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🎙 Post Podcast: USD 489 officially closes Washington School

NORTON — The Norton County Health Department on Monday announced an increase in COVID-19 cases in the county.

There are now 668 reported cases of coronavirus in the county, including clusters at the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e4299112-0fe4-40da-ac7e-a0c62f0df35b">Andbe Home long-term care facility</a> and the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8aceae0e-6208-4b61-ad14-0d88f43ba07b">Norton Correctional Facility.</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/015655ab-0eb5-4cff-af37-2914c2170bd0">RELATED:&nbsp;Norton nursing home removed from Medicare program, fined</a>

Fifteen coronavirus-related deaths also have been reported.

The county had reported just a handful of cases until the early October spike.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603999240777.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>NORTON — The Norton County Health Department on Monday announced an increase in COVID-19 cases in the county.There are now 668 reported cases of coronavirus in the county, including clusters at the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e4299112-0fe4-40da-ac7e-a0c62f0df35b">Andbe Home long-term care facility</a> and the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8aceae0e-6208-4b61-ad14-0d88f43ba07b">Norton Correctional Facility.</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/015655ab-0eb5-4cff-af37-2914c2170bd0">RELATED:&nbsp;Norton nursing home removed from Medicare program, fined</a>Fifteen coronavirus-related deaths also have been reported.The county had reported just a handful of cases until the early October spike.&nbsp;See below for more:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNortonCountyHealthDeptandHomeHealth%2Fposts%2F3776254805719625&show_text=true&width=552&height=233&appId" width="552" height="233" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

Norton Co. COVID-19 case count up to 668

The Hays Police Department is reporting an increase in thefts of political signs in Hays during this election season.

Chief Don Scheibler said Thursday there have been 27 signs stolen and four damaged — from both political parties — in a total of 26 cases this year.

Scheibler said two high school-age boys <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7187177b-e577-4994-adff-04c6b3e1a78c">recently shared in a security camera footage stealing a sign</a> have been identified and have confessed.

The chief attributed the majority of the sign thefts to high school- and college-age pranks — and pleaded with the public not to "booby trap" their signs.

He said there has been a report of a high schooler injured by stickpins placed in a sign. Scheibler also relayed a story from another community where a city worker moving an improperly placed sign was cut by razor blades.

"I would caution people not to booby trap their signs," he said. "It's most likely a high school kid. You've got to ask yourself if a pin or a razor blade is really needed to stop a high school prank."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574697410116.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Hays Police Department is reporting an increase in thefts of political signs in Hays during this election season.Chief Don Scheibler said Thursday there have been 27 signs stolen and four damaged — from both political parties — in a total of 26 cases this year.Scheibler said two high school-age boys <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7187177b-e577-4994-adff-04c6b3e1a78c">recently shared in a security camera footage stealing a sign</a> have been identified and have confessed.The chief attributed the majority of the sign thefts to high school- and college-age pranks — and pleaded with the public not to "booby trap" their signs.He said there has been a report of a high schooler injured by stickpins placed in a sign. Scheibler also relayed a story from another community where a city worker moving an improperly placed sign was cut by razor blades."I would caution people not to booby trap their signs," he said. "It's most likely a high school kid. You've got to ask yourself if a pin or a razor blade is really needed to stop a high school prank."

HPD: Political sign thefts up — please do not 'booby trap' signs

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Two USD 489 staff members, as well as HaysMed, were honored Monday night for awards they won this year from the&nbsp;Kansas Head Start Association.

The awards would have been given to the individuals in April at the KHSA conference, but the conference had to be canceled because of COVID-19,&nbsp;Donna Hudson-Hamilton, Early Childhood Connections director, told the school board Monday.

Tamara Anglin was honored as the&nbsp;KHSA Family Advocate of the Year.

She was unable to attend the school board meeting Monday.

Karla Bixenman,&nbsp;3 to 5 PFCE coordinator, had planned to introduce her award at the BOE meeting. 

She submitted the following comments on&nbsp;Anglin:&nbsp;

“There are so many reasons that you are deserving of this award!&nbsp; You have a heart of gold! People only need to be around you for a short amount of time to see that side of you,"&nbsp;Bixenman said.

"You always see the good in a bad situation," she said. "You help families see their strengths and work through their challenges. When working with families, you recognize their struggles and give them hope.

"I have witnessed you unselfishly give your time outside of work to support families in need. You never hesitate to lend a helping hand. You are not only an advocate for our families, but for our program as well.&nbsp; 

"You definitely carry the banner! You spend countless hours collaborating with community partners to&nbsp; make positive changes for all families.&nbsp; 

"You are full of positive intent and you show up every day to make a difference. You never hesitate or back down to a challenge.&nbsp; 

"Matter of fact, I think I told you the other day when we were discussing a family that is experiencing some struggles, when a family is looking for hope and change — you show up with your game face on.&nbsp; 

"You roll up your sleeves and are ready to help them, no questions asked.&nbsp; You are in your element!

"The fact that you are so committed to the value of strong families and a valuable advocate for Head Start makes you a perfect candidate to receive the Family Advocate of the Year Award. I am so thankful you are a part of our school family!”

Sami Vanek was recognized as the KHSA Teacher of the Year.

Sharon Beougher, ECC education coordinator, spoke a the school board meeting on&nbsp;Vanek's behalf.

"When it comes to every child having a quality experience everyday,&nbsp;Sami Vanek rocks it," Beougher said.

"You walk into her classroom and see that her classroom is laid out with purpose. Every part of her classroom has a purpose," she said. "Ask her and she will tell you exactly what type of learning takes place there. 

"The classroom is laid out intentionally, so transitions happen as least often as can be helped, and it is as smooth as possible. Transitions will lose learning time. She went to great extent to make sure transitions were quick and flow smoothly in her classroom.&nbsp;

"Probably the hardest thing to describe to you is how you feel when you walk into her classroom,"&nbsp;Beougher said. "Whether you are an adult or a child, right away you are going to feel wanted, welcomed, accepted and you are going to find yourself saying, 'I kind of want to hang out here for a while.'

"That comes partly because Sami forms great relationships with all of her student," she said. "Regardless of their needs, she meets them where they are at. On top of that, she forms relationships between the students, so they help each other, they support each other. She has created a school family where everybody wants to be there.

"One of the things that is wonderful about her classroom is even in the busiest parts of the day when every preschooler is actively engaged in a variety of learning activities, her room is still calm.

"There is a buzz. There is a hum, but it's calm. I think it is because she has done such a great job teaching the children the parts of the day, what comes next, how do those routine flow, how do I get through this part of the day, what are my behavior expectations.

"The brain is pattern-seeking, and she works hard to put those patterns in place for the kids,"&nbsp;Beougher said.

"She has the ability to see her whole classroom and keep her whole classroom moving forward as well as every single child in the classroom, providing the accommodations, the additions, whatever every child needs to be successful. She works hard to make sure very child has the tools they need to experience success and begin the love of learning at school.

"When it comes to every child every day receiving a quality experience, you can see it right here,"&nbsp;Beougher said of&nbsp;Vanek.

HaysMed was honored with the&nbsp;KHSA Excellence in Community Service Award.&nbsp;

ECC collaborates frequently with HaysMed to meet all of the health requirements for the students in its program, Hudson-Hamilton said.

Some of these programs include physical exams, immunizations, labs, breast feeding support and outreach clinics. HaysMed has also provided support for health literacy training for ECC families.

HaysMed staff have been members of the ECC's health advisory and other committees.

"They are also instrumental in telling the story of our work,"&nbsp;Hudson-Hamilton said. "They often refer families to us."

