By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

ELLIS — The Ellis school board on Wednesday said it would not pursue a bond at this time, citing a declining economy.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e568098b0e36717632225a9">The board created a Bond Exploration Committee in February</a>, but the board members said Wednesday in a meeting conducted via Zoom they would not move past the fact-finding stage at this time.

The district had set interviews with architects for the project, but Superintendent Corey Burton said much has changed at the state and local levels in the last month and a half.

The Docking Institute did a survey for the district on a potential bond in November 2019. 

However, bond committee Chairman Mike Keller said he did not think the data collected in 2019 is still accurate in the wake of the changes in the economy since the COVID-19 crisis.

"My guess would be if we ran an identical study survey today, we might get a little bit different result based on the economic condition in our community with the trifecta of oil and ag and just the general economy," Keller said.

That survey indicated the&nbsp;highest priorities of respondents were to repair rooftops and replace the HVAC system, plumbing and fixtures at Washington Elementary School.

"Our problems aren't going away in the district just because we have a somewhat temporary problem in the nation," he said. "Temporary is a strange word, but it will come and go and, at some point, it will be in the past. We will still have our school buildings and our school that we need to fix."

Keller suggested the committee still engage in fact-finding missions.

"I also think there may be some firms that are a little hungry out there than normal as far as architectural firms," Keller said, "or maybe construction firms that the bids might be more competitive. I don't think interest rates are going anywhere."

Keller said he also thought the district should move forward with an energy audit on both buildings.

"Our boiler isn't getting any newer. We're still going to need HVAC. We're still going to need science rooms even though we home-schooled," Keller said. "We still need roofs. We still need plumbing and fixtures at the grade school.&nbsp;

"It is just a bad situation when you combine the county passing their sales tax and then turn around and say they are going to increase their mill on property because their budget's messed up," he said. "And the school may have to increase its mill levy to makeup the shortfall in oil."

Ellis County is the largest oil-producing county in the state. Low oil prices have forced many producers to shut down wells. Any entity in the county that relies on property tax, including school districts, will likely see a reduction in tax revenue.

"I don't think there is anything else we could pile on here to make the condition and the timing worse," Keller said.

Board member Randy Honas said nothing has changed with the district's facilities in the last six weeks — but the economy has.

He said he supported continuing to gather information on a potential bond. If the economic climate would change, he said, at least the district would have the information.

Board member Cindy Hertel said she thought it was important to communicate to the public the district is just doing research.&nbsp;

"We don't want them to think we don't care about the economic situation," she said. "We also need to keep communicating that we have the same problems, and they aren't going away."

Board president Jared Schiel said, "There is nothing wrong with us furthering our knowledge and furthering where we are in the timeline to stay ahead of this thing."

