19 pandemic has been significantly transformative as it has
really exacerbated the loneliness that a minority can feel in a place like
this," she said. "For me, I felt that this cannot be the best-case scenario for how I want
my time in northwest Kansas to be remembered."The BIPOC group and the meeting Tuesday is a direct response to that concern."I created the Black, Indigenous and
Persons of Color Community of Ellis County Facebook group as a safe
space for community building, inclusivity and support for underrepresented
minorities in the area."<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/bipocellis">That group can be found at www.facebook.com/groups/bipocellis.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603657488149.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>With this first meeting, they hope to expand the reach of their message of inclusivity."As the COVID-19 pandemic regulations have been
adjusting I felt we were at a place where we could expand and take this
movement from a virtual space to reality," Nuchelle said "After conversations with my husband Demetrius&nbsp;Chance,
friends, HHS, FHSU students and colleagues I felt we could take this group
to the next level.”While Demetrius and Nuchelle organized the event, they credit Patrick McGinnis as also being instrumental in adding the in-person meetings.“Patrick, owner of Breathe
Coffee House, has been an avid supporter of community initiatives and supported
diversity and inclusion efforts since we moved to Hays," Nuchelle said. "Prior to COVID, Patrick was hosting conversations like this and, through conversations with him, it was obvious that with collaboration we could take it to the next level to
promote real inclusivity in this place."While they hope to create a more understanding culture in the area, they understand change takes time.“We clearly know we cannot
solve all the problems of the world, let alone Ellis County, but we can
provide those small moments of acceptance, welcomeness, peace, tranquility,
support and love," Nuchelle said. "We love our neighbors, black, white, brown, gay, straight,
disabled, fully-abled, Christian, Muslim, non-believer, and so on. If nothing
more than letting others that look, feel, and think like us know that we are
here. Further, we welcome all allies even if they do not self-identify as we do.”Having a group like this in Ellis County, she said not only helps create a more understanding culture but can also help the minority populations by giving them an opportunity to gather together.“An organization like this is
critical in a community like this where it is so easy for minorities to want to
simply disappear and be invisible just to go along with their daily lives only
to be hyper-visible and overly tokenized when it suits the masses,” Nuchelle said.After moving to Hays from North Carolina in 2018, she said she has seen how difficult first-hand life in Hays can be for the BIPOC community.“One of the biggest things for me is the fact that the
representation in this community is very small,” Nuchelle said. It’s so small that it seems that for minorities, even seeing other
people with a shared background can be comforting she said.She said her family has experienced a few incidents that enforce
her belief that groups like this are helpful to the entire community.“Even if they are just microaggressions, they still have an impact on
someone’s fears,” Nuchelle said. “Being accused of potentially robbing a store, just
because you are a black man in a hoodie, or being profiled by the police just because
you look suspicious based on your skin color, it is problematic. But it is happening
across the nation.”It’s really just about bringing a sense of community and
showing that you are not by yourself, she said.From those living in more urban settings, even with recent strife, often have more support in their communities, by virtue of the larger populations, Nuchelle said.&nbsp;“In bigger cities, there is a sense of community in that you can walk
outside, or go to your neighborhood store and see people and communicate with
people that have lived experiences like you, look like you and perceiving the
world like you, but that doesn’t happen in Hays or northwest Kansas for the
majority of people that brown or black,” she said.And she said in northwest Kanas the frequency of growing up in a
racially homogenous community creates misunderstandings and biases against minorities, simply because of the lack of experience with different groups.With that lack of understanding comes troubling situations.“Truth be told, now and in the past years in the current political
climate, it has really emboldened many people to spread these heinous and nasty thoughts,” Nuchelle said. “And it’s become
super polarized.”With the lack of diversity in Hays, she said this area
is particularly susceptible to biases stemming from a lack of mutual
understanding and sense of community that bridges different backgrounds.Even this month, Nuchelle said in Hays members of the BIPOC
group had reported racially motivated incidents.A Hispanic member was walking while passed by a recent
political rally that saw people driving around Hays in support of President Donald
Trump’s re-election campaign.“He was verbally assaulted by the protestors,” she said. “As
he was walking to work they drove by and called him a (racial slur).”“You can’t even mind your business and go to school and be
brown without being harassed,” she said. “it’s disgusting, it’s intolerable and
it’s unfortunate. But at the same time, the burden of that lies on the
marginalized.”“It’s one thing to be marginalized,” Demetrius said. “But
when you don’t have people to connect with it makes living here hard, it makes
it tough. To be able to be around people like look like you, that
think like you, it creates more of community with each other and changes the
climate.”The opportunity to be around others can create an encouraging environment
that can spur change, he said.He said with the situations that have created strife across the U.S. are not new.“People are now standing up. People are now talking about
it,” Demetrius said. “These are situations and issues that people have felt for years, for generations. &nbsp;While the desire to create change is being fostered, he said he has to start at home.“We can't depend on federal legislation or state legislation
to make changes,”&nbsp;Demetrius said. “We have to start locally and we have to focus on
change and what can we do in this community to make it easier for people that
are marginalized to potentially survive more peacefully.”While he acknowledges that Hays is generally a safe community, concerns for minorities remains a concern.“I know that they say Hays is a great place, and compared to
a lot of cities, Hays is a great place to live,"&nbsp;Demetrius said. "It’s peaceful. People walk
around with their houses unlocked, so you can see the sense of security here,
but there are also issues when it comes to race.”Now, he said, people are stepping up.“It’s not going to be a week-long battle or a month battle,”
he said. “Racism has been in Hays for generations, so it’s nothing that is going
to be corrected soon, but this is laying the foundations and starting the
process for us to create the community that everyone envisions.”<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/734145120470637/">For more information about the meeting visit their facebook page.</a>

Community conversations focus of first BIPOC event Tuesday

SHERMAN COUNTY —Two people were injured in two separate accidents blamed on icy roads Sunday afternoon in Sherman County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Jeep Liberty driven by&nbsp; Liliana Macias, 22, Scott City, was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of the St. Francis exit just before 3p.m.

 Due to icy road conditions the driver lost control of the vehicle. The jeep entered the median, struck the guardrail and rolled.

Just after 3p.m. Sunday, a 2010 Ford passenger vehicle driven by Randal Bryan Crawford, 45, Grove, OK., was&nbsp;eastbound on Interstate 70 just past the Kansas State line.

The vehicle hit a slick spot. The driver lost control of the vehicle. It struck the guardrail and came to rest in the median.

EMS transported Macias and a passenger in the Ford John Randal Crawford, 18, Grove, OK., to the hospital in Goodland. Randal Crawford was not injured.&nbsp; All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603665349923.png" alt="Icy I-70 Sunday afternoon -image KANDRIVE" />
 <figcaption>Icy I-70 Sunday afternoon -image KANDRIVE</figcaption>
 </figure>SHERMAN COUNTY —Two people were injured in two separate accidents blamed on icy roads Sunday afternoon in Sherman County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Jeep Liberty driven by&nbsp; Liliana Macias, 22, Scott City, was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of the St. Francis exit just before 3p.m. Due to icy road conditions the driver lost control of the vehicle. The jeep entered the median, struck the guardrail and rolled.Just after 3p.m. Sunday, a 2010 Ford passenger vehicle driven by Randal Bryan Crawford, 45, Grove, OK., was&nbsp;eastbound on Interstate 70 just past the Kansas State line.The vehicle hit a slick spot. The driver lost control of the vehicle. It struck the guardrail and came to rest in the median.EMS transported Macias and a passenger in the Ford John Randal Crawford, 18, Grove, OK., to the hospital in Goodland. Randal Crawford was not injured.&nbsp; All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

2 hospitalized after accidents on icy I-70

An unexpected overnight stop in Hays left an indelible mark
on 49 Winchester frontman Isaac Gibson.

The up-and-coming Virginia-based band with a unique sound
that incorporates rock 'n' roll, country, blues, bluegrass and soul, plays
tribute to that stop on their new album, "III," released earlier this month.

The band formed in 2013, right after Gibson, bass player
Chase Chafin and Bus Shelton graduated high school in what Gibson called a “little
bitty town in the coal field in southwest Virginia.”

Despite the rural location and lack of area musicians to
choose from he said.

“We had enough buddies that we could wrangle together and
jam some," he said.

Dillon Cridlin and Noah Patrick currently round out the group on
drums and steel guitar.

As time went on, the band began performing more original
songs and released its first album in 2014.

“That’s where it all started,” Gibson said. “Here it is just some high-school buddies that got a hankering
to play some music."

It wasn’t long before they were touring the East
Coast.

Another album was released, and the band began
receiving more attention with 2020 looking to be a big year with yet another album planned and a larger tour in the works.

But then COVID-19 put almost everything on hold.

“We had plans to branch out big time this spring and had a
lot of stuff on the books,” Gibson said.