HaysMed donated $500,000 toward the renovation of the new Early Childhood Complex on 13th Street.&nbsp;

"I can't say how much we appreciate that and all the work they have done with us,"&nbsp;Hudson-Hamilton said. 

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostTwo USD 489 staff members, as well as HaysMed, were honored Monday night for awards they won this year from the&nbsp;Kansas Head Start Association.The awards would have been given to the individuals in April at the KHSA conference, but the conference had to be canceled because of COVID-19,&nbsp;Donna Hudson-Hamilton, Early Childhood Connections director, told the school board Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603919216636.jpeg" alt="Tamera Anglin" />
 <figcaption>Tamera Anglin</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Tamara Anglin</h2>Tamara Anglin was honored as the&nbsp;KHSA Family Advocate of the Year.She was unable to attend the school board meeting Monday.Karla Bixenman,&nbsp;3 to 5 PFCE coordinator, had planned to introduce her award at the BOE meeting. She submitted the following comments on&nbsp;Anglin:&nbsp;“There are so many reasons that you are deserving of this award!&nbsp; You have a heart of gold! People only need to be around you for a short amount of time to see that side of you,"&nbsp;Bixenman said."You always see the good in a bad situation," she said. "You help families see their strengths and work through their challenges. When working with families, you recognize their struggles and give them hope."I have witnessed you unselfishly give your time outside of work to support families in need. You never hesitate to lend a helping hand. You are not only an advocate for our families, but for our program as well.&nbsp; "You definitely carry the banner! You spend countless hours collaborating with community partners to&nbsp; make positive changes for all families.&nbsp; "You are full of positive intent and you show up every day to make a difference. You never hesitate or back down to a challenge.&nbsp; "Matter of fact, I think I told you the other day when we were discussing a family that is experiencing some struggles, when a family is looking for hope and change — you show up with your game face on.&nbsp; "You roll up your sleeves and are ready to help them, no questions asked.&nbsp; You are in your element!"The fact that you are so committed to the value of strong families and a valuable advocate for Head Start makes you a perfect candidate to receive the Family Advocate of the Year Award. I am so thankful you are a part of our school family!”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603919488541.jpeg" alt="Sami Vanek" />
 <figcaption>Sami Vanek</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Sami Vanek</h2>Sami Vanek was recognized as the KHSA Teacher of the Year.Sharon Beougher, ECC education coordinator, spoke a the school board meeting on&nbsp;Vanek's behalf."When it comes to every child having a quality experience everyday,&nbsp;Sami Vanek rocks it," Beougher said."You walk into her classroom and see that her classroom is laid out with purpose. Every part of her classroom has a purpose," she said. "Ask her and she will tell you exactly what type of learning takes place there. "The classroom is laid out intentionally, so transitions happen as least often as can be helped, and it is as smooth as possible. Transitions will lose learning time. She went to great extent to make sure transitions were quick and flow smoothly in her classroom.&nbsp;"Probably the hardest thing to describe to you is how you feel when you walk into her classroom,"&nbsp;Beougher said. "Whether you are an adult or a child, right away you are going to feel wanted, welcomed, accepted and you are going to find yourself saying, 'I kind of want to hang out here for a while.'"That comes partly because Sami forms great relationships with all of her student," she said. "Regardless of their needs, she meets them where they are at. On top of that, she forms relationships between the students, so they help each other, they support each other. She has created a school family where everybody wants to be there."One of the things that is wonderful about her classroom is even in the busiest parts of the day when every preschooler is actively engaged in a variety of learning activities, her room is still calm."There is a buzz. There is a hum, but it's calm. I think it is because she has done such a great job teaching the children the parts of the day, what comes next, how do those routine flow, how do I get through this part of the day, what are my behavior expectations."The brain is pattern-seeking, and she works hard to put those patterns in place for the kids,"&nbsp;Beougher said."She has the ability to see her whole classroom and keep her whole classroom moving forward as well as every single child in the classroom, providing the accommodations, the additions, whatever every child needs to be successful. She works hard to make sure very child has the tools they need to experience success and begin the love of learning at school."When it comes to every child every day receiving a quality experience, you can see it right here,"&nbsp;Beougher said of&nbsp;Vanek.<h2>HaysMed</h2>HaysMed was honored with the&nbsp;KHSA Excellence in Community Service Award.&nbsp;ECC collaborates frequently with HaysMed to meet all of the health requirements for the students in its program, Hudson-Hamilton said.Some of these programs include physical exams, immunizations, labs, breast feeding support and outreach clinics. HaysMed has also provided support for health literacy training for ECC families.HaysMed staff have been members of the ECC's health advisory and other committees."They are also instrumental in telling the story of our work,"&nbsp;Hudson-Hamilton said. "They often refer families to us."HaysMed donated $500,000 toward the renovation of the new Early Childhood Complex on 13th Street.&nbsp;"I can't say how much we appreciate that and all the work they have done with us,"&nbsp;Hudson-Hamilton said.

USD 489 staff members, HaysMed honored by Kansas Head Start

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/29/aclu-of-kansas-wants-ellis-county-voters-to-know-misprinted-ballots-will-be-counted/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The American 
Civil Liberties Union of Kansas wants the Ellis County clerk to provide 
direction directly to voters who received misprinted ballots.

Clerk Donna Maskus says she has done everything she can to mitigate the problem.

The county <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/22/ballot-misprint-could-be-issue-if-u-s-senate-race-is-close-between-bollier-marshall/">mailed about 3,800 ballots</a>
 that labeled a Kansas Senate race as the U.S. Senate race before 
realizing the mistake, then shut down advanced voting for several days 
to reprint corrected ballots. Political candidates and election 
officials have taken a wait-and-see approach with the situation, hoping 
that neither the state nor federal race is decided by a slim margin.

Lauren Bonds, legal 
director for ACLU of Kansas, said the ACLU has heard from Ellis County 
voters who are confused about what they should do with their misprinted 
ballots. Bonds said Maskus should try to contact the voters directly and
 post information on the clerk’s website.

Voters need to know their 
misprinted ballots will count, Bonds said, that they shouldn’t be 
waiting on a replacement ballot, and that they should drop their ballots
 off at the election office or dropbox at this point because of concerns
 with mail delivery. Voters also may go to the clerk’s office and 
exchange their ballot for a corrected one.

Bonds said the clerk’s 
communication should focus on “making those options clear, and very 
clearly saying that your ballot’s fine, you should vote it, you should 
vote as soon as possible.”

Maskus said she didn’t 
attempt to contact voters because so many of them received the 
misprinted ballot. She said she immediately “faced up” to the mistake — 
she was one of three people in her office who looked at the ballot’s 
text and didn’t catch the error before it printed — and has tried to get
 the word out through news media.

“The voters have been very
 genuine with the situation, and very understandable,” Maskus said. “I 
feel real bad that the situation has happened, but we are dealing with 
it and moving forward.”

She said she would consider updating information on her website.