Before the COVID-19 crisis, Schiel said the board had not planned to take the bond to a vote any earlier than 11 months out. He said more research will allow the board to move forward when members think the time is right.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579030633433.jpeg" alt="Ellis school board members said Wednesday now is not the right time for a bond considering economic conditions. The district will continue its fact-finding process." />
 <figcaption>Ellis school board members said Wednesday now is not the right time for a bond considering economic conditions. The district will continue its fact-finding process.</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostELLIS — The Ellis school board on Wednesday said it would not pursue a bond at this time, citing a declining economy.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e568098b0e36717632225a9">The board created a Bond Exploration Committee in February</a>, but the board members said Wednesday in a meeting conducted via Zoom they would not move past the fact-finding stage at this time.The district had set interviews with architects for the project, but Superintendent Corey Burton said much has changed at the state and local levels in the last month and a half.The Docking Institute did a survey for the district on a potential bond in November 2019. However, bond committee Chairman Mike Keller said he did not think the data collected in 2019 is still accurate in the wake of the changes in the economy since the COVID-19 crisis."My guess would be if we ran an identical study survey today, we might get a little bit different result based on the economic condition in our community with the trifecta of oil and ag and just the general economy," Keller said.That survey indicated the&nbsp;highest priorities of respondents were to repair rooftops and replace the HVAC system, plumbing and fixtures at Washington Elementary School."Our problems aren't going away in the district just because we have a somewhat temporary problem in the nation," he said. "Temporary is a strange word, but it will come and go and, at some point, it will be in the past. We will still have our school buildings and our school that we need to fix."Keller suggested the committee still engage in fact-finding missions."I also think there may be some firms that are a little hungry out there than normal as far as architectural firms," Keller said, "or maybe construction firms that the bids might be more competitive. I don't think interest rates are going anywhere."Keller said he also thought the district should move forward with an energy audit on both buildings."Our boiler isn't getting any newer. We're still going to need HVAC. We're still going to need science rooms even though we home-schooled," Keller said. "We still need roofs. We still need plumbing and fixtures at the grade school.&nbsp;"It is just a bad situation when you combine the county passing their sales tax and then turn around and say they are going to increase their mill on property because their budget's messed up," he said. "And the school may have to increase its mill levy to makeup the shortfall in oil."Ellis County is the largest oil-producing county in the state. Low oil prices have forced many producers to shut down wells. Any entity in the county that relies on property tax, including school districts, will likely see a reduction in tax revenue."I don't think there is anything else we could pile on here to make the condition and the timing worse," Keller said.Board member Randy Honas said nothing has changed with the district's facilities in the last six weeks — but the economy has.He said he supported continuing to gather information on a potential bond. If the economic climate would change, he said, at least the district would have the information.Board member Cindy Hertel said she thought it was important to communicate to the public the district is just doing research.&nbsp;"We don't want them to think we don't care about the economic situation," she said. "We also need to keep communicating that we have the same problems, and they aren't going away."Board president Jared Schiel said, "There is nothing wrong with us furthering our knowledge and furthering where we are in the timeline to stay ahead of this thing."Before the COVID-19 crisis, Schiel said the board had not planned to take the bond to a vote any earlier than 11 months out. He said more research will allow the board to move forward when members think the time is right.

Ellis school board: Now is not right time for bond

Jason Kennedy,&nbsp;Ellis County Health Services director, said Friday during a public webinar Ellis County will not impose greater COVID-19 restrictions than the state.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5ebda562eb7f17053604ff8d">Gov. Laura Kelly announced Thursday a phase 1.5 of the reopening plan.</a> Gyms, barbershops and salons will be able to reopen Monday as planned, but most of the requirements of the phase one reopening will stay in place, including limiting gatherings to 10 people.&nbsp;

Kennedy said Ellis County's COVID-19 metrics remain the same. It has been 29 days since the onset of the last reported case in Ellis County. The county has had no reported hospitalizations and no deaths.

The county health board will meet again Monday, but Kennedy said he did not anticipate they would recommend any changes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589557002140.png" alt="Jason Kennedy" />
 <figcaption>Jason Kennedy</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostJason Kennedy,&nbsp;Ellis County Health Services director, said Friday during a public webinar Ellis County will not impose greater COVID-19 restrictions than the state.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5ebda562eb7f17053604ff8d">Gov. Laura Kelly announced Thursday a phase 1.5 of the reopening plan.</a> Gyms, barbershops and salons will be able to reopen Monday as planned, but most of the requirements of the phase one reopening will stay in place, including limiting gatherings to 10 people.&nbsp;Kennedy said Ellis County's COVID-19 metrics remain the same. It has been 29 days since the onset of the last reported case in Ellis County. The county has had no reported hospitalizations and no deaths.The county health board will meet again Monday, but Kennedy said he did not anticipate they would recommend any changes.

Ellis County will not impose greater COVID-19 restrictions

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

With no citizens present to make comments and no emailed comments, two public hearings were quickly conducted Thursday evening by the Hays city commission regarding economic incentive requests from the developer of the planned travel plaza at Interstate 70 Exit 157.