Despite the setback, the band released its third album on
Oct. 1 and is promoting as much as possible.

“The live music industry is pretty severally hindered by
COVID, but we are getting out there as much as we can do responsibly,” Gibson
said. “We’re staying after it.”

The new album reflects the efforts of the band to craft
their unique sound.

“It was a big range of stuff,” Gibson said. “I think this is
a much more varied series of songs in terms of what they do emotionally for the
listener.”

While holding onto the diversity of sound, he said the album has a distinctly more county music feel than their previous ones. This is most noticeable on the
opening track “Long, Hard Life,” with its driving classic country tone set on
top of an almost funky drum beat and with an even more classic county song, “Why Else
Would I Call You?” 

But other tracks, like “The Road Home” and “You Never Did
Love Me” slow down and relish in long and slow steel guitar riffs that almost seem
to reflect the process of songwriting for Gibson.

“There is nothing that we do musically or lyrically either
one that can be rushed,” he said. “It’s not something that is forced it is
always sort of develops out of nowhere.” 

Outside of his songwriting, he credits the band’s sound to
having a diverse set of musicians that are empowered to incorporate styles of
music they enjoy into the arrangements, creating a bluesy, country rockabilly
mix that is hard to quantify.

“This one is definitely more of a country record than either
of the previous two, but somebody threw the term 'Appalachia soul' on us at one
point and that’s the one that stuck, more than anything. It’s not country music
and it’s not blues music and it’s not rock 'n' roll. “It’s not any of those
things and it is all of those things at the same time.”

That eclectic mix Gibson said comes from a diverse
collection of music styles scraped from a youth on the internet and YouTube,
and a desire to not emulate other bands.

“We never tried to sound like anybody,” he said. “You take
five guys that like five different sounds, five different types of music and
have five different backgrounds and you give them freedom to write their parts the
way they want to and you wind up with something that doesn’t sound like
(anybody else). I think that has been a big part of our success so far.”

He said growing up with the internet that allowed each of
them to discover a wide range of musical styles and led him to dive into old
blues and country music.

“That was a whole different level of inspiration that I had
never heard before and been exposed to in my life that really inspired me to
play and to write the way that I do now,” Gibson said.

“It’s a bittersweet connection to the town,” Gibson said
about his time in Hays, the namesake of the seventh track on their 49
Winchester’s newest album, III.

He said while promoting the album questions about the origins of the track “Hays,
Kansas” often comes up.

The slow swing beat with heavy electric and steel guitar backing
reflect his lyrical portrait of a town where one could escape from the tribulations of
life.

He said the inspiration for the song started with a road trip
to California in January with his girlfriend at the time and her grandparents.

“Halfway there, the van breaks down in this little town
called Hays, Kansas, and I’m like 'What the hell is Hays, Kansas? Where are we
at?' ” Gibson said.

Waiting for parts, the group stayed in town for the night,
but despite efforts to reconcile the fight continued into the next day.

“I had a train wreck of a night, a terrible night,” he said.
“We just had a terrible, terrible time.”

The song, he said, does not reflect exactly what happened but rather
served as the inspiration for the chorus.

And while the stop became a miserable experience, Gibson said he thought fondly of the town.

“Even though that place — when I think about it —– the first
thing that enters my mind is huge distress and a pretty traumatic couple of
days,” he said. “But, at the same time, it’s that perfect kind of place, tucked away out in the middle of nowhere. That is exactly the kind of place I
would run to, fly to and go towards when I have days like that anyway.”

Even half the country away from home, he said the town that
was&nbsp; completely unknown to him, still had an essence
of the familiar.

“The biggest part of it, I think, is that it reminded me of these
little towns back home,” he said.

It was different than most of the metropolitan cities that
made up the other stops on the trip.

“That little town — although I had a terrible night&nbsp;— it just
sort of felt like home,” he said.

<a href="https://49winchester.com/home">More about 49 Winchester, including songs from their latest
album III,&nbsp;can be found on their website 49Winchester.com</a>. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/49winchester">The group is also active on facebook.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603393873446.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELL Hays PostAn unexpected overnight stop in Hays left an indelible mark
on 49 Winchester frontman Isaac Gibson.The up-and-coming Virginia-based band with a unique sound
that incorporates rock 'n' roll, country, blues, bluegrass and soul, plays
tribute to that stop on their new album, "III," released earlier this month.The band formed in 2013, right after Gibson, bass player
Chase Chafin and Bus Shelton graduated high school in what Gibson called a “little
bitty town in the coal field in southwest Virginia.”Despite the rural location and lack of area musicians to
choose from he said.“We had enough buddies that we could wrangle together and
jam some," he said.Dillon Cridlin and Noah Patrick currently round out the group on
drums and steel guitar.As time went on, the band began performing more original
songs and released its first album in 2014.“That’s where it all started,” Gibson said. “Here it is just some high-school buddies that got a hankering
to play some music."It wasn’t long before they were touring the East
Coast.Another album was released, and the band began
receiving more attention with 2020 looking to be a big year with yet another album planned and a larger tour in the works.But then COVID-19 put almost everything on hold.“We had plans to branch out big time this spring and had a
lot of stuff on the books,” Gibson said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603393712764.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Despite the setback, the band released its third album on
Oct. 1 and is promoting as much as possible.“The live music industry is pretty severally hindered by
COVID, but we are getting out there as much as we can do responsibly,” Gibson
said. “We’re staying after it.”The new album reflects the efforts of the band to craft
their unique sound.“It was a big range of stuff,” Gibson said. “I think this is
a much more varied series of songs in terms of what they do emotionally for the
listener.”While holding onto the diversity of sound, he said the album has a distinctly more county music feel than their previous ones. This is most noticeable on the
opening track “Long, Hard Life,” with its driving classic country tone set on
top of an almost funky drum beat and with an even more classic county song, “Why Else
Would I Call You?” But other tracks, like “The Road Home” and “You Never Did
Love Me” slow down and relish in long and slow steel guitar riffs that almost seem
to reflect the process of songwriting for Gibson.“There is nothing that we do musically or lyrically either
one that can be rushed,” he said. “It’s not something that is forced it is
always sort of develops out of nowhere.” Outside of his songwriting, he credits the band’s sound to
having a diverse set of musicians that are empowered to incorporate styles of
music they enjoy into the arrangements, creating a bluesy, country rockabilly
mix that is hard to quantify.“This one is definitely more of a country record than either
of the previous two, but somebody threw the term 'Appalachia soul' on us at one
point and that’s the one that stuck, more than anything. It’s not country music
and it’s not blues music and it’s not rock 'n' roll. “It’s not any of those
things and it is all of those things at the same time.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603393862130.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>That eclectic mix Gibson said comes from a diverse
collection of music styles scraped from a youth on the internet and YouTube,
and a desire to not emulate other bands.“We never tried to sound like anybody,” he said. “You take
five guys that like five different sounds, five different types of music and
have five different backgrounds and you give them freedom to write their parts the
way they want to and you wind up with something that doesn’t sound like
(anybody else). I think that has been a big part of our success so far.”He said growing up with the internet that allowed each of
them to discover a wide range of musical styles and led him to dive into old
blues and country music.“That was a whole different level of inspiration that I had
never heard before and been exposed to in my life that really inspired me to
play and to write the way that I do now,” Gibson said.<div><iframe width="350" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QjMcC0T74Jg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> *NOTE: Song is uncensored</div><h2>'Hays, Kansas'</h2>“It’s a bittersweet connection to the town,” Gibson said
about his time in Hays, the namesake of the seventh track on their 49
Winchester’s newest album, III.He said while promoting the album questions about the origins of the track “Hays,
Kansas” often comes up.The slow swing beat with heavy electric and steel guitar backing
reflect his lyrical portrait of a town where one could escape from the tribulations of
life.He said the inspiration for the song started with a road trip
to California in January with his girlfriend at the time and her grandparents.“Halfway there, the van breaks down in this little town
called Hays, Kansas, and I’m like 'What the hell is Hays, Kansas? Where are we
at?' ” Gibson said.Waiting for parts, the group stayed in town for the night,
but despite efforts to reconcile the fight continued into the next day.“I had a train wreck of a night, a terrible night,” he said.
“We just had a terrible, terrible time.”The song, he said, does not reflect exactly what happened but rather
served as the inspiration for the chorus.And while the stop became a miserable experience, Gibson said he thought fondly of the town.“Even though that place — when I think about it —– the first
thing that enters my mind is huge distress and a pretty traumatic couple of
days,” he said. “But, at the same time, it’s that perfect kind of place, tucked away out in the middle of nowhere. That is exactly the kind of place I
would run to, fly to and go towards when I have days like that anyway.”Even half the country away from home, he said the town that
was&nbsp; completely unknown to him, still had an essence
of the familiar.“The biggest part of it, I think, is that it reminded me of these
little towns back home,” he said.It was different than most of the metropolitan cities that
made up the other stops on the trip.“That little town — although I had a terrible night&nbsp;— it just
sort of felt like home,” he said.<a href="https://49winchester.com/home">More about 49 Winchester, including songs from their latest
album III,&nbsp;can be found on their website 49Winchester.com</a>. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/49winchester">The group is also active on facebook.</a>