The clerk’s office also has extended hours for early voting, including from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Because the ovals on the 
misprinted ballots align with the corrected ones, all of the ballots 
will be tabulated by machine, Maskus said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603990248864.png" alt="About 3,800 misprinted ballots were mailed to voters in Ellis County. Some of the voters who received the ballots are confused about whether they should still be used. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>About 3,800 misprinted ballots were mailed to voters in Ellis County. Some of the voters who received the ballots are confused about whether they should still be used. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/29/aclu-of-kansas-wants-ellis-county-voters-to-know-misprinted-ballots-will-be-counted/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The American 
Civil Liberties Union of Kansas wants the Ellis County clerk to provide 
direction directly to voters who received misprinted ballots.Clerk Donna Maskus says she has done everything she can to mitigate the problem.The county <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/22/ballot-misprint-could-be-issue-if-u-s-senate-race-is-close-between-bollier-marshall/">mailed about 3,800 ballots</a>
 that labeled a Kansas Senate race as the U.S. Senate race before 
realizing the mistake, then shut down advanced voting for several days 
to reprint corrected ballots. Political candidates and election 
officials have taken a wait-and-see approach with the situation, hoping 
that neither the state nor federal race is decided by a slim margin.Lauren Bonds, legal 
director for ACLU of Kansas, said the ACLU has heard from Ellis County 
voters who are confused about what they should do with their misprinted 
ballots. Bonds said Maskus should try to contact the voters directly and
 post information on the clerk’s website.Voters need to know their 
misprinted ballots will count, Bonds said, that they shouldn’t be 
waiting on a replacement ballot, and that they should drop their ballots
 off at the election office or dropbox at this point because of concerns
 with mail delivery. Voters also may go to the clerk’s office and 
exchange their ballot for a corrected one.Bonds said the clerk’s 
communication should focus on “making those options clear, and very 
clearly saying that your ballot’s fine, you should vote it, you should 
vote as soon as possible.”Maskus said she didn’t 
attempt to contact voters because so many of them received the 
misprinted ballot. She said she immediately “faced up” to the mistake — 
she was one of three people in her office who looked at the ballot’s 
text and didn’t catch the error before it printed — and has tried to get
 the word out through news media.“The voters have been very
 genuine with the situation, and very understandable,” Maskus said. “I 
feel real bad that the situation has happened, but we are dealing with 
it and moving forward.”She said she would consider updating information on her website.The clerk’s office also has extended hours for early voting, including from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.Because the ovals on the 
misprinted ballots align with the corrected ones, all of the ballots 
will be tabulated by machine, Maskus said.

ACLU wants Ellis Co. voters to know misprinted ballots will be counted

RUSSELL — Russell Main Street Inc. is seeking nominations for the annual family of the year event, formerly organized by Post Rock Family Services. 

Selection of the family will be made from an evaluation conducted by the board of directors of Russell Main Street Inc. 

The honored family will be chosen based on their strong family values, appreciation, and affection for each other, commitment to each other, positive communication, and contribution to the Russell community.

Russell Main Street Inc. invites the community to participate by nominating families who possess the above qualities. Persons wanting to nominate a family should submit, in writing, their nomination with the family’s name, address, and phone number to Russell Main Street Inc. 207 E. Eighth, Russell, KS 67665 or submit by &nbsp;emailing&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mainstreet@eaglecom.net" target="_blank">mainstreet@eaglecom.net</a>.

Nomination forms can be found at <a href="https://www.russellmainstreet.com/">russellmainstreet.com</a> and <a href="https://krsl.com/">krsl.com</a>. Deadline for nominations is Friday, Nov. 13.

Those not eligible for nominations are members of the Russell Main Street Inc. board of directors or employees of Russell Main Street Inc.

The family of the year will be honored during the annual Lighted Christmas Parade on Nov. 28 in Downtown Russell.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603908902386.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>RUSSELL — Russell Main Street Inc. is seeking nominations for the annual family of the year event, formerly organized by Post Rock Family Services. Selection of the family will be made from an evaluation conducted by the board of directors of Russell Main Street Inc. The honored family will be chosen based on their strong family values, appreciation, and affection for each other, commitment to each other, positive communication, and contribution to the Russell community.Russell Main Street Inc. invites the community to participate by nominating families who possess the above qualities. Persons wanting to nominate a family should submit, in writing, their nomination with the family’s name, address, and phone number to Russell Main Street Inc. 207 E. Eighth, Russell, KS 67665 or submit by &nbsp;emailing&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mainstreet@eaglecom.net" target="_blank">mainstreet@eaglecom.net</a>. Nomination forms can be found at <a href="https://www.russellmainstreet.com/">russellmainstreet.com</a> and <a href="https://krsl.com/">krsl.com</a>. Deadline for nominations is Friday, Nov. 13.Those not eligible for nominations are members of the Russell Main Street Inc. board of directors or employees of Russell Main Street Inc. The family of the year will be honored during the annual Lighted Christmas Parade on Nov. 28 in Downtown Russell.- Submitted

Nominations sought for Russell's 2020 Family of the Year

During extended hours on Saturday, the Hays Arts Council, 112 E. 11th, will host live readings of the "Millie's Garden and the Great Mystery" during a come-and-go open house.

Kansas resident and author Joyce Frey, along with Hays resident and illustrator Kathleen Kuchar, will be on hand for the first readings of the work.

Readings are planned for 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. in the Founder's Gallery.

"Since it is not the proper time to have things like art walks or receptions, with food and drink — those things that we come to know and love ... we are going to have an open house on Saturday," said Brenda Meder, Hays Arts Council executive director.

An exhibition of the illustrations paired with the story is ongoing.

"It's a wonderful story about a rabbit and other creatures that live in this particular back yard," Meder said. "It is delightful and Kathleen's&nbsp; illustrations are truly magical, whimsical and warm."

Although retired from Fort Hays State University, Kuchar continues to create and exhibit work.

Meder hopes the event will add to the holiday festivities that have been abridged this year.

"We are hoping people will come out with their children," Meder said. "There is not going to be as many opportunities to dress up and costumes this year ... so put those kids in costumes and come down and see us."

Face covering are encouraged, but Meder said people will be spaced out in the room during the readings.

"There is plenty of room for people to stretch out in there," Meder said.

The children will also receive a goodie bag after the reading.

"They will get a really cool Millie take-home kid's craft," Meder said, along with candy and related coloring sheets.&nbsp;

For those who cannot make it to a reading, Meder said a recording of the event will be posted online.

During the open house, attendees will also have the opportunity to see the ongoing Aces and Eights exhibition.

"They kind of go together a little bit, with an event this weekend," Meder said.

The exhibition is a showcase of the work that was donated to the Hays Arts Center for an online auction that is set to begin Thursday.

The show features a diverse set of artists and works, with over 60 pieces of art, sized at 8" by 8."

"What is really exciting is I literally just had an artist come in this morning who said 'I heard you are real close to 52' — they knew that was my target because there are 52 cards in a deck — and this is called Aces and Eights," Meder said. "So we have 52 aces, aces being the artists, without whom you don't have the arts in a community."

The show will focus on visual arts, she said.

"It's a fabulous exhibition, not only by artists within our own community, but actually from other parts of the state as well," Meder said. "We are honored and humbled by their generosity."

The art was donated by to the Arts Council, with the auction working as a fundraiser for the organization.

"It's a great show on its own, but it is also going to be an online auction to celebrate the artists," Meder said.

In return for the donation, Meder said information about the artists will be included with the auction pieces, so participants can discover those artists.

"We think it is really important to know artists and have a chance to have some sort of engagement and education since we are not having our traditional methods of gathering," Meder said.&nbsp;

She also said links to the author's websites and social media will be included.

"We are trying to make this an engaging, interactive experience," Meder said.

"We want everybody to have a chance to play," Meder said. So all of the auction pieces will be offered at an opening bid of $50.

"And everything is original artwork," she said. "We have even got some handcrafted jewelry pieces. We've got oil, acrylic, watercolor, photography,&nbsp; lithographs, monotype prints, assemblage, collage, fiber, quilling. It's just an incredible body of work."

The auction is set to open at 10 a.m. Thursday and will run through Nov. 18, the same day both exhibitions are set to close.