Just as quickly, two ordinances were unanimously approved to adopt the D&amp;J Land and Development Project Plan Tax Increment Financing District (TIF, a development agreement, to convey a 4.6 acre property from the city to the developer, and creation of a Community Improvement District (CID).

Kim Rupp, city finance director, called the items the "finish line for the marathon the city has been on" with D&amp;J.

The developers, John E. Brown of Topeka and Hays resident Dan Hess, plan to develop about 45 acres at the northwest corner of 230th Avenue and 55th Street for a travel plaza, truck wash, at least one full-service hotel, restaurants and other commercial businesses. There will also be associated public and private infrastructure, utilities, storm water and drainage, landscaping and parking facilities.&nbsp;

The TIF is expected by the developer to&nbsp;generate approximately $14.95 million over the&nbsp;maximum 20-year term&nbsp;and would be made available to reimburse the developer for TIF-eligible project costs on a pay-as-you-go basis.

TIF revenues will be derived from incremental property tax revenues collected&nbsp;on the project site. City policy does not allow any general or special city or county sales tax generated by the project to be captured by the TIF.

The developer has also requested reimbursement of the costs of intersection&nbsp;improvements at 230th Avenue and 55th Street from a $1.5 million grant to Ellis County by the Kansas Dept. of Transportation and ownership of that property to be transferred from the city to the developer.

A 2% CID sales tax will be imposed on only the travel plaza and truck wash portions of the project&nbsp;to fund certain expenditures on a pay-as-you-go basis. The CID sales tax will generate approximately $2.2 million over the maximum 22-year term.

"Developer improvements (for the travel plaza and truck wash) are expected to begin very soon in 2020 and will take approximately 18 months to complete," Rupp told commissioners.

The balance of the project consists of nine outparcel pad sites for restaurants, retail, hotel, and other commercial uses.&nbsp;

"The developer anticipates selling or leasing those lots pad-ready to other end users. ... The other private improvements are tentatively planned to be completed and commence in 2022 but that's depending on the timing of purchase and construction by end users."

"I'm extremely excited to finally have this coming to an end for us," said Sandy Jacobs, vice-mayor, "and a beginning for the developers.

"We're excited to have this as a part of our community."

"We look 10, 20 years down the road, what's going to be out there on that exit is going to be huge," Musil said, "and I'm very proud to be a part of this."

The developer's costs will be about $22.42 million while the cost of the other private improvements is about $28.3 million.