Impression of Hays captured on new album

For some, the holiday season brings feelings of sadness, disappointment, loneliness or loss. This simple service acknowledges those feelings and provides a space of quiet holiness, a vocabulary of prayer and song and a reminder that we are not alone.&nbsp;

This service is an offering of Trinity Lutheran Church and St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. For more information, contact Pastor Brenda Roger at tlcpr@eaglecom.net or Rev. Shay Craig at rev.shay.craig@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602858292306.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>For some, the holiday season brings feelings of sadness, disappointment, loneliness or loss. This simple service acknowledges those feelings and provides a space of quiet holiness, a vocabulary of prayer and song and a reminder that we are not alone.&nbsp;All are welcome.This service is an offering of Trinity Lutheran Church and St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. For more information, contact Pastor Brenda Roger at tlcpr@eaglecom.net or Rev. Shay Craig at rev.shay.craig@gmail.com.— Submitted

Blue Christmas service scheduled at St. Michael's

Three-day weather outlook

The statistics are in that show 70 percent of U.S. households are now food preparation central for 80 percent of their families’ meals. This is up 40 percent from 2019 and likely not slowing down. COVID19 has certainly impacted “where” we are eating most of our meals. Whether you are a cook-from-scratch kind of person or rely on some pre-cooked products when putting a meal together keep reading for some sound advice.

When shopping the frozen food case, be aware that not all frozen foods are prepared the same. Don’t assume that all frozen foods are equal when it comes to preparing them for your families dinner. You may not realize that some frozen foods are not fully cooked or ready to eat, especially if they have browned breading, grill marks or other signs that normally show that a product has been cooked.&nbsp;

In a recent Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) observational study, 22 percent of participants said a not-ready-to-eat frozen chicken entrée was either cooked, partially cooked, or they weren’t sure that the product was in fact raw. The best advice is to read the cooking or preparation instructions on the package. This is specific to that product. The instructions may only have one cooking method or possibly multiple methods. Choose the one that best fits your schedule.

This information is important for all frozen foods whether they are vegetables or meat products. If the package states “not ready to eat” that means some form of cooking, baking or roasting must take place. Always use a food thermometer to check final temperatures.&nbsp;

Donna Krug is the District Director and Family and Consumer Science Agent for the Cottonwood District – Great Bend office. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or <a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573141404420.png" alt="Donna Krug is the District Director and Family and Consumer Science Agent for the Cottonwood District – Great Bend office." />
 <figcaption>Donna Krug is the District Director and Family and Consumer Science Agent for the Cottonwood District – Great Bend office.</figcaption>
 </figure>The statistics are in that show 70 percent of U.S. households are now food preparation central for 80 percent of their families’ meals. This is up 40 percent from 2019 and likely not slowing down. COVID19 has certainly impacted “where” we are eating most of our meals. Whether you are a cook-from-scratch kind of person or rely on some pre-cooked products when putting a meal together keep reading for some sound advice.When shopping the frozen food case, be aware that not all frozen foods are prepared the same. Don’t assume that all frozen foods are equal when it comes to preparing them for your families dinner. You may not realize that some frozen foods are not fully cooked or ready to eat, especially if they have browned breading, grill marks or other signs that normally show that a product has been cooked.&nbsp;In a recent Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) observational study, 22 percent of participants said a not-ready-to-eat frozen chicken entrée was either cooked, partially cooked, or they weren’t sure that the product was in fact raw. The best advice is to read the cooking or preparation instructions on the package. This is specific to that product. The instructions may only have one cooking method or possibly multiple methods. Choose the one that best fits your schedule.This information is important for all frozen foods whether they are vegetables or meat products. If the package states “not ready to eat” that means some form of cooking, baking or roasting must take place. Always use a food thermometer to check final temperatures.&nbsp;Donna Krug is the District Director and Family and Consumer Science Agent for the Cottonwood District – Great Bend office. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or <a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;

KRUG: Safely preparing frozen foods

Our information universe clearly has problems.

The recent emergence of the term “fake news” into the popular lexicon
 was quickly followed by a swath of articles discussing why the facts 
don’t change our minds, the importance of fact checking and critiques of
 the mainstream media.

In a period where facts can become a partisan issue, experts have 
started calling this the post-truth world. While they are not wrong, it 
raises the question: When have we ever lived in a truthful world?

A quick glance at American history shows a litany of falsehoods: 
Columbus “discovered” America — as if there weren’t millions of people 
already living here. Slavery was justified on the false claim that Black
 Americans were somehow “lesser” than white Americans. The limits on 
women’s rights were justified by pseudoscience “proving” them the weaker
 sex. Entire immigrant populations have been singled out on the lie of 
“otherness.” Disinformation targeting religions has led to persecution 
and hate crimes. People with Southern accents are “dumb” … and so many 
more.

Systems of power — people, organizations and governments — have 
always perpetuated the “fake news” that benefits them. Neither this nor 
widespread disinterest in the truth is a new problem. We also can’t tell
 this story without turning a critical eye on the history of the press. 
Look, for example, at press failures as they reported on AIDS in the 
1980s and the negative impact that coverage had and continues to have on
 the LGBTQ+ community. Mainstream media’s general acceptance of the Bush
 administration’s claim of weapons of mass destruction fueled wide 
public acceptance of war with Iraq.

Our information universe has a problematic history, but before we 
descend into hopelessness, delete our social media and cancel newspaper 
subscriptions, there is a positive side. All of the previously mentioned
 falsehoods were found with a simple scroll through social media that 
revealed an amazing amount of fact checking. Millions of citizen 
creators and amplifiers are sharing innovative images and short-form 
lessons on America attempting to make truth louder than lies.

The argument can be made that technology has allowed us, for the first time, to call for a truthful world.

The fuel behind this work is the First Amendment. The founders wrote a
 law better than they were, for an America they couldn’t possibly 
envision. The right of free expression, unequally applied for 200 years,
 has found equity in the digital age. At last, the microphone is big 
enough for 330 million voices. There is nothing in the First Amendment 
that requires us to tell the truth, but inherent in its creation was the
 idea of an informed citizenry. People informing people.

As we head into this election, the purpose of the press and the 
rights of citizen advocates becomes even more critical to the democratic
 process. From local elections to national protests, fact checking is 
becoming a political tool. Election campaigns have started to call fact 
checking itself into question as a tactic in election advertisements. 
The Women’s March, for example, has taken up fact checking as a form of 
protest by training citizen digital defenders to combat disinformation. 
With misinformation confusing the voting process and the social media 
swirl around the candidates, the need for factual information is more 
critical than ever.

If the data and opinion noise is overwhelming you, here are some 
media literacy tips to get you started sorting fact from fiction.

Media literacy, though, is about more than consuming what others have
 created. To be truly media literate, we must express ourselves about 
the information and content we have taken in.

The First Amendment places in the hands of the people the power to 
decide what to express. We have the right to lie, but we equally have 
the right to speak the truth. The question then becomes not do we live 
in a post-truth world, but do we want to live in a truthful one?