<a href="https://haysartscouncil.org/">More information, including the link to the auction and digital representations of the current galleries, can be found at haysartscouncil.org.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603922083186.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Local artist featured in new children's book" height="122" width="100%" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/ykv85-f0a80e?from=pb6admin&download=1&version=1&auto=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Helvetica&skin=3&pfauth=&btn-skin=101"></iframe></div>By JAMES BELL Hays PostDuring extended hours on Saturday, the Hays Arts Council, 112 E. 11th, will host live readings of the "Millie's Garden and the Great Mystery" during a come-and-go open house.Kansas resident and author Joyce Frey, along with Hays resident and illustrator Kathleen Kuchar, will be on hand for the first readings of the work.Readings are planned for 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. in the Founder's Gallery."Since it is not the proper time to have things like art walks or receptions, with food and drink — those things that we come to know and love ... we are going to have an open house on Saturday," said Brenda Meder, Hays Arts Council executive director.An exhibition of the illustrations paired with the story is ongoing."It's a wonderful story about a rabbit and other creatures that live in this particular back yard," Meder said. "It is delightful and Kathleen's&nbsp; illustrations are truly magical, whimsical and warm."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603918757026.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Although retired from Fort Hays State University, Kuchar continues to create and exhibit work.Meder hopes the event will add to the holiday festivities that have been abridged this year."We are hoping people will come out with their children," Meder said. "There is not going to be as many opportunities to dress up and costumes this year ... so put those kids in costumes and come down and see us."Face covering are encouraged, but Meder said people will be spaced out in the room during the readings."There is plenty of room for people to stretch out in there," Meder said.The children will also receive a goodie bag after the reading."They will get a really cool Millie take-home kid's craft," Meder said, along with candy and related coloring sheets.&nbsp;For those who cannot make it to a reading, Meder said a recording of the event will be posted online.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603922220690.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>During the open house, attendees will also have the opportunity to see the ongoing Aces and Eights exhibition."They kind of go together a little bit, with an event this weekend," Meder said.The exhibition is a showcase of the work that was donated to the Hays Arts Center for an online auction that is set to begin Thursday.The show features a diverse set of artists and works, with over 60 pieces of art, sized at 8" by 8."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603922263426.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"What is really exciting is I literally just had an artist come in this morning who said 'I heard you are real close to 52' — they knew that was my target because there are 52 cards in a deck — and this is called Aces and Eights," Meder said. "So we have 52 aces, aces being the artists, without whom you don't have the arts in a community."The show will focus on visual arts, she said."It's a fabulous exhibition, not only by artists within our own community, but actually from other parts of the state as well," Meder said. "We are honored and humbled by their generosity."The art was donated by to the Arts Council, with the auction working as a fundraiser for the organization."It's a great show on its own, but it is also going to be an online auction to celebrate the artists," Meder said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603922300098.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In return for the donation, Meder said information about the artists will be included with the auction pieces, so participants can discover those artists."We think it is really important to know artists and have a chance to have some sort of engagement and education since we are not having our traditional methods of gathering," Meder said.&nbsp;She also said links to the author's websites and social media will be included."We are trying to make this an engaging, interactive experience," Meder said."We want everybody to have a chance to play," Meder said. So all of the auction pieces will be offered at an opening bid of $50.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603922332074.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"And everything is original artwork," she said. "We have even got some handcrafted jewelry pieces. We've got oil, acrylic, watercolor, photography,&nbsp; lithographs, monotype prints, assemblage, collage, fiber, quilling. It's just an incredible body of work."The auction is set to open at 10 a.m. Thursday and will run through Nov. 18, the same day both exhibitions are set to close.<a href="https://haysartscouncil.org/">More information, including the link to the auction and digital representations of the current galleries, can be found at haysartscouncil.org.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603922357145.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>

🎙Local illustrator featured during weekend event at HAC

Nine weeks into the school year, and the Hays USD 489 has already spent much of the more than half million dollars in COVID funds the district has received.

Chris Hipp, assistant superintendent of business services, gave a report on the COVID-related expenses at the Hays school board meeting Monday.

USD 489 received funding for COVID-related expenses from three sources: federal CARES Act aid, Ellis County SPARK CARES Act aid and a grant from the district's insurance company, Aetna.

The Federal Care Act money was split into direct aid to the district and $54,624 in pass through money that went to the special education co-op. $21,583 in CARES money was also shared with the local private schools.

The Ellis County SPARK CARES Act money is federal money that was distributed through the county.

The Aetna funding was spent on thermometers.&nbsp;

$57,000 was spent on the Edgenuity program, which is the program that is being used for parent choice remote learning.

A portion of the staffing expense was adding another nursing position, so head nurse, Jessica Roe, could have time to deal with COVID-related questions and contact tracing.

Equipment and supplies included items, such as hand cleaner, disinfectant and batteries for thermometers.

COVID has resulted in an increase in pay to teachers for substituting or teaching in lieu of their planning periods. That has totaled $23,000 to date this school year. The district has also seen an increase in substitute teacher costs of about $21,000 compared to the same period last year.

"For the most part, we are able to pay for the direct COVID costs based on the additional revenues we got," Hipp said.

The district has about $125,000 that it has not spent from the COVID funds.

Hipp said there will be more staffing expenses and more supplies that will be need to be restocked before the end of the school year.

"We won't have any problem spending the CARES money," he said.

Any costs above the COVID revenues would come from the district's contingency reserves, he said.&nbsp;

Superintendent Ron Wilson said there has been talk at the federal level of another stimulus package with some funds going to schools for COVID expenses. However, he said the district is not counting on any more federal funds coming in.

As the school year progresses, families are choosing to leave parent choice remote learning and move students back into the classroom, Wilson said.

The district started the school year with more than 200 students in remote learning. Now it is down to 129 students. Seventy-five of the remote learners are elementary students, 32 are middle school students and 22 are high school students.

Wilson said the feedback has been positive concerning a change the board made in quarantine rules.

The district decided to reduce the quarantine for students and staff who had a close contact with someone at school who tested positive for COVID-19 from 14 to seven days.

Wilson said in an interview for the KAYS Morning Show the district is seeing the number of students in quarantine go down.

USD 489 and employers across the state are dealing with a surge in fraudulent unemployment claims, Hipp said.

The district has had 26 staff members who were the victims of fraudulent claims since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Hipp said the district has notified the employees involved so they can work with the Kansas Department of Labor to report the fraud.

"There is nothing our staff can do to avoid it," Hipp said. "They are not getting the information from us."