No special obligation or general obligation bonds will be issued by the city in connection with the project.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589507296489.png" alt="The Hays Travel Plaza is to be built on the north side of I-70 Exit 157 in west Hays." />
 <figcaption>The Hays Travel Plaza is to be built on the north side of I-70 Exit 157 in west Hays.</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostWith no citizens present to make comments and no emailed comments, two public hearings were quickly conducted Thursday evening by the Hays city commission regarding economic incentive requests from the developer of the planned travel plaza at Interstate 70 Exit 157.Just as quickly, two ordinances were unanimously approved to adopt the D&amp;J Land and Development Project Plan Tax Increment Financing District (TIF, a development agreement, to convey a 4.6 acre property from the city to the developer, and creation of a Community Improvement District (CID).Kim Rupp, city finance director, called the items the "finish line for the marathon the city has been on" with D&amp;J.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LIhbRNJQIdY"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The developers, John E. Brown of Topeka and Hays resident Dan Hess, plan to develop about 45 acres at the northwest corner of 230th Avenue and 55th Street for a travel plaza, truck wash, at least one full-service hotel, restaurants and other commercial businesses. There will also be associated public and private infrastructure, utilities, storm water and drainage, landscaping and parking facilities.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589510073164.png" alt="Travel plaza project area" />
 <figcaption>Travel plaza project area</figcaption>
 </figure>The TIF is expected by the developer to&nbsp;generate approximately $14.95 million over the&nbsp;maximum 20-year term&nbsp;and would be made available to reimburse the developer for TIF-eligible project costs on a pay-as-you-go basis.TIF revenues will be derived from incremental property tax revenues collected&nbsp;on the project site. City policy does not allow any general or special city or county sales tax generated by the project to be captured by the TIF.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589510180575.png" alt="A little more than 4 acres of city property will be turned over to the developers." />
 <figcaption>A little more than 4 acres of city property will be turned over to the developers.</figcaption>
 </figure>The developer has also requested reimbursement of the costs of intersection&nbsp;improvements at 230th Avenue and 55th Street from a $1.5 million grant to Ellis County by the Kansas Dept. of Transportation and ownership of that property to be transferred from the city to the developer.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589511681408.png" alt="Travel plaza CID area" />
 <figcaption>Travel plaza CID area</figcaption>
 </figure>A 2% CID sales tax will be imposed on only the travel plaza and truck wash portions of the project&nbsp;to fund certain expenditures on a pay-as-you-go basis. The CID sales tax will generate approximately $2.2 million over the maximum 22-year term."Developer improvements (for the travel plaza and truck wash) are expected to begin very soon in 2020 and will take approximately 18 months to complete," Rupp told commissioners.The balance of the project consists of nine outparcel pad sites for restaurants, retail, hotel, and other commercial uses.&nbsp;"The developer anticipates selling or leasing those lots pad-ready to other end users. ... The other private improvements are tentatively planned to be completed and commence in 2022 but that's depending on the timing of purchase and construction by end users.""I'm extremely excited to finally have this coming to an end for us," said Sandy Jacobs, vice-mayor, "and a beginning for the developers."We're excited to have this as a part of our community."Mayor Shaun Musil agreed."We look 10, 20 years down the road, what's going to be out there on that exit is going to be huge," Musil said, "and I'm very proud to be a part of this."The developer's costs will be about $22.42 million while the cost of the other private improvements is about $28.3 million.No special obligation or general obligation bonds will be issued by the city in connection with the project.&nbsp;

🎥 City: 'Developer improvements expected to begin soon for Hays Travel Plaza'

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT, Hays Post

What was supposed to be a benign budget meeting Thursday
ended with the Ellis County Treasurer getting escorted from the commission
chambers.

After previously presenting the commission with drafts, each
individual department head planned to present their budget to the commission.&nbsp;

After a brief question, Commission Chair Butch Schlyer pressed
County Treasurer Lisa Schlegel on adding a new employee. The commission had previously asked that
any department heads who were looking to hire a new employee to discuss it with
the commission first. 

Schlegell did not. In March, she elected to fill a position that
had been vacant in her department for several weeks. 

Schlyer contended that position was open for six months. During
the conversation, Schlegel interrupted Schlyer several times claiming it was
four months. 

“Earlier in the year, we did ask that department heads and
elected officials discuss personnel issues with us,” Schlyer said. “You decided
not too.”



“You never asked me about the position,” Schlegel replied. 

"I didn’t know you was
hiring,"&nbsp;Schlyer responded.

After Schlegel asked Schlyer, “Why are you asking now?” Schlyer said, “Because I don’t believe you needed the
position and I’m going to ask the board to remove it.”

Schlegel then interrupted him and said, “You don’t know
what my office does.”

“You have no bearing to make a statement that my office does
not need that staff,” she said. “That’s an ignorant statement and is incorrect.”

Schlyer responded, “You’re being rude and disrepecful.”

To that Schlegel responded, “No you’re lying and you’re misrepresenting
the facts. I’m standing up for myself. That’s not rude and disrespectful.”

Schlegel interrupted Schlyer several more times as he told
the commission he wanted that position taken from the budget.

She then claimed he was threatened by a woman standing up
to him.

Schlyer said in response, “I’m not threatened by any woman.”



Schlegel said, “We’ll sure you are. When you lie, misrepresent,
call names yell and bully, that is disrespectful.”

Schlyer interrupted her and said, “you keep interrupting me so
I’d appreciate it if you’d just shut up for a minute.”

Schlyer asked to board to remove the position for the treasurer’s
budget.

To that, she said, “The position will not be removed.”