Jessi Hollis McCarthy is the outreach educator of the Freedom Forum. She can be reached at <a href="mailto:jmccarthy@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">jmccarthy@freedomforum.org</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603375658149.png" alt="Jessi Hollis McCarthy is the outreach educator of the Freedom Forum." />
 <figcaption>Jessi Hollis McCarthy is the outreach educator of the Freedom Forum.</figcaption>
 </figure>Our information universe clearly has problems.The recent emergence of the term “fake news” into the popular lexicon
 was quickly followed by a swath of articles discussing why the facts 
don’t change our minds, the importance of fact checking and critiques of
 the mainstream media.In a period where facts can become a partisan issue, experts have 
started calling this the post-truth world. While they are not wrong, it 
raises the question: When have we ever lived in a truthful world?A quick glance at American history shows a litany of falsehoods: 
Columbus “discovered” America — as if there weren’t millions of people 
already living here. Slavery was justified on the false claim that Black
 Americans were somehow “lesser” than white Americans. The limits on 
women’s rights were justified by pseudoscience “proving” them the weaker
 sex. Entire immigrant populations have been singled out on the lie of 
“otherness.” Disinformation targeting religions has led to persecution 
and hate crimes. People with Southern accents are “dumb” … and so many 
more.Systems of power — people, organizations and governments — have 
always perpetuated the “fake news” that benefits them. Neither this nor 
widespread disinterest in the truth is a new problem. We also can’t tell
 this story without turning a critical eye on the history of the press. 
Look, for example, at press failures as they reported on AIDS in the 
1980s and the negative impact that coverage had and continues to have on
 the LGBTQ+ community. Mainstream media’s general acceptance of the Bush
 administration’s claim of weapons of mass destruction fueled wide 
public acceptance of war with Iraq.Our information universe has a problematic history, but before we 
descend into hopelessness, delete our social media and cancel newspaper 
subscriptions, there is a positive side. All of the previously mentioned
 falsehoods were found with a simple scroll through social media that 
revealed an amazing amount of fact checking. Millions of citizen 
creators and amplifiers are sharing innovative images and short-form 
lessons on America attempting to make truth louder than lies.The argument can be made that technology has allowed us, for the first time, to call for a truthful world.The fuel behind this work is the First Amendment. The founders wrote a
 law better than they were, for an America they couldn’t possibly 
envision. The right of free expression, unequally applied for 200 years,
 has found equity in the digital age. At last, the microphone is big 
enough for 330 million voices. There is nothing in the First Amendment 
that requires us to tell the truth, but inherent in its creation was the
 idea of an informed citizenry. People informing people.As we head into this election, the purpose of the press and the 
rights of citizen advocates becomes even more critical to the democratic
 process. From local elections to national protests, fact checking is 
becoming a political tool. Election campaigns have started to call fact 
checking itself into question as a tactic in election advertisements. 
The Women’s March, for example, has taken up fact checking as a form of 
protest by training citizen digital defenders to combat disinformation. 
With misinformation confusing the voting process and the social media 
swirl around the candidates, the need for factual information is more 
critical than ever.If the data and opinion noise is overwhelming you, here are some 
media literacy tips to get you started sorting fact from fiction.<ul>
 <li>Know your rights — what do press and speech laws actually say is and is not protected?</li><li>Be yourself but know yourself — we are most likely to fall for fake stories that confirm our own biases.</li><li>Ask questions and compare multiple news or information sources to 
get the answer. Always double check the source or article type — avoid 
opinion pieces when searching for facts.</li><li>The story is rarely simple. Seek complexity instead of confirmation.
 The facts will not and should not always support your views.</li><li>Admit when you fall for fake news — you’re in good company. A vast 
number of American adults have fallen for a false story (including this 
author). Help others become good news consumers. A simple “You might 
want to double check that story; I think it might be fake” can do a 
world of good.</li>
 </ul>Media literacy, though, is about more than consuming what others have
 created. To be truly media literate, we must express ourselves about 
the information and content we have taken in.The First Amendment places in the hands of the people the power to 
decide what to express. We have the right to lie, but we equally have 
the right to speak the truth. The question then becomes not do we live 
in a post-truth world, but do we want to live in a truthful one?That decision is ours.Jessi Hollis McCarthy is the outreach educator of the Freedom Forum. She can be reached at <a href="mailto:jmccarthy@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">jmccarthy@freedomforum.org</a>.&nbsp;

FIRST FIVE: Do we live in a post-truth world?

By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-schools-found-more-teachers-pandemic-means-they-need-even-more">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA, Kansas — Kansas’ teacher shortage finally shows signs of shrinking.

But districts still can’t find enough educators to keep schools running under coronavirus safety demands.

“We
 were through the worst of it before all this happened,” said Mischel 
Miller, the director of teacher licensure at the Kansas State Department
 of Education.

New state data give schools plenty of reasons to 
be optimistic about the shrinking teacher shortage. Desperately needed 
special education teachers are finally showing up. More teachers are 
moving to Kansas than are leaving the state. And a larger number of 
Kansans ditched other careers for the classroom.

Yet keeping 
schools pandemic-safe requires more than filling long-open vacancies. 
Schools need significantly more teachers to make class sizes small 
enough for social distancing. And those hundreds of remaining vacancies 
are being filled with educators who fall short of the state’s standards 
meant to guarantee kids a quality education.

Teacher
 vacancies have been steadily growing in Kansas since at least 2017, 
before falling this year. New annual data from the Kansas State 
Department of Education shows 771 vacancies across the state, about 5% 
fewer than last year.

The state also saw other positive signs that it’s finally turning 
around its teacher shortage. State officials say Kansas universities are
 finally seeing more college students signing up as education majors. 
Schools had been seeing fewer and fewer potential hires at career fairs 
for years.

Special education teachers typically have been the 
hardest for districts to find. That’s still true in 2020. Still, the 157
 open special ed teaching spots is a noticeable improvement to the 186 
openings from last year.

Other teaching positions have gone in 
the wrong direction. Elementary teacher openings — traditionally easy 
spots to fill — went up 23% compared to last year. And while 
universities might be signing up more students for education classes 
today, 13% fewer Kansas graduates earned a teaching license this year.

At the same time, qualified teachers are reaching their breaking 
point working long and stressful hours during the pandemic. Education 
officials fear that by spring, the number of teachers who quit could 
erase any gains from the fall and make the shortage significantly worse.

“I’ve
 seen teachers in tears talk about leaving the profession and they’re 
exhausted,” Julie Loevenstein, a teacher in the Basehor-Linwood school 
district near Kansas City, told the state school board Wednesday.

Those
 vacancies don’t always mean teacher-less classrooms. The state counts 
any teaching spot without a qualified teacher as vacant. Many districts 
fill in those spots with uncertified teachers, like paraeducators, 
student teachers or substitutes without full-blown teaching licenses.

Salina Public Schools often relies on career and technical education 
teachers fresh out of the field they’re teaching and just starting to 
earn their license. While those former electricians and mechanics might 
be experts from their fields, they often have no training in managing a 
classroom or passing their skills on. The district said it would rather 
rely on licensed teachers, but often can’t find them.

“It’s 
always better to have had someone who has gained that experience so they
 come into the classroom ready to go at full speed,” said Eryn Wright, 
the head of human resources at Salina Public Schools.

Still, those unlicensed educators often have more in-the-classroom 
experience than a fresh college graduate. Dodge City Public Schools said
 the paraeducators and substitutes it used to fill its empty teaching 
spots have years of hands-on knowledge in the district.

“That’s a
 lot more than I can say when I went through the (teaching) program 
several years ago,” said Ramona Nance, the head of human resources at 
Dodge City Public Schools.

For
 in-person classes to happen, they need to be safe. This year the state 
education department says that means keeping physical classes socially 
distant. But that requires far more teachers than schools have to get 
class sizes small enough to keep kids six feet apart.

There’s no 
magic number for the correct class size. Education commissioner Randy 
Watson uses 15 as the go-to number, but admits that depends on the size 
of the room and other factors.

Middle and high school classes at Dodge City Public Schools often have close to 25 students.

The
 district said it understands and agrees with the call for smaller class
 sizes. Even before the pandemic, Dodge City had been working on having 
fewer kids per classroom. But that progress has been slow. The district 
said that while the pandemic has made that problem acute, it’s been no 
easier to solve.

“If you had endless money and endless supply of 
personnel, I’m sure we would hire as many as we possibly could and we’d 
have class sizes of 10,” Nance said. “But the reality is you have to 
consider your budget.”

Hutchinson Public Schools has managed to 
keep its physical classes below 15 by using a hybrid model — half the 
students are in person one day and the other half are online. Then they 
switch.

The district admits that the hybrid model has problems, 
like requiring parents to make sure their kids are supervised during the
 school day. But it at least lets the school keep its classes spaced 
out.

“It’s provided some relief to our teachers,” said Rick 
Kraus, the head of human resources at Hutchinson Public Schools, “which 
has helped them catch their breath because we’ve all been running really
 hard since the start of school.”

Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/stevebisaha">@SteveBisaha</a> or email him at bisaha@kmuw.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603204856550.png" alt=" Stephan Bisaha / Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption> Stephan Bisaha / Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-schools-found-more-teachers-pandemic-means-they-need-even-more">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA, Kansas — Kansas’ teacher shortage finally shows signs of shrinking.But districts still can’t find enough educators to keep schools running under coronavirus safety demands.“We
 were through the worst of it before all this happened,” said Mischel 
Miller, the director of teacher licensure at the Kansas State Department
 of Education.New state data give schools plenty of reasons to 
be optimistic about the shrinking teacher shortage. Desperately needed 
special education teachers are finally showing up. More teachers are 
moving to Kansas than are leaving the state. And a larger number of 
Kansans ditched other careers for the classroom.Yet keeping 
schools pandemic-safe requires more than filling long-open vacancies. 
Schools need significantly more teachers to make class sizes small 
enough for social distancing. And those hundreds of remaining vacancies 
are being filled with educators who fall short of the state’s standards 
meant to guarantee kids a quality education.<h2>Filling Holes</h2>Teacher
 vacancies have been steadily growing in Kansas since at least 2017, 
before falling this year. New annual data from the Kansas State 
Department of Education shows 771 vacancies across the state, about 5% 
fewer than last year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603204925815.png" alt="Credit Stephan Bisaha/Source: Kansas State Department of Education / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Credit Stephan Bisaha/Source: Kansas State Department of Education / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>The state also saw other positive signs that it’s finally turning 
around its teacher shortage. State officials say Kansas universities are
 finally seeing more college students signing up as education majors. 
Schools had been seeing fewer and fewer potential hires at career fairs 
for years.Special education teachers typically have been the 
hardest for districts to find. That’s still true in 2020. Still, the 157
 open special ed teaching spots is a noticeable improvement to the 186 
openings from last year.Other teaching positions have gone in 
the wrong direction. Elementary teacher openings — traditionally easy 
spots to fill — went up 23% compared to last year. And while 
universities might be signing up more students for education classes 
today, 13% fewer Kansas graduates earned a teaching license this year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603204958883.png" alt="Credit Stephan Bisaha/Source: Kansas State Department of Education / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Credit Stephan Bisaha/Source: Kansas State Department of Education / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>At the same time, qualified teachers are reaching their breaking 
point working long and stressful hours during the pandemic. Education 
officials fear that by spring, the number of teachers who quit could 
erase any gains from the fall and make the shortage significantly worse.“I’ve
 seen teachers in tears talk about leaving the profession and they’re 
exhausted,” Julie Loevenstein, a teacher in the Basehor-Linwood school 
district near Kansas City, told the state school board Wednesday.<h2>Vacant But Not Empty</h2>Those
 vacancies don’t always mean teacher-less classrooms. The state counts 
any teaching spot without a qualified teacher as vacant. Many districts 
fill in those spots with uncertified teachers, like paraeducators, 
student teachers or substitutes without full-blown teaching licenses.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603204995642.png" alt="Credit Stephan Bisaha/Source: Kansas State Department of Education / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Credit Stephan Bisaha/Source: Kansas State Department of Education / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Salina Public Schools often relies on career and technical education 
teachers fresh out of the field they’re teaching and just starting to 
earn their license. While those former electricians and mechanics might 
be experts from their fields, they often have no training in managing a 
classroom or passing their skills on. The district said it would rather 
rely on licensed teachers, but often can’t find them.“It’s 
always better to have had someone who has gained that experience so they
 come into the classroom ready to go at full speed,” said Eryn Wright, 
the head of human resources at Salina Public Schools.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603205029218.png" alt="Credit Stephan Bisaha/Source: Kansas State Department of Education" />
 <figcaption>Credit Stephan Bisaha/Source: Kansas State Department of Education</figcaption>
 </figure>Still, those unlicensed educators often have more in-the-classroom 
experience than a fresh college graduate. Dodge City Public Schools said
 the paraeducators and substitutes it used to fill its empty teaching 
spots have years of hands-on knowledge in the district.“That’s a
 lot more than I can say when I went through the (teaching) program 
several years ago,” said Ramona Nance, the head of human resources at 
Dodge City Public Schools.Need More Teachers This YearFor
 in-person classes to happen, they need to be safe. This year the state 
education department says that means keeping physical classes socially 
distant. But that requires far more teachers than schools have to get 
class sizes small enough to keep kids six feet apart.There’s no 
magic number for the correct class size. Education commissioner Randy 
Watson uses 15 as the go-to number, but admits that depends on the size 
of the room and other factors.Middle and high school classes at Dodge City Public Schools often have close to 25 students.The
 district said it understands and agrees with the call for smaller class
 sizes. Even before the pandemic, Dodge City had been working on having 
fewer kids per classroom. But that progress has been slow. The district 
said that while the pandemic has made that problem acute, it’s been no 
easier to solve.“If you had endless money and endless supply of 
personnel, I’m sure we would hire as many as we possibly could and we’d 
have class sizes of 10,” Nance said. “But the reality is you have to 
consider your budget.”Hutchinson Public Schools has managed to 
keep its physical classes below 15 by using a hybrid model — half the 
students are in person one day and the other half are online. Then they 
switch.The district admits that the hybrid model has problems, 
like requiring parents to make sure their kids are supervised during the
 school day. But it at least lets the school keep its classes spaced 
out.“It’s provided some relief to our teachers,” said Rick 
Kraus, the head of human resources at Hutchinson Public Schools, “which 
has helped them catch their breath because we’ve all been running really
 hard since the start of school.”Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/stevebisaha">@SteveBisaha</a> or email him at bisaha@kmuw.org.

Kan. schools found more teachers, but pandemic means they need even more

By LISA HERMAN <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nortontelegram">Norton Telegram</a>

At 4:27 p.m. Friday afternoon, the Office of the State Bank Commissioner sent to the Telegram a press release that indicated the Almena State Bank, based in Almena, was closed today by the Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was appointed as receiver. 

To protect depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Equity Bank, of Andover to acquire Almena State Bank. As of Sept. 30, Almena State Bank had approximately $65.8 million in total assets and $64.8 million in total deposits. According to the press release, Almena State Bank had operated with financial difficulties since 2018. Continued operating losses resulted in the bank's capital becoming too low to allow continued operations under federal and state law.

On Monday,the two offices of Almena State Bank (Almena and Norton) will reopen as branches of Equity Bank. Depositors of Almena State Bank will automatically become depositors of Equity Bank. Deposits will continue to be insured by FDIC, so customers do not need to change their banking relationship in order to retain their deposit insurance coverage to applicable limits.

This evening and over the weekend, depositors of Almena State Bank can access their money by writing checks, using debit cards or ATMs. Checks drawn on Almena State Bank will continue to be processed. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual. 

Questions regarding this action may be addressed to the Office of the State Bank Commissioner at 785-296-2266.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603551356620.jpeg" alt="Photo by Lisa Herman / Norton Telegram" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Lisa Herman / Norton Telegram</figcaption>
 </figure>By LISA HERMAN <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nortontelegram">Norton Telegram</a>NORTON —&nbsp;At 4:27 p.m. Friday afternoon, the Office of the State Bank Commissioner sent to the Telegram a press release that indicated the Almena State Bank, based in Almena, was closed today by the Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was appointed as receiver. To protect depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Equity Bank, of Andover to acquire Almena State Bank. As of Sept. 30, Almena State Bank had approximately $65.8 million in total assets and $64.8 million in total deposits. According to the press release, Almena State Bank had operated with financial difficulties since 2018. Continued operating losses resulted in the bank's capital becoming too low to allow continued operations under federal and state law.On Monday,the two offices of Almena State Bank (Almena and Norton) will reopen as branches of Equity Bank. Depositors of Almena State Bank will automatically become depositors of Equity Bank. Deposits will continue to be insured by FDIC, so customers do not need to change their banking relationship in order to retain their deposit insurance coverage to applicable limits.This evening and over the weekend, depositors of Almena State Bank can access their money by writing checks, using debit cards or ATMs. Checks drawn on Almena State Bank will continue to be processed. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual. Questions regarding this action may be addressed to the Office of the State Bank Commissioner at 785-296-2266.

Equity Bank acquires Almena State Bank

By&nbsp;<a href="https://public-api.wordpress.com/bar/?stat=groovemails-events&amp;bin=wpcom_email_click&amp;redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwakeeneytravelblog.wordpress.com%2Fauthor%2Fdenaweigelbell%2F&amp;sr=1&amp;signature=70b5025880579e0dfaa613ac9b9a8e8c&amp;user=27015677&amp;_e=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&amp;_z=z" target="_blank">Dena Weigel Bell</a> WaKeeney Travel Blog

The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tregohistorical.com/" target="_blank">Trego County Historical Society Museum's</a>&nbsp;celebration of the 70thanniversary of the “Christmas City of the High Plains” continues into its fourth month, with an exhibit that tells the story of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wakeeney.org/" target="_blank">Downtown WaKeeney's</a>&nbsp;famous Christmas display.

The “Christmas City of the High Plains” Exhibit

Museum curators have been busy adding more items to their exhibit each month since its opening in July.&nbsp;&nbsp;The exhibit has steadily been increasing in size, with each month exploring a different phase in the history of WaKeeney’s light display.&nbsp;

In July, the museum featured Christmas tree inspired items, such as Christmas trees shaped cookie cutters, salt and pepper shakers, Christmas stockings, and many more items. Each month, fourteen more representations of Christmas trees are added until November, when the full collection of 70 items will complete the display.

The tree’s construction and its ornaments were examined in the August exhibit, with several made to scale cardboard cutouts of the wreaths, bells, and stars available to view up close. Information cards further explore how two local community leaders, Art Keraus and J.H. “Jake” Heckman came up with the concept and rallied the Trego County community to lend their time, talents, and even heavy equipment to install the very first light display in 1950.