In other business, the school board: • Heard a report from Kyle Carlin on the special education co-op • Selected Tammy Wellbrock as the delegate to Kansas Association of School Boards Conference in December and Allen Park as the alternate.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostNine weeks into the school year, and the Hays USD 489 has already spent much of the more than half million dollars in COVID funds the district has received.Chris Hipp, assistant superintendent of business services, gave a report on the COVID-related expenses at the Hays school board meeting Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603900808300.png" alt="USD 489 COVID revenue" />
 <figcaption>USD 489 COVID revenue</figcaption>
 </figure>USD 489 received funding for COVID-related expenses from three sources: federal CARES Act aid, Ellis County SPARK CARES Act aid and a grant from the district's insurance company, Aetna.The Federal Care Act money was split into direct aid to the district and $54,624 in pass through money that went to the special education co-op. $21,583 in CARES money was also shared with the local private schools.The Ellis County SPARK CARES Act money is federal money that was distributed through the county.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603901342219.png" alt="USD 489 COVID expenses" />
 <figcaption>USD 489 COVID expenses</figcaption>
 </figure>The Aetna funding was spent on thermometers.&nbsp;$57,000 was spent on the Edgenuity program, which is the program that is being used for parent choice remote learning.A portion of the staffing expense was adding another nursing position, so head nurse, Jessica Roe, could have time to deal with COVID-related questions and contact tracing.Equipment and supplies included items, such as hand cleaner, disinfectant and batteries for thermometers.COVID has resulted in an increase in pay to teachers for substituting or teaching in lieu of their planning periods. That has totaled $23,000 to date this school year. The district has also seen an increase in substitute teacher costs of about $21,000 compared to the same period last year."For the most part, we are able to pay for the direct COVID costs based on the additional revenues we got," Hipp said.The district has about $125,000 that it has not spent from the COVID funds.Hipp said there will be more staffing expenses and more supplies that will be need to be restocked before the end of the school year."We won't have any problem spending the CARES money," he said.Any costs above the COVID revenues would come from the district's contingency reserves, he said.&nbsp;Superintendent Ron Wilson said there has been talk at the federal level of another stimulus package with some funds going to schools for COVID expenses. However, he said the district is not counting on any more federal funds coming in.<h2>Remote learning</h2>As the school year progresses, families are choosing to leave parent choice remote learning and move students back into the classroom, Wilson said.The district started the school year with more than 200 students in remote learning. Now it is down to 129 students. Seventy-five of the remote learners are elementary students, 32 are middle school students and 22 are high school students.<h2>Quarantine changes</h2>Wilson said the feedback has been positive concerning a change the board made in quarantine rules.The district decided to reduce the quarantine for students and staff who had a close contact with someone at school who tested positive for COVID-19 from 14 to seven days.Wilson said in an interview for the KAYS Morning Show the district is seeing the number of students in quarantine go down.<h2>Unemployment fraud</h2>USD 489 and employers across the state are dealing with a surge in fraudulent unemployment claims, Hipp said.The district has had 26 staff members who were the victims of fraudulent claims since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Hipp said the district has notified the employees involved so they can work with the Kansas Department of Labor to report the fraud."There is nothing our staff can do to avoid it," Hipp said. "They are not getting the information from us."In other business, the school board: • Heard a report from Kyle Carlin on the special education co-op • Selected Tammy Wellbrock as the delegate to Kansas Association of School Boards Conference in December and Allen Park as the alternate.

Much of Hays USD 489 COVID funds already spent

Members of the Courtney-Spalding Chapter of the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution participated in the National DAR Day of Service by recognizing first responders in Ellis and Rooks counties.

Treats were delivered in Hays to the Kansas Highway Patrol Office, Ellis County EMS/Emergency Manager, Ellis County Rural Fire Department, Hays Fire Department, Hays Police Department/Dispatch/Animal Control and the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office.

In Rooks County, gift bags were delivered to the Rooks County Sheriff’s Department and the Plainville Police Department.

The National DAR Day of Service began Oct. 11, 2015, on the 125th anniversary of the founding of DAR.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603744859148.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedMembers of the Courtney-Spalding Chapter of the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution participated in the National DAR Day of Service by recognizing first responders in Ellis and Rooks counties.Treats were delivered in Hays to the Kansas Highway Patrol Office, Ellis County EMS/Emergency Manager, Ellis County Rural Fire Department, Hays Fire Department, Hays Police Department/Dispatch/Animal Control and the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office.In Rooks County, gift bags were delivered to the Rooks County Sheriff’s Department and the Plainville Police Department.The National DAR Day of Service began Oct. 11, 2015, on the 125th anniversary of the founding of DAR.

Local DAR honors area first responders on Day of Service

Two Fort Hays State University alumni were recently honored for their teaching achievements.

Aimee Overmiller Buckland, a 2013 mathematics education graduate, was recently awarded the North Central Kansas Tech 212 Award. This award recognizes an instructor each semester who has gone above and beyond expectations in their job responsibilities. Buckland received the award for her work as general education instructor at North Central Kansas Technical College-Beloit campus. In addition to her teaching responsibilities at NCK Tech, Buckland also teaches online classes for the Department of Mathematics at Fort Hays State.

Jerry Braun was awarded the Kansas Special Education Professional of the Year by the Kansas Association of Special Education Administrators. Braun, who has worked in the education field for 24 years, currently is a gifted education instructor at Hays Middle School after 20 years as a math teacher in Hays USD 489. He also serves several other districts in the area as part of the Hays West Central Kansas Special Education Co-op. Braun, who graduated from FHSU with a mathematics education degree in 1995, also is an adjunct instructor for FHSU’s Department of Mathematics.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603807051510.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University RelationsTwo Fort Hays State University alumni were recently honored for their teaching achievements.Aimee Overmiller Buckland, a 2013 mathematics education graduate, was recently awarded the North Central Kansas Tech 212 Award. This award recognizes an instructor each semester who has gone above and beyond expectations in their job responsibilities. Buckland received the award for her work as general education instructor at North Central Kansas Technical College-Beloit campus. In addition to her teaching responsibilities at NCK Tech, Buckland also teaches online classes for the Department of Mathematics at Fort Hays State.Jerry Braun was awarded the Kansas Special Education Professional of the Year by the Kansas Association of Special Education Administrators. Braun, who has worked in the education field for 24 years, currently is a gifted education instructor at Hays Middle School after 20 years as a math teacher in Hays USD 489. He also serves several other districts in the area as part of the Hays West Central Kansas Special Education Co-op. Braun, who graduated from FHSU with a mathematics education degree in 1995, also is an adjunct instructor for FHSU’s Department of Mathematics.

Two FHSU alumni earn teaching awards

Three-day weather outlook

TOPEKA – U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director for Kansas Lynne Hinrichsen announced Tuesday that USDA is investing $12,902,000 to modernize critical drinking water and wastewater infrastructure across rural Kansas, including Russell County and Liebenthal in Rush County.

“Upgrading the infrastructure that delivers safe drinking water and modern wastewater management facilities will improve public health and drive economic development in our small towns and cities,” Hinrichsen said.&nbsp;

Background: USDA is funding four projects in Kansas through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program. The following are examples of projects being funded.

· Russell – Rural Water District #3 will use a $5.014 million loan and a $2.783 million grant to improve existing water system infrastructure. Project funds will replace existing water mains and improve the system hydraulics, allowing the system to operate off one centralized elevated storage tank and one standpipe. This project will help to reduce water loss, greatly reduce maintenance needs, and provide adequate storage for the District.

· Dickinson – The City of Chapman will use a $3.368 million loan to improve wastewater treatment infrastructure. This project will relocate and replace a main wastewater lift station, install new force main, construct a new two-cell non-discharging wastewater lagoon system, and demolish the current wastewater treatment plant. Once complete, the city will be back in compliance with the National Pollution Discharge Environment System permit to continue protecting the groundwater and streams from contamination, as well as provide efficient and sustainable wastewater service for the city's 1,393 residents. This partnership is made possible with a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce.

· Linn – Rural Water District #2 will use a $1.516 million loan to install water lines and construct a 50,000-gallon elevated storage tank for customers currently getting water from individual water wells, lake water and/or hauling water for their daily use. Several customers currently have systems that do not meet Safe Drinking Water Act standards. The District's existing distribution pipeline does not allow all new customers to be served economically, and the water tower is at capacity and unable to accommodate new customers. By expanding the District, these new customers will have access to safe and economical water for years to come. This partnership is made possible with a $160,000 contribution from the applicant.

· Rush – The City of Liebenthal will use $97,000 loan and a $124,000 grant to replace their outdated pump station with a new pump station within the existing wetwell, increasing efficiency and streamlining maintenance. Additionally, modifications to the existing wastewater treatment lagoons include removing the berm between two of the cells and using the excavated soil to repair the side slopes. Improvements will help the city to continue providing efficient and sanitary wastewater treatment for the local 103 residents. This partnership is made possible with a $220,850 Community Development Block Grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce.