The position was budgeted in 2020, and Schlegel asked what
had changed.

“I don’t believe you needed it because you went a long time
without it,” Schlyer said. “You went through tax season without it.”

Schlyer added that she took her time to fill the position
while other departments did not.

Schlegel said, “If you understood how the treasury functioned, you would understand that no treasurer is going to hire and train a new person
in tax season.”

Schlegel went on to claim that Schlyer makes decisions on
“non-fact (and) ignorance." While the moves she makes are based on “facts.”

She went on to claim that Schlyer has made “numerous, lies,
mistruths and misrepresentations” about her since he was elected. 

When pressed on what he has said, she did not provide any
examples.

She then told the commission her expenditures for 2021 would be $515,000.

“That’s what its going to cost to operate the treasurer,”
Schlegel said. 

After Schlyer again told her that he doesn’t believe the
treasurer’s office needs the extra position, she told him he does not know what
he is talking about.

When Schlyer shifted the discussion to the treasurer’s advertising
budget, she said she would not discuss it.

She then brought up her summer newsletter that she mailed
out to residents of Ellis County. She said the money for those didn’t come from
the advertising budget and said that two commissioners lied about it when they
talked about it at a prior meeting.

“Which is completely ignorant,” Schlegel said, “and it breaches
on stupid.”



Commissioner Dustin Roths, who addressed the newsletter at a
prior meeting, asked where the funding for the newsletter came from. He was
ignored.

At this time, Schlyer asked Sheriff Ed Harbin to the front of
the chambers and had Schlegel escorted from the meeting.

“I’m tired of listening to this,” Schlyer said. “We’ll do
her budget without her.”

When she asked why she was being escorted from the meeting,
his answer was, “because you’re obnoxious.”

“You are disrespectful. And let the record state,” Schlegel
said, “that you told me to shut up.”

She continued to yell as she was being escorted out of the
meeting and said the number she gave them was going to be what it cost to run
the treasury “whether you like it or not.”

Just outside the commission chambers, Schlegel can be heard yelling,
“Butch, you’re lucky you had me escorted out because I have a lot of stuff here
you don’t want the public to hear."

At that time, she was told that if she came back to the
meeting she would be arrested for disorderly conduct.

The commission then proceeded to go through the 2021 budget
request for the treasurer line by line.

According to numbers presented to the commission, from January 2019 through this year, the treasurer’s office only used 105 hours of overtime.
That was minus one employee for the busy tax season.

“Right through her busy season tax season, she was an
employee low, didn’t rehire and (then) rehired at the beginning of the year
without requesting from us,” said Roths.

The commission agreed to not put that position in the 2021
budget, and Roths said this is the reason why they didn’t want to hire new
employees if there wasn’t going to be a position available.

“It’s not fair to that employee,” Roths said. “What Ms. Schlegel
did to that employee is not fair and who she decides to let go of next year is not
fair.”

While going through more line items and made a list of
questions for Sclegel to address at another time.

Some of the smaller items they trimmed were the amount of
money set aside for tuition reimbursement, subsistence spending and ending a line item for employee incentives.

The commission also addressed a roughly $30,000 expenditure
for bulletproof glass and chose to remove it from the budget.

Interim County Administrator Darin Myers said they aren’t really
sure on the exact cost but wanted to make sure it was on the budget for
approval.

Schlyer called the bulletproof glass “overkill.”

Roths said, “How bad do we have to be at customer service
while people are paying their taxes to need bulletproof glass partisans between
us and the person whose taking our money?”

Schlyer also called it an inconsistency to want bulletproof
glass but remove security cameras in the office.

The commission discussed the current security camera setup
within the treasurer’s office.

IT Director Mike Leiker told the commission that his
department does have security cameras in the treasurer’s office with the
recording equipment in the IT department. But Leiker said “recently” the treasurer
had staff come and get the equipment.

He said while the cameras can be monitored in real-time,
they currently cannot record. There are 20 cameras in the treasurer’s office, but only 18 are active because Schlegel had them disconnect two, according to
Leiker.