September’s addition to the exhibit took a look at the history of the official 1988 logo and the many different items that have promoted the “Christmas City of the High Plains” through the years.

The logo was created by WaKeeney native Tracey Deines Davis, cofounder of Duncan and Davis advertising firm. It has since been used on keychains, postcards, ornaments, mugs, and many other treasured keepsakes that remind us of special Christmases spent in WaKeeney.

Celebrate with Us in the “Christmas City of the High Plains”

Explore the history of WaKeeney’s spectacular Christmas light display with a trip to the Trego County Historical Museum.

The exhibit will continue to explore a new theme every month until Saturday, November 28, 2020, when we will celebrate 70 years since WaKeeney’s first Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.&nbsp;

The museum has created a scavenger hunt to find all the trees currently on display and visitors can check back each month to find the new trees that have been added to the display.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603297380412.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;The Christmas tree in downtown WaKeeney in the 1950s. (Photo provided by Trego County Historical Society Museum)&nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The Christmas tree in downtown WaKeeney in the 1950s. (Photo provided by Trego County Historical Society Museum)&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://public-api.wordpress.com/bar/?stat=groovemails-events&amp;bin=wpcom_email_click&amp;redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwakeeneytravelblog.wordpress.com%2Fauthor%2Fdenaweigelbell%2F&amp;sr=1&amp;signature=70b5025880579e0dfaa613ac9b9a8e8c&amp;user=27015677&amp;_e=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&amp;_z=z" target="_blank">Dena Weigel Bell</a> WaKeeney Travel BlogThe&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tregohistorical.com/" target="_blank">Trego County Historical Society Museum's</a>&nbsp;celebration of the 70thanniversary of the “Christmas City of the High Plains” continues into its fourth month, with an exhibit that tells the story of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wakeeney.org/" target="_blank">Downtown WaKeeney's</a>&nbsp;famous Christmas display.The “Christmas City of the High Plains” ExhibitMuseum curators have been busy adding more items to their exhibit each month since its opening in July.&nbsp;&nbsp;The exhibit has steadily been increasing in size, with each month exploring a different phase in the history of WaKeeney’s light display.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603297903059.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In July, the museum featured Christmas tree inspired items, such as Christmas trees shaped cookie cutters, salt and pepper shakers, Christmas stockings, and many more items. Each month, fourteen more representations of Christmas trees are added until November, when the full collection of 70 items will complete the display.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603297965966.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603298010753.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The tree’s construction and its ornaments were examined in the August exhibit, with several made to scale cardboard cutouts of the wreaths, bells, and stars available to view up close. Information cards further explore how two local community leaders, Art Keraus and J.H. “Jake” Heckman came up with the concept and rallied the Trego County community to lend their time, talents, and even heavy equipment to install the very first light display in 1950.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603298069320.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>September’s addition to the exhibit took a look at the history of the official 1988 logo and the many different items that have promoted the “Christmas City of the High Plains” through the years.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603298118725.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603298180235.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The logo was created by WaKeeney native Tracey Deines Davis, cofounder of Duncan and Davis advertising firm. It has since been used on keychains, postcards, ornaments, mugs, and many other treasured keepsakes that remind us of special Christmases spent in WaKeeney.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603298250690.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Celebrate with Us in the “Christmas City of the High Plains”Explore the history of WaKeeney’s spectacular Christmas light display with a trip to the Trego County Historical Museum.The exhibit will continue to explore a new theme every month until Saturday, November 28, 2020, when we will celebrate 70 years since WaKeeney’s first Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.&nbsp;The museum has created a scavenger hunt to find all the trees currently on display and visitors can check back each month to find the new trees that have been added to the display.

Explore the history of WaKeeney’s famous Christmas display

THOMAS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Thomas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Freightliner semi driven by Manuel&nbsp;Castanon Ruiz, 58, Oklahoma City, was westbound on Interstate 70 just west of the Levant exit. The vehicle left the roadway to the right, traveled through the ditch approximately 1000 feet and rolled.

EMS transported Castanon Ruiz to the hospital in Colby. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

THOMAS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Thomas County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Freightliner semi driven by Manuel&nbsp;Castanon Ruiz, 58, Oklahoma City, was westbound on Interstate 70 just west of the Levant exit. The vehicle left the roadway to the right, traveled through the ditch approximately 1000 feet and rolled.EMS transported Castanon Ruiz to the hospital in Colby. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Driver hospitalized after semi rolls on I-70

Fort Hays State University’s financial planning challenge team has returned to prominence among the best in the nation.

Sophomore Ethan Lang and senior Thomas Powell from Hays, along with Great Bend senior Alejo Villegas, competed as Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship entrants in the 2020 Financial Planning Association’s National Financial Planning Challenge. The trio placed fourth overall, led by a first-place finish in the quiz bowl portion of the finals.

That marks the second top-eight finish in the challenge for Fort Hays State in the past three years. FHSU secured its place among the best of the best in the Financial Planning Challenge, formerly the Ameriprise Financial Planning Invitational, from 2001 to 2011. During that time span, Fort Hays State brought home 11 top-five overall finishes from the competition, including first-place finishes in 2001, ’02 and ’11.

After a six-year absence from the competition, FHSU placed seventh in 2018 and barely missed making the “Elite Eight” last year.

The Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship is one of only a handful of business schools in the state of Kansas that offers an undergraduate degree program in financial planning. FHSU did Kansas proud once again this year, finishing behind Texas Tech University, Utah Valley University and the University of Wisconsin – all Division I schools. Texas Tech and Utah Valley were winners of the competition the past three years.&nbsp; Schools that finished below FHSU this year included Kansas State University, Purdue University, Temple University, and the University of Illinois.

“We are very proud of our team that represented Fort Hays State so well again,” said Dr. Tom Johansen, professor of finance. Johansen is the long-time former advisor for the financial planning challenge team and now assists current advisor Dr. Christina Glenn, assistant professor of finance. “We choose students for the team who are very studious, ambitious, and competitive. They are successful because they have a lot of drive and strong work ethic. They know the history of our past teams and want to be just as successful.”

Due to COVID-19 precautions, the competition was conducted online, allowing students to experience the virtual side of financial planning that real world financial advisors are currently navigating during the pandemic. Students were tested over investment principles, income tax, retirement planning, insurance, estate planning, and financial planning principles.

Phase 1 of the competition required students to provide a written comprehensive financial plan for a given case analysis.&nbsp;The first phase of the competition consisted of a financial planning case study for a hypothetical family. Students assessed the client’s needs and prepared a comprehensive financial plan for the clients based on the data provided. Use of commercially available financial planning software was prohibited.

Teams were encouraged to be creative and make assumptions where details weren’t provided. They were directed to assess the clients’ current financial condition while identifying their major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – then discuss resolution of any conflicts between the clients’ goals and needs and the ability to satisfy them due to financial or other constraints.

The top eight teams from Phase 1 went on to compete in Phase 2, an oral presentation of the plan, and Phase 3, a “How Do You Know” quiz bowl.

The FHSU students made the top-eight finalist list and took first place in the quiz bowl portion of the finals, helping boost them into fourth place in the overall standings and number one among the teams participating from Kansas. The eight finalists were awarded $75 gift cards and 80 experience hours toward earning their Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.

Like Dr. Johansen, Dr. Glenn was impressed by how well the Fort Hays State students performed in the competition. She noted how their first-place finish in the quiz bowl, and their overall effort, speaks volumes about the students and faculty in the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