To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, interested parties should contact the USDA Rural Development office at 785-271-2700 or <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/ks">www.rd.usda.gov/ks</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603815268000.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>USDATOPEKA – U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director for Kansas Lynne Hinrichsen announced Tuesday that USDA is investing $12,902,000 to modernize critical drinking water and wastewater infrastructure across rural Kansas, including Russell County and Liebenthal in Rush County.“Upgrading the infrastructure that delivers safe drinking water and modern wastewater management facilities will improve public health and drive economic development in our small towns and cities,” Hinrichsen said.&nbsp;Background: USDA is funding four projects in Kansas through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program. The following are examples of projects being funded.· Russell – Rural Water District #3 will use a $5.014 million loan and a $2.783 million grant to improve existing water system infrastructure. Project funds will replace existing water mains and improve the system hydraulics, allowing the system to operate off one centralized elevated storage tank and one standpipe. This project will help to reduce water loss, greatly reduce maintenance needs, and provide adequate storage for the District.· Dickinson – The City of Chapman will use a $3.368 million loan to improve wastewater treatment infrastructure. This project will relocate and replace a main wastewater lift station, install new force main, construct a new two-cell non-discharging wastewater lagoon system, and demolish the current wastewater treatment plant. Once complete, the city will be back in compliance with the National Pollution Discharge Environment System permit to continue protecting the groundwater and streams from contamination, as well as provide efficient and sustainable wastewater service for the city's 1,393 residents. This partnership is made possible with a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce.· Linn – Rural Water District #2 will use a $1.516 million loan to install water lines and construct a 50,000-gallon elevated storage tank for customers currently getting water from individual water wells, lake water and/or hauling water for their daily use. Several customers currently have systems that do not meet Safe Drinking Water Act standards. The District's existing distribution pipeline does not allow all new customers to be served economically, and the water tower is at capacity and unable to accommodate new customers. By expanding the District, these new customers will have access to safe and economical water for years to come. This partnership is made possible with a $160,000 contribution from the applicant.· Rush – The City of Liebenthal will use $97,000 loan and a $124,000 grant to replace their outdated pump station with a new pump station within the existing wetwell, increasing efficiency and streamlining maintenance. Additionally, modifications to the existing wastewater treatment lagoons include removing the berm between two of the cells and using the excavated soil to repair the side slopes. Improvements will help the city to continue providing efficient and sanitary wastewater treatment for the local 103 residents. This partnership is made possible with a $220,850 Community Development Block Grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce.To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, interested parties should contact the USDA Rural Development office at 785-271-2700 or <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/ks">www.rd.usda.gov/ks</a>.

Federal funds go to Rush, Russell counties for water, wastewater improvements 

The Ellis County Health Department on Wednesday reported the average number of new coronavirus cases per day in the last seven days rose slightly from eight on Monday to nine on Wednesday.

On Oct. 2, the Hays City Commission voted to extend the ordinance requiring face coverings until the seven-day new case average was five or fewer for 14 straight days.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/095697ac-eb4b-4005-867a-bb049ec8c10f">RELATED:&nbsp;Hays commissioners vote to extend mask ordinance</a>

There were 44 new cases of COVID-19 identified in the county since Monday. There are currently 98 active cases of coronavirus, including five active hospitalizations, and 1,300 recovered cases.

The seven-day average of percent of positive tests jumped from 15.2 percent on Monday to 20.4 percent on Friday.

Since reporting began, there have been 1,416 total cases of COVID-19 reported in Ellis County, including 18 deaths.

Of the 10,334 total tests administered, 12.8 percent have returned positive for coronavirus.

In Norton County, where there have been clusters reported at the Norton Correctional Facility and Andbe Home long-term care facility, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported cases rose from 475 on Monday to 571 on Wednesday.

NOTE:&nbsp;"New cases" reflects cases reported by the Ellis County Health Department between regular reporting periods of Monday, Wednesday and Friday. "Total cases" reflects all cases reported by the department. Because of delayed test results, total cases might include cases prior to the previous reporting period, so the figures might not necessarily correspond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603905133977.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Ellis County Health Department on Wednesday reported the average number of new coronavirus cases per day in the last seven days rose slightly from eight on Monday to nine on Wednesday.On Oct. 2, the Hays City Commission voted to extend the ordinance requiring face coverings until the seven-day new case average was five or fewer for 14 straight days.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/095697ac-eb4b-4005-867a-bb049ec8c10f">RELATED:&nbsp;Hays commissioners vote to extend mask ordinance</a>There were 44 new cases of COVID-19 identified in the county since Monday. There are currently 98 active cases of coronavirus, including five active hospitalizations, and 1,300 recovered cases.The seven-day average of percent of positive tests jumped from 15.2 percent on Monday to 20.4 percent on Friday.Since reporting began, there have been 1,416 total cases of COVID-19 reported in Ellis County, including 18 deaths.Of the 10,334 total tests administered, 12.8 percent have returned positive for coronavirus.In Norton County, where there have been clusters reported at the Norton Correctional Facility and Andbe Home long-term care facility, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported cases rose from 475 on Monday to 571 on Wednesday.NOTE:&nbsp;"New cases" reflects cases reported by the Ellis County Health Department between regular reporting periods of Monday, Wednesday and Friday. "Total cases" reflects all cases reported by the department. Because of delayed test results, total cases might include cases prior to the previous reporting period, so the figures might not necessarily correspond.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603911276876.png" alt="" />
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 </figure><figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AClvlGge52U"></iframe>
 <figcaption>Sponsored</figcaption>
 </figure>

Ellis Co. COVID-19 per-day rate rises; 44 new cases reported

<div><iframe title="Construction projects moving forward in Hays" height="400" width="400" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/zx4kv-f0a7e8?from=pb6admin&download=1&version=1&vjs=1&auto=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Helvetica&skin=3&pfauth="></iframe></div><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5dd2f46c897d147ad4bb104b">To find out more about The Post Podcast, or subscribe to mobile&nbsp;</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5dd2f46c897d147ad4bb104b">notifications click here.</a>

🎙 Post Podcast: Construction projects moving forward in Hays

Compiled by Cristina Janney/Hays Post

Experience?&nbsp; I have worked as the Ellis County Deputy Clerk since January of 2013. I have worked right underneath the Clerk as her deputy for eight years in January.

Why are you running for the Clerk’s Office? Because I know the office. You definitely need experience in the office. I enjoy serving the public. I enjoy working with people. Ellis County in general is a great employer to work for. I really like the job — being deputy right now.

What do you think the Clerk can do to promote higher voter turnout? We can promote it by doing public announcements. Letting [voters] know when advance voting is taking place. Letting them know where it is at and the hours and know where their poll sites are. Unfortunately, the budget does not allow for a lot of advertising.&nbsp;

Going to certain groups like the Hays Chamber and seeing if they can help promote it. I would also promote elections and voter registration by continuing to go to the high school and talking with juniors and seniors on voting and getting them registered to vote.&nbsp;

I am going to work closely with the nursing/assisted living homes on permanent advanced voting. I would work with the administrators of those places so residents have the proper forms filled out for permanent advanced voting.

What do you think the Clerk can do to secure election results? I am member of Election Infrastructure Information Sharing, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security. We get security alerts from the Department of Homeland Security.&nbsp;

When that big story broke about Iran and Russia, we were notified of that to be on a telephone conference call about that, along with our IT department. I know just being a member of that organization helps keep us abreast of what is going on out there as far as any security breaches.&nbsp;

We also work closely with our IT department. We work hand and hand with them to make sure we have all our firewalls and security that we need to keep the voter registration safe. That comes along with direction from the Secretary of State's Office. They let us know when there are security breaches, what is going on about the county or any security breaches other counties might have.