Leiker estimated it would cost about $3,000 to get the system
back to recording.

County Counselor Bill Jeter told the commission he has looked
into this situation before and called it a “gray area.”

He said there isn’t any guidelines on placing camera’s in an
elected official’s office, adding he couldn’t give the commission an opinion
on what the outcome of the case would be.

Roths said, “Maybe it should be litigated. If Treasurer Schlegel
would like to have a problem with us recording things in the treasury, that
might be something we have to take up as litigation.”

“I believe we should be recording in the treasury,” Roths
added, “for the safety of the treasury (and) for the safety of her employees.”

Jeter suggested the county look at installing
cameras in the lobby in an effort to cover the front of the treasurer’s office.

Roths said he would be worried about fraud and mistakes in
transactions.

“Those are the type of things I would expect, from my treasurer,
to want to know.”

Roths said he would be in favor of zero-funding the treasurer’s
capital outlay budget so the office doesn’t have the funds to do any
construction on the office.

The commission also walked through the EMS and Health
Services Budgets, and budgets for the county attorney, appraiser, sheriff and
IT.

They will continue budget discussions Friday.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XKdPnYL6rJ0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT, Hays PostWhat was supposed to be a benign budget meeting Thursday
ended with the Ellis County Treasurer getting escorted from the commission
chambers.After previously presenting the commission with drafts, each
individual department head planned to present their budget to the commission.&nbsp;After a brief question, Commission Chair Butch Schlyer pressed
County Treasurer Lisa Schlegel on adding a new employee. The commission had previously asked that
any department heads who were looking to hire a new employee to discuss it with
the commission first. Schlegell did not. In March, she elected to fill a position that
had been vacant in her department for several weeks. Schlyer contended that position was open for six months. During
the conversation, Schlegel interrupted Schlyer several times claiming it was
four months. “Earlier in the year, we did ask that department heads and
elected officials discuss personnel issues with us,” Schlyer said. “You decided
not too.”

“You never asked me about the position,” Schlegel replied. "I didn’t know you was
hiring,"&nbsp;Schlyer responded.After Schlegel asked Schlyer, “Why are you asking now?” Schlyer said, “Because I don’t believe you needed the
position and I’m going to ask the board to remove it.”Schlegel then interrupted him and said, “You don’t know
what my office does.”“You have no bearing to make a statement that my office does
not need that staff,” she said. “That’s an ignorant statement and is incorrect.”Schlyer responded, “You’re being rude and disrepecful.”To that Schlegel responded, “No you’re lying and you’re misrepresenting
the facts. I’m standing up for myself. That’s not rude and disrespectful.”Schlegel interrupted Schlyer several more times as he told
the commission he wanted that position taken from the budget.She then claimed he was threatened by a woman standing up
to him.Schlyer said in response, “I’m not threatened by any woman.”

Schlegel said, “We’ll sure you are. When you lie, misrepresent,
call names yell and bully, that is disrespectful.”Schlyer interrupted her and said, “you keep interrupting me so
I’d appreciate it if you’d just shut up for a minute.”Schlyer asked to board to remove the position for the treasurer’s
budget.To that, she said, “The position will not be removed.”The position was budgeted in 2020, and Schlegel asked what
had changed.“I don’t believe you needed it because you went a long time
without it,” Schlyer said. “You went through tax season without it.”Schlyer added that she took her time to fill the position
while other departments did not.Schlegel said, “If you understood how the treasury functioned, you would understand that no treasurer is going to hire and train a new person
in tax season.”Schlegel went on to claim that Schlyer makes decisions on
“non-fact (and) ignorance." While the moves she makes are based on “facts.”She went on to claim that Schlyer has made “numerous, lies,
mistruths and misrepresentations” about her since he was elected. When pressed on what he has said, she did not provide any
examples.She then told the commission her expenditures for 2021 would be $515,000.“That’s what its going to cost to operate the treasurer,”
Schlegel said. After Schlyer again told her that he doesn’t believe the
treasurer’s office needs the extra position, she told him he does not know what
he is talking about.When Schlyer shifted the discussion to the treasurer’s advertising
budget, she said she would not discuss it.She then brought up her summer newsletter that she mailed
out to residents of Ellis County. She said the money for those didn’t come from
the advertising budget and said that two commissioners lied about it when they
talked about it at a prior meeting.“Which is completely ignorant,” Schlegel said, “and it breaches
on stupid.”