“Our students had to utilize critical thinking and written and oral communication skills to develop and present a comprehensive plan to a fictional client. The case situation they were given would test most seasoned financial professional’s capability,” Glenn said. “The finalists in this competition are among the best of the best, and our students proved they belong in this elite group.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603294229349.jpeg" alt="Alejo Villegas, Thomas Powell, Ethan Lang" />
 <figcaption>Alejo Villegas, Thomas Powell, Ethan Lang</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University RelationsFort Hays State University’s financial planning challenge team has returned to prominence among the best in the nation.Sophomore Ethan Lang and senior Thomas Powell from Hays, along with Great Bend senior Alejo Villegas, competed as Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship entrants in the 2020 Financial Planning Association’s National Financial Planning Challenge. The trio placed fourth overall, led by a first-place finish in the quiz bowl portion of the finals.That marks the second top-eight finish in the challenge for Fort Hays State in the past three years. FHSU secured its place among the best of the best in the Financial Planning Challenge, formerly the Ameriprise Financial Planning Invitational, from 2001 to 2011. During that time span, Fort Hays State brought home 11 top-five overall finishes from the competition, including first-place finishes in 2001, ’02 and ’11.After a six-year absence from the competition, FHSU placed seventh in 2018 and barely missed making the “Elite Eight” last year.The Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship is one of only a handful of business schools in the state of Kansas that offers an undergraduate degree program in financial planning. FHSU did Kansas proud once again this year, finishing behind Texas Tech University, Utah Valley University and the University of Wisconsin – all Division I schools. Texas Tech and Utah Valley were winners of the competition the past three years.&nbsp; Schools that finished below FHSU this year included Kansas State University, Purdue University, Temple University, and the University of Illinois.“We are very proud of our team that represented Fort Hays State so well again,” said Dr. Tom Johansen, professor of finance. Johansen is the long-time former advisor for the financial planning challenge team and now assists current advisor Dr. Christina Glenn, assistant professor of finance. “We choose students for the team who are very studious, ambitious, and competitive. They are successful because they have a lot of drive and strong work ethic. They know the history of our past teams and want to be just as successful.”Due to COVID-19 precautions, the competition was conducted online, allowing students to experience the virtual side of financial planning that real world financial advisors are currently navigating during the pandemic. Students were tested over investment principles, income tax, retirement planning, insurance, estate planning, and financial planning principles.Phase 1 of the competition required students to provide a written comprehensive financial plan for a given case analysis.&nbsp;The first phase of the competition consisted of a financial planning case study for a hypothetical family. Students assessed the client’s needs and prepared a comprehensive financial plan for the clients based on the data provided. Use of commercially available financial planning software was prohibited.Teams were encouraged to be creative and make assumptions where details weren’t provided. They were directed to assess the clients’ current financial condition while identifying their major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – then discuss resolution of any conflicts between the clients’ goals and needs and the ability to satisfy them due to financial or other constraints.The top eight teams from Phase 1 went on to compete in Phase 2, an oral presentation of the plan, and Phase 3, a “How Do You Know” quiz bowl.The FHSU students made the top-eight finalist list and took first place in the quiz bowl portion of the finals, helping boost them into fourth place in the overall standings and number one among the teams participating from Kansas. The eight finalists were awarded $75 gift cards and 80 experience hours toward earning their Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.Like Dr. Johansen, Dr. Glenn was impressed by how well the Fort Hays State students performed in the competition. She noted how their first-place finish in the quiz bowl, and their overall effort, speaks volumes about the students and faculty in the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship.“Our students had to utilize critical thinking and written and oral communication skills to develop and present a comprehensive plan to a fictional client. The case situation they were given would test most seasoned financial professional’s capability,” Glenn said. “The finalists in this competition are among the best of the best, and our students proved they belong in this elite group.”