What can be done to ensure the accuracy of election results and their reporting? With our new election equipment, it is really easy to ensure accurate results, because No. 1 it is totally paper based. With what we get through advance voting and people putting their ballots in that gives us a total number. Those two need to match up. If they don't, we start going through the ballots one by one.&nbsp;

When the polling sites bring in their ballots along with the results, those need to match up with the ballots that are voted. They need to match up with what is on the USB for the results. It also needs to match up with the poll books on which people were checked in. It is three tiers at the poll sites. You have your poll pads, which need to match up with what your ballots are, and your ballots need to match up with your report that comes off the USB as it was fed in.

We are now required by the Secretary of State to have an audit after the election. With this General Election, they let us know what we need to audit. What that means is that we have to pick 1 percent of our precincts, which is one. We have to literally go through every ballot and make sure it matches with what was brought in to us.&nbsp;

We literally hand by hand go through. Say it is Ward 1 Precinct 1, we have to get every ballot and make sure the totals that were taken off Election Day at the poll site matches exactly what we ran off.&nbsp;

We then report those results to the state. We have gone through two audits, and we have been fine on each one of them. We had no issues with matching up with what the poll sites said we should have.

In what other ways do you think the Clerk’s Office functions and service to the community can be improved? Just letting the community know we are the passport agent. I am not saying there is no room for improvement, but right now we do a really good job at that.

Our office is also responsible for setting the levies every year to make sure the taxpayers pay the correct amount of taxes. That is a function of our office that is very crucial. I am not saying there haven't been mistakes in the past, but in the last five or six years, we have really refined our process in getting that done and getting that done as quickly as we can, bar other circumstances that are beyond our control.&nbsp;

When people call about specials on their real estate, we give them that information. Our office is one that gets almost every phone call that we either help or we direct to the Appraiser or Register of Deeds.

Why do you think you are more qualified than your opponent? &nbsp;No. 1, I have almost eight years of experience. Coming into this office almost eight years ago, I had no idea what that office was responsible for. I had no idea it entailed as much of the election. I had no idea what goes on behind the scenes to run an election. Paying my taxes every year, I had no idea how those numbers came about. Working through it the last eight years, it is a difficult process — one that takes expertise.

If I had walked into that office with no one in front of me showing me, I am not saying the county would have stopped, it is a process you have to have someone leading in front of you. It would take a process to learn it by yourself.

I definitely have that over my opponent — the eight years of how that process runs.

Editor's note: Mail-in ballots went out in Ellis County for the 2020 General Election that listed the Kansas Senate race as the U.S. Senate race. Dreiling is referencing that error in the answer to the next question.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/0966a88e-644e-41e4-9191-6bbb0f57ac0e">See Related Story: Ellis Co. ballot misprint could be issue if Bollier, Marshall race is close</a>

Write-in candidate Laura Allen has been critical of the current clerk's administration of this election. Would you like to address that? I would rather not because that is the County Clerk's position. We literally do the best that we can. Mistakes do happen. This mistake that happened was one that was correctable and one that we are continuing working through.&nbsp;

Unfortunately our office is not perfect. We are working through this process of correcting it, and we have already done that.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603747534924.jpeg" alt="Bobbi Dreiling" />
 <figcaption>Bobbi Dreiling</figcaption>
 </figure>Compiled by Cristina Janney/Hays PostAge: 57Party: Republican Experience?&nbsp; I have worked as the Ellis County Deputy Clerk since January of 2013. I have worked right underneath the Clerk as her deputy for eight years in January.Why are you running for the Clerk’s Office? Because I know the office. You definitely need experience in the office. I enjoy serving the public. I enjoy working with people. Ellis County in general is a great employer to work for. I really like the job — being deputy right now.What do you think the Clerk can do to promote higher voter turnout? We can promote it by doing public announcements. Letting [voters] know when advance voting is taking place. Letting them know where it is at and the hours and know where their poll sites are. Unfortunately, the budget does not allow for a lot of advertising.&nbsp;Going to certain groups like the Hays Chamber and seeing if they can help promote it. I would also promote elections and voter registration by continuing to go to the high school and talking with juniors and seniors on voting and getting them registered to vote.&nbsp;I am going to work closely with the nursing/assisted living homes on permanent advanced voting. I would work with the administrators of those places so residents have the proper forms filled out for permanent advanced voting.What do you think the Clerk can do to secure election results? I am member of Election Infrastructure Information Sharing, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security. We get security alerts from the Department of Homeland Security.&nbsp;When that big story broke about Iran and Russia, we were notified of that to be on a telephone conference call about that, along with our IT department. I know just being a member of that organization helps keep us abreast of what is going on out there as far as any security breaches.&nbsp;We also work closely with our IT department. We work hand and hand with them to make sure we have all our firewalls and security that we need to keep the voter registration safe. That comes along with direction from the Secretary of State's Office. They let us know when there are security breaches, what is going on about the county or any security breaches other counties might have.What can be done to ensure the accuracy of election results and their reporting? With our new election equipment, it is really easy to ensure accurate results, because No. 1 it is totally paper based. With what we get through advance voting and people putting their ballots in that gives us a total number. Those two need to match up. If they don't, we start going through the ballots one by one.&nbsp;When the polling sites bring in their ballots along with the results, those need to match up with the ballots that are voted. They need to match up with what is on the USB for the results. It also needs to match up with the poll books on which people were checked in. It is three tiers at the poll sites. You have your poll pads, which need to match up with what your ballots are, and your ballots need to match up with your report that comes off the USB as it was fed in.We are now required by the Secretary of State to have an audit after the election. With this General Election, they let us know what we need to audit. What that means is that we have to pick 1 percent of our precincts, which is one. We have to literally go through every ballot and make sure it matches with what was brought in to us.&nbsp;We literally hand by hand go through. Say it is Ward 1 Precinct 1, we have to get every ballot and make sure the totals that were taken off Election Day at the poll site matches exactly what we ran off.&nbsp;We then report those results to the state. We have gone through two audits, and we have been fine on each one of them. We had no issues with matching up with what the poll sites said we should have.In what other ways do you think the Clerk’s Office functions and service to the community can be improved? Just letting the community know we are the passport agent. I am not saying there is no room for improvement, but right now we do a really good job at that.Our office is also responsible for setting the levies every year to make sure the taxpayers pay the correct amount of taxes. That is a function of our office that is very crucial. I am not saying there haven't been mistakes in the past, but in the last five or six years, we have really refined our process in getting that done and getting that done as quickly as we can, bar other circumstances that are beyond our control.&nbsp;When people call about specials on their real estate, we give them that information. Our office is one that gets almost every phone call that we either help or we direct to the Appraiser or Register of Deeds.Why do you think you are more qualified than your opponent? &nbsp;No. 1, I have almost eight years of experience. Coming into this office almost eight years ago, I had no idea what that office was responsible for. I had no idea it entailed as much of the election. I had no idea what goes on behind the scenes to run an election. Paying my taxes every year, I had no idea how those numbers came about. Working through it the last eight years, it is a difficult process — one that takes expertise.If I had walked into that office with no one in front of me showing me, I am not saying the county would have stopped, it is a process you have to have someone leading in front of you. It would take a process to learn it by yourself.I definitely have that over my opponent — the eight years of how that process runs.Editor's note: Mail-in ballots went out in Ellis County for the 2020 General Election that listed the Kansas Senate race as the U.S. Senate race. Dreiling is referencing that error in the answer to the next question.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/0966a88e-644e-41e4-9191-6bbb0f57ac0e">See Related Story: Ellis Co. ballot misprint could be issue if Bollier, Marshall race is close</a>Write-in candidate Laura Allen has been critical of the current clerk's administration of this election. Would you like to address that? I would rather not because that is the County Clerk's position. We literally do the best that we can. Mistakes do happen. This mistake that happened was one that was correctable and one that we are continuing working through.&nbsp;Unfortunately our office is not perfect. We are working through this process of correcting it, and we have already done that.&nbsp;