Commissioner Dustin Roths, who addressed the newsletter at a
prior meeting, asked where the funding for the newsletter came from. He was
ignored.At this time, Schlyer asked Sheriff Ed Harbin to the front of
the chambers and had Schlegel escorted from the meeting.“I’m tired of listening to this,” Schlyer said. “We’ll do
her budget without her.”When she asked why she was being escorted from the meeting,
his answer was, “because you’re obnoxious.”“You are disrespectful. And let the record state,” Schlegel
said, “that you told me to shut up.”She continued to yell as she was being escorted out of the
meeting and said the number she gave them was going to be what it cost to run
the treasury “whether you like it or not.”Just outside the commission chambers, Schlegel can be heard yelling,
“Butch, you’re lucky you had me escorted out because I have a lot of stuff here
you don’t want the public to hear."At that time, she was told that if she came back to the
meeting she would be arrested for disorderly conduct.The commission then proceeded to go through the 2021 budget
request for the treasurer line by line.According to numbers presented to the commission, from January 2019 through this year, the treasurer’s office only used 105 hours of overtime.
That was minus one employee for the busy tax season.“Right through her busy season tax season, she was an
employee low, didn’t rehire and (then) rehired at the beginning of the year
without requesting from us,” said Roths.The commission agreed to not put that position in the 2021
budget, and Roths said this is the reason why they didn’t want to hire new
employees if there wasn’t going to be a position available.“It’s not fair to that employee,” Roths said. “What Ms. Schlegel
did to that employee is not fair and who she decides to let go of next year is not
fair.”While going through more line items and made a list of
questions for Sclegel to address at another time.Some of the smaller items they trimmed were the amount of
money set aside for tuition reimbursement, subsistence spending and ending a line item for employee incentives.The commission also addressed a roughly $30,000 expenditure
for bulletproof glass and chose to remove it from the budget.Interim County Administrator Darin Myers said they aren’t really
sure on the exact cost but wanted to make sure it was on the budget for
approval.Schlyer called the bulletproof glass “overkill.”Roths said, “How bad do we have to be at customer service
while people are paying their taxes to need bulletproof glass partisans between
us and the person whose taking our money?”Schlyer also called it an inconsistency to want bulletproof
glass but remove security cameras in the office.The commission discussed the current security camera setup
within the treasurer’s office.IT Director Mike Leiker told the commission that his
department does have security cameras in the treasurer’s office with the
recording equipment in the IT department. But Leiker said “recently” the treasurer
had staff come and get the equipment.He said while the cameras can be monitored in real-time,
they currently cannot record. There are 20 cameras in the treasurer’s office, but only 18 are active because Schlegel had them disconnect two, according to
Leiker.Leiker estimated it would cost about $3,000 to get the system
back to recording.County Counselor Bill Jeter told the commission he has looked
into this situation before and called it a “gray area.”He said there isn’t any guidelines on placing camera’s in an
elected official’s office, adding he couldn’t give the commission an opinion
on what the outcome of the case would be.Roths said, “Maybe it should be litigated. If Treasurer Schlegel
would like to have a problem with us recording things in the treasury, that
might be something we have to take up as litigation.”“I believe we should be recording in the treasury,” Roths
added, “for the safety of the treasury (and) for the safety of her employees.”Jeter suggested the county look at installing
cameras in the lobby in an effort to cover the front of the treasurer’s office.Roths said he would be worried about fraud and mistakes in
transactions.“Those are the type of things I would expect, from my treasurer,
to want to know.”Roths said he would be in favor of zero-funding the treasurer’s
capital outlay budget so the office doesn’t have the funds to do any
construction on the office.The commission also walked through the EMS and Health
Services Budgets, and budgets for the county attorney, appraiser, sheriff and
IT.They will continue budget discussions Friday.