FHSU trio places 4th in national financial planning competition

The Hays Police Department responded to 7 animal calls and conducted 10 traffic stops Mon., Oct. 12, 2020, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Phone/Mail Scam—500 block W 23rd St, Hays; 8:19 AM 
Welfare Check—2200 block Drum Ave, Hays; 9:05 AM 
Tethering Violation—500 block E 8th St, Hays; 9:43 AM 
Identity Theft—100 block W 13th St, Hays; 10:19 AM 
Animal At Large—200 block E 19th St, Hays; 10:20 AM 
Abandoned Vehicle--300 block E 15th St, Hays; 10:42 AM 
Abandoned Vehicle—2700 block Augusta Ln, Hays; 11:31 AM 
Assist - Other (not MV)—2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 12:28 PM 
Harassment, Telephone/FAX—1500 block Haney Dr, Hays; 12:57 PM 
Mental Health Call—1900 block Longfellow Rd, Hays; 1:11 PM 
Criminal Threat—1500 block Haney Dr, Hays; 1:27 PM 
Dead Animal Call—2300 block Timber Dr, Hays; 1:38 PM 
Animal At Large—1800 block E 27th St, Hays; 3:37 PM 
Violation of Restraining Order/PFA--200 block E 15th St, Hays; 6:25 PM 
Civil Dispute—1700 block Pine St, Hays; 7 PM 
Disturbance – Noise--2500 block Virginia Dr, Hays; 10:01 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 6 animal calls and conducted 13 traffic stops Tue., Oct. 13, 2020, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Lost Animals ONLY--1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 2:20 AM 
Welfare Check—1400 block E 29th St, Hays; 5:11 AM 
Welfare Check--1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 5:48 AM 
MV Accident-City Street/Alley—Hays; 7:33 AM 
Found/Lost Property—3600 block Vine St, Hays; 8:19 AM 
Theft (general)—3500 block Hillcrest Dr, Hay; 10/12 8 PM; 10/13 8:36 AM 
MV Accident-City Street/Alley—Hays; 9:15 AM 
Burglary/vehicle—3100 block Olympic Ln, Hays; 10/10 10:30 PM; 10/11 7 AM 
Juvenile Complaint—300 block W 12th St, Hays; 12:31 PM 
Assist - Other (not MV)—100 block W 12th St, Hays; 1:01 PM 
Abandoned Vehicle--200 block Pershing Ct, Hays; 2:35 PM 
Abandoned Vehicle--200 block Pershing Ct, Hays; 2:48 PM 
Abandoned Vehicle--200 block Pershing Ct, Hays; 2:51 PM 
Lost Animals ONLY—2900 block Walnut St, Hays; 3:46 PM 
Criminal Damage to Property—2700 block Broadway Ave, Hays; 2 PM; 6 PM 
Welfare Check—1600 block Oakmont St, Hays; 8:27 PM 
Welfare Check—1700 block Fort St, Hays; 8:32 PM 
Lost Animals ONLY—1700 block Golden Belt Dr, Hays; 8:57 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 9 animal calls and conducted 10 traffic stops Wed., Oct. 14, 2020, according to the HPD Activity Log.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592410704431.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Hays Police Department responded to 7 animal calls and conducted 10 traffic stops Mon., Oct. 12, 2020, according to the HPD Activity Log.Phone/Mail Scam—500 block W 23rd St, Hays; 8:19 AM 
Welfare Check—2200 block Drum Ave, Hays; 9:05 AM 
Tethering Violation—500 block E 8th St, Hays; 9:43 AM 
Identity Theft—100 block W 13th St, Hays; 10:19 AM 
Animal At Large—200 block E 19th St, Hays; 10:20 AM 
Abandoned Vehicle--300 block E 15th St, Hays; 10:42 AM 
Abandoned Vehicle—2700 block Augusta Ln, Hays; 11:31 AM 
Assist - Other (not MV)—2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 12:28 PM 
Harassment, Telephone/FAX—1500 block Haney Dr, Hays; 12:57 PM 
Mental Health Call—1900 block Longfellow Rd, Hays; 1:11 PM 
Criminal Threat—1500 block Haney Dr, Hays; 1:27 PM 
Dead Animal Call—2300 block Timber Dr, Hays; 1:38 PM 
Animal At Large—1800 block E 27th St, Hays; 3:37 PM 
Violation of Restraining Order/PFA--200 block E 15th St, Hays; 6:25 PM 
Civil Dispute—1700 block Pine St, Hays; 7 PM 
Disturbance – Noise--2500 block Virginia Dr, Hays; 10:01 PMThe Hays Police Department responded to 6 animal calls and conducted 13 traffic stops Tue., Oct. 13, 2020, according to the HPD Activity Log.Lost Animals ONLY--1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 2:20 AM 
Welfare Check—1400 block E 29th St, Hays; 5:11 AM 
Welfare Check--1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 5:48 AM 
MV Accident-City Street/Alley—Hays; 7:33 AM 
Found/Lost Property—3600 block Vine St, Hays; 8:19 AM 
Theft (general)—3500 block Hillcrest Dr, Hay; 10/12 8 PM; 10/13 8:36 AM 
MV Accident-City Street/Alley—Hays; 9:15 AM 
Burglary/vehicle—3100 block Olympic Ln, Hays; 10/10 10:30 PM; 10/11 7 AM 
Juvenile Complaint—300 block W 12th St, Hays; 12:31 PM 
Assist - Other (not MV)—100 block W 12th St, Hays; 1:01 PM 
Abandoned Vehicle--200 block Pershing Ct, Hays; 2:35 PM 
Abandoned Vehicle--200 block Pershing Ct, Hays; 2:48 PM 
Abandoned Vehicle--200 block Pershing Ct, Hays; 2:51 PM 
Lost Animals ONLY—2900 block Walnut St, Hays; 3:46 PM 
Criminal Damage to Property—2700 block Broadway Ave, Hays; 2 PM; 6 PM 
Welfare Check—1600 block Oakmont St, Hays; 8:27 PM 
Welfare Check—1700 block Fort St, Hays; 8:32 PM 
Lost Animals ONLY—1700 block Golden Belt Dr, Hays; 8:57 PMThe Hays Police Department responded to 9 animal calls and conducted 10 traffic stops Wed., Oct. 14, 2020, according to the HPD Activity Log.Parking Complaint--400 block W 24th St, Hays; 8:40 AM 
Water Use Violation—500 block W 32nd St, Hays; 9:39 AM; 10:05 AM 
Suspicious Person—500 block W 27th St, Hays; 10:55 AM 
Lost Animals ONLY--2300 block Fort St, Hays; 11:19 AM 
Parking Complaint—400 block W 24th St, Hays; 11:20 AM 
Animal At Large--2000 block Fort St, Hays; 11:43 AM 
Search Warrant—1100 block E 17th St, Hays; 12:15 PM 
Drug Offenses—3900 block E 8th St, Hays; 12:17 PM 
Overdose—1900 block Holmes Rd, Hays; 12:23 PM 
MV Accident-Personal Injury--27th and Main, Hays; 1:17 PM 
Lost Animals ONLY—1800 block Fort St, Hays; 1:40 PM 
Fire--2700 block Hillcrest Dr, Hays; 2:02 PM 
MV Accident-City Street/Alley—200 block Ash St, Hays; 3:15 PM 
Fraud—300 block W 13th St, Hays; 3:29 PM 
Identity Theft—2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 3:55 PM 
Shoplifting—4300 block Vine St, Hays; 4:16 PM 
Abandoned Vehicle--200 block 12th St, Hays; 5:03 PM 
Animal At Large—1800 block Frontier Rd, Hays; 6:32 PM 
Civil Transport—200 block E 7th St, Hays ; 7:03 PM 
Drug Offenses—1300 block E 41st St, Hays; 9:33 AMThe Hays Police Department responded to 4 animal calls and conducted 8 traffic stops Thu., Oct. 15, 2020, according to the HPD Activity Log.Water Use Violation—500 block E 19th St, Hays; 2:52 AM 
Water Use Violation—1700 block Vine St, Hays; 3 AM 
Water Use Violation—1800 block E 27th St, Hays; 3:12 AM 
Water Use Violation—2700 block Thunderbird Dr, Hays; 3:47 AM 
Water Use Violation—4500 block Vista Dr, Hays; 3:46 AM 
Water Use Violation—2700 block Thunderbird Cir, Hays; 3:47 AM 
Lost Animals ONLY—100 block W 34th St, Hays; 8:21 AM 
Criminal Trespass—1000 block W 28th St, Hay; 9:30 AM; 10:30 AM 
Bicycle - Lost,Found,Stolen—400 block E 15th St, Hays; 11:49 AM 
Welfare Check—2700 block Augusta Ln, Hays; 12:03 PM 
Identity Theft—2200b block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 1:19 PM 
&nbsp;Assist - Other (not MV)—2200 block Canterbury
Dr, Hays; 2:45 PM 
Found/Lost Property—300 block W 8th St, Hay; 3:29 PM 
Theft (general)—4300 block Vine St, Hays; 4:27 PM 
Lost Animals ONLY--19th and Main St, Hays; 4:53 PM 
Towed Vehicle--2700 block Oak St, Hays; 5:15 PM 
Animal At Large—2200 block E 15th St, Hays; 6:32 PM 
Animal At Large-1300 block Eisenhower Rd, Hays; 6:52 PM 
Identity Theft—2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 7:09 PM 
MV Accident-Private Property—2100 block E 21st St, Hays; 7:15 PM; 7:20 PM 
MV Accident-City Street/Alley--13th and Ash St, Hays; 7:31 PM 
Identity Theft—200 block E 22nd St, Hays; 8:10 PM 
Suicidal Subject—400 block Walnut St, Hays; 8:56 PM 
Disturbance – Noise—400 block W 4th St, Hays; 11:53 PMThe Hays Police Department responded to 8 animal calls and conducted 15 traffic stops Fri., Oct. 16, 2020, according to the HPD Activity Log.Water Use Violation--1000 block W 27th St, Hays; 12:39 AM 
Suicidal Subject—1400 block E 29th St, Hays; 1:17 AM; 3:16 AM 
Suspicious Activity—2500 block Vine St, Hays; 4:25 AM 
Lost Animals ONLY—1300 block E 13th St, Hays; 6:41 AM 
Suspicious Activity--2200 block Fort St, Hays; 9:20 AM 
Driving Under the Influence--1300 block E 22nd St, Hays; 9:38 AM 
Identity Theft--1800 block Elm St, Hays; 10 AM 
Identity Theft—1800 block E 25th St, Hays; 10:24 AM 
Drug Offenses—400 block W 14TH St, Hays; 10/15 
Identity Theft—1900 block Eisenhower Rd, Hays; 1:02 PM 
Theft (general)—500 block W 32nd St, Hays; 1:10 PM; 1:35 PM 
Civil Dispute—1700 block Haney Dr, Hays; 2:24 PM 
Lost Animals ONLY—1700 block Holmes Rd, Hays; 2:30 PM 
Animal Call--1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 2:55 PM 
Found/Lost Property—4300 block Vine St, Hays; 5:49 PM 
Juvenile Complaint--300 block W 27th St, Hays; 6:06 PM 
Found/Lost Property—4300 block Vine St, Hays; 6:15 PM; 6:41 PM 
Found/Lost Property--8th and Main, Hays; 6 PM 
Animal Call—1000 block Reservation Rd, Hays; 7:10 PM 
Parking Complaint--1100 block Main St, Hays; 8:09 PM 
Lost Animals ONLY—1700 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 9:08 PM 
Suicidal Subject—1200 block Vine St, Hays; 11:20 PMThe Hays Police Department responded to 2 animal calls and conducted 27 traffic stops Sat., Oct. 17, 2020, according to the HPD Activity Log.Welfare Check--1000 block Elm St, Hays; 2:21 AM 
Water Use Violation--1000 block W 27th St, Hays; 2:24 AM 
Criminal Trespass--4000 block General Hays Rd, Hays; 3:08 AM 
Dead Animal Call—500 block W 27th St, Hays; 9:18 AM 
Welfare Check--400 block W 16th St, Hays; 9:24 AM 
Suspicious Activity--3200 block Tam O’Shanter Dr, Hays; 10/3 12 AM; 10/17 11:05
AM 
Criminal Trespass--800 block W 8th St, Hays; 11:26 AM 
Harassment, Telephone/FAX—1100 block Downing Ave, Hays; 1:11 PM 
Violation of Restraining Order/PFA--2900 block Plaza Ave, Hays; 3:14 PM 
Lost Animals ONLY—100 block E 20th St, Hay; 4 PM 
Disturbance – Noise--1200 block E 32nd St, Hays; 7:43 PM 
Underage Possession of CMB/LIQ—300 block E 17th St, Hays; 9:31 PM 
Domestic Disturbance—1000 block E 17th St, Hays; 9:51 PM 
Disturbance – General—1300 block E 33rd St, Hays; 10:48 PM 
Driving Under the Influence--100 block W 12th St, Hays; 11:03 PMThe Hays Police Department responded to 1 animal call and conducted 10 traffic stops Sun., Oct. 18, 2020, according to the HPD Activity Log.Criminal Threat--100 block W 20th St, Hays;&nbsp;12:45 AM Animal At Large--1300 block Donald Dr, Hays;&nbsp;1:04 AM Suspicious Activity--200 block E 5th St, Hays;&nbsp;1:26 AM Disturbance - Noise--300 block W 6th St, Hays;&nbsp;1:29 AM Disturbance - General--400 block Oak St, Hays;&nbsp;2 AM Suicidal Subject--700 block Main St, Hays;&nbsp;2:13 AM Battery - Domestic--1000 block Reservation Rd, Hays;&nbsp;6:40 AM; 6:59 AM Theft (general)--2700 block Vine St, Hays; 2 PM Suicidal Subject--2700 block Epworth St, Hays;&nbsp;3:13 PM Disorderly Conduct--1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 3:25 PM; 3:30 PM Shoplifting--4300 block Vine St, Hays;&nbsp;3:58 PM Civil Dispute--1000 block E 17th St, Hays;&nbsp;4:24 PM Shoplifting--4300 block Vine St, Hays;&nbsp;4:40 PM Shoplifting--4300 block Vine St, Hays; 4:41:16PM Shoplifting--4300 block Vine St, Hays; 4:41:30PM Violation of Restraining Order/PFA--200 block E 15th St, Hays;&nbsp;4:37 PM; 4:38 PM Welfare Check--400 block W 16th St, Hays;&nbsp;4:48 PM Violation of Restraining Order/PFA--500 block E 16th St, Hays;&nbsp;6 PM; 6:17 PM Overdose--400 block E 6th St, Hays;&nbsp;6:09 PM Burglary/residence--1000 block E 8th St, Hays;&nbsp;&nbsp;1 AM; 1 PM Mental Health Call--100 block E 16th St, Hays;&nbsp;7:07 PM Theft (general)--3500 block Lincoln Dr, Hays; 10/18 1:30 AM; 10/19<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592410704431.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Local