Ellis County Clerk Candidate: Bobbi Dreiling

Party: Democrat — write-in candidate

Experience? First, I have a bachelor's degree in business administration from Fort Hays, which encompasses a lot of what the Clerk's Office does. I have through different job experiences managed up to 20 to 25 people on a team at a time. I have managed a couple of retail stories, so I have worked with budgets and payroll and HR functions.&nbsp;

Why are you running for the Clerk’s Office? When I first decided to run, it was because I felt if we are having an election, people should have a choice in who they are voting for. After the voting machine snafu in 2018, I looked a little more into offices. I thought this fit with my qualifications. I really liked the idea of the voting portion of it — the Election Officer.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603823723316.png" alt="Laura Allen" />
 <figcaption>Laura Allen</figcaption>
 </figure>Age: 47Party: Democrat — write-in candidateExperience? First, I have a bachelor's degree in business administration from Fort Hays, which encompasses a lot of what the Clerk's Office does. I have through different job experiences managed up to 20 to 25 people on a team at a time. I have managed a couple of retail stories, so I have worked with budgets and payroll and HR functions.&nbsp;Why are you running for the Clerk’s Office? When I first decided to run, it was because I felt if we are having an election, people should have a choice in who they are voting for. After the voting machine snafu in 2018, I looked a little more into offices. I thought this fit with my qualifications. I really liked the idea of the voting portion of it — the Election Officer.&nbsp;I think our Clerk's Office has made a lot of mistakes that don't need to be made. When we don't have a choice in who is there, I don't think that is fair to the people in Ellis County.&nbsp;Editor's note: Mail-in ballots went out in Ellis County for the 2020 General Election that listed the Kansas Senate race as the U.S. Senate race. Allen is referencing that ballot error in the answer to the next question.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/0966a88e-644e-41e4-9191-6bbb0f57ac0e">See Related Story: Ellis Co. ballot misprint could be issue if Bollier, Marshall race is close</a>What mistakes specifically do you feel have been made? The ballots are wrong to begin with. That is a huge thing. I don't know why our Clerk's Office decided to initial ballots separately. There is supposed to be an identifying mark that is consistent to each ballot, according to the Secretary of State, to verify its authenticity to as coming from the Clerk's Office.&nbsp;Many other counties have used stamps. We can't because the voting equipment that we spent a lot of money on doesn't allow for stamp ink to be read. The next option would be for one person to initial all of the ballots so those initials were the same as opposed to different initials for the people who work in the Clerk's Office. That was a mistake that was made.&nbsp;A couple of weeks ago the Deputy Clerk told people if they had an unexpunged felony on their record, they couldn't vote. And that is not true. That is incorrect information. She posted an apology for misinformation on her Facebook. That concerns me, I don't know how many people over the last eight years were told they couldn't vote when they are certainly eligible to vote.Editor's note: In Kansas, a federal or state felony conviction results in the loss of voting rights until the terms of the felony sentence is complete. A sentence is not considered complete until probation or parole is finished. Individuals who lose their voting rights due to a felony conviction may re-register to vote upon completion of their sentence. Information from&nbsp;sos.ks.gov.Bobbi Dreiling did on her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Bobbi-Dreiling-for-Ellis-County-Clerk-112968323760392/">Bobbi Dreiling for Ellis County Clerk</a>&nbsp;Facebook page make a reference to felons being unable to vote. The post was made on Sept. 29. Dreiling posted a correction on Oct. 6 on that same Facebook page.Do you differentiate at all between the current Clerk, Donna Maskus, and Deputy Clerk Bobbi Dreiling, who is running in this election? I think as the Deputy Clerk they should take responsibility for each other. I don't think it should be differentiated. That office is one and the same. I would hope if the office is being run in the manner that it should be that the Deputy Clerk has some type of say in those decisions.&nbsp;I hate to think the ballot snafu was Donna Maskus looking at the ballot and no one else proofreading it. There is also another statute that says that ballot is supposed to be sent to the candidates and the respective political parties in the county. Donna said she believed those went out. I double checked, and none of the other candidates got those ballots in the mail. There were opportunities for that mistake to have been caught.&nbsp;Yes, while the Deputy Clerk is not who is currently in charge, based on her telling us she has eight years of experience in that office, I would hope she has experience with things like proofreading a ballot.&nbsp;What do you think the Clerk can do to promote higher voter turnout? I feel there is a lot to be said for engagement. I don't feel like I am completely removed from the things that go on in Ellis County. I don't see much, except around the time there is an election.&nbsp;I think we should have voter registrations at different events. I don't see those sorts of things happening.&nbsp;My daughter is in high school and until my son asked her to join the Young Democrats, I don't think she has been talked to at school about voting. The election process and the Clerk's Office, even though I have to run under a political party and everybody has to run under a political party, I don't believe that should be in any way partisan.Everybody should vote. I want everybody to vote. If we go to the high school and talk to the classes about voting, we want Republicans to vote. We want Democrats to vote — everybody to have their voice heard.My daughter had never been talked to at school. My son graduated just last year. I don't believe anyone had talked to him at school. There is a community outreach, but I think there should be community involvement in getting people to vote — working with the college and getting those kids to vote. Making sure we are going out of our way to help the people who want to vote, give them the right information. Get it out there. Have events.&nbsp;What do you think the Clerk can do to secure election results? I think it is important that it be non-partisan teamwork. I know there are a lot of groups. I hate there seems to be so much animosity between said groups.&nbsp;I know [County Clerk Donna Maskus] actually has reached out to the Democratic Party and kept us informed now of how those votes will be counted and opened and that sort of thing, and that's great. I think allowing people the access and seeing how that is handled, I think that goes a long way to at least calming people's fears a little bit about the security of the election. There is a transparency there that I think would really make a difference.What can be done to ensure the accuracy of election results and their reporting? I think working together with other groups. Not to say there should be huge numbers of people in any voting scenario, but I think there is something to be said for letting the local Democratic Party, the local Republican Party and candidates be a part of that process. Their checks and balances make a huge difference.&nbsp;The Clerk's Office does not have to be an entity in and of its self. There is a network of county offices and people. I think if you utilize that, there is a huge resource there to help ensure the integrity and the accuracy of the counting and reporting.&nbsp;In what other ways do you think the Clerk’s Office functions and service to the community can be improved? To be fair, I don't have a lot of experience with the Clerk's functions. I would assume that accounting functions and statute functions don't have a whole lot of leeway. I am going to guess some of those Clerk functions like the tax liens and the alcoholic beverage forms and that sort of thing — you don't have a lot of leeway there. It has to be done correctly.&nbsp;As far as the Clerk functions go, there is not a lot that can be changed there. I am sure there are also some functions on the election side of things, that we could think outside of the box a little bit and be open and willing to accept the idea that there may be a better way to do things rather than the way that it has always been done. I think that is a step in the right direction.Why do you think you are more qualified than your opponent? I believe No. 1 my resume qualifications are a better. I do believe probably 90 percent of the Clerk functions are something that we have covered or that I learned in order to get my business degree. I also think that the budgeting, payroll and the HR functions I have already dealt with have a lot to do with what happens in the Clerk's Office.&nbsp;At the same time, I also think I have an openness and willingness to see there might be better ways to do things. And to say I don't know how this works so I want to find the right answer as opposed to thinking this is the way it's always been done so this is the right answer.