🎥 Ellis County treasurer escorted by sheriff from budget hearing

Governor Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz announced Thursday preliminary engineering work will begin on 40 highway modernization and expansion projects.

Northwest Kansas will have $750 million in the first two years of the new IKE Transportation Program. Two of these projects will be work that was delayed under the former T-WORKS program.

This includes uncompleted T-WORKS projects on U.S. 281 Highway in Russell County and U.S. Highway 383 in Norton and Philips Counties.

Other preservation projects in the plan for northwest Kansas include: • I-70 reconstruction in Gove County • I-70 resurfacing in Thomas County • K-147 bridge replacement in Trego County • K-9 bridge replacement in Norton County • K-9 bridge replacement in Smith County

These are the first projects to move forward under the Eisenhower Transportation Legacy Program (IKE, which was created in March.

“These transportation investments come at a critical time for our state’s economy. A robust development pipeline will help jumpstart our economic recovery by creating jobs and allowing the state to take advantage of potential federal stimulus dollars,” said Governor Kelly. “I’m thankful to the Legislature for passing IKE, a critical employment tool that will help put more Kansans back to work.”

“A modern transportation system moves people, freight and technology and these 40 projects will allow us to do all those things better in every region of the state,” Secretary Lorenz said. “We’ve selected smaller projects, which can advance to construction quickly, and larger projects that will employ many people in all phases of development or construction.”

More than 2,000 Kansans participated in local consult discussions that shaped the IKE program and modernized how transportation should be delivered in Kansas. Here are a few notable features:

Previously, the only projects in KDOT’s development pipeline were the remaining T-WORKS projects.&nbsp; The development pipeline includes all the phases of work prior to construction such as design, acquiring right-of-way or moving utilities. KDOT is not committing to constructing these 40 projects, but this will allow the necessary advance work to begin.&nbsp;

“I’ve directed KDOT to explore all options for accelerating project delivery for these 40 projects and for the&nbsp;delayed T-WORKS projects, which we remain committed to constructing,” the Governor said. “Transportation investments provide short-term and long-term economic benefits to communities and we’re committed to capturing as many of those opportunities as we can.”

The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the last stimulus for transportation infrastructure, prioritized shovel-ready projects. Currently, discussions are underway for a new federal stimulus bill for infrastructure, which will likely have similar requirements. Today’s announcement will allow KDOT to get more projects shovel ready.

“Thanks to Governor Kelly, the Legislature and Kansans, IKE was tailor made for this moment,” Lorenz said.&nbsp; “It provides us the flexibility we need now and in the future. Today’s announcement is only the beginning. We know we have much more work to do.”

More information about IKE, including the list of 40 projects selected, is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ksdot.org%2FIKE.asp&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C70157cf69fa34b232e4508d7f8264597%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637250715672575842&amp;sdata=CZWwSVVl%2F4CIRYk%2Fx6meo6En%2FKOSKYSeiGWUF9L99WU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">http://www.ksdot.org/IKE.asp</a>

Cristina Janney of the Hays Post contributed to this story.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589484475768.png" alt="IKE Transportation Program project for district 3, which includes northwest Kansas." />
 <figcaption>IKE Transportation Program project for district 3, which includes northwest Kansas.</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays PostGovernor Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz announced Thursday preliminary engineering work will begin on 40 highway modernization and expansion projects.Northwest Kansas will have $750 million in the first two years of the new IKE Transportation Program. Two of these projects will be work that was delayed under the former T-WORKS program.This includes uncompleted T-WORKS projects on U.S. 281 Highway in Russell County and U.S. Highway 383 in Norton and Philips Counties.Other preservation projects in the plan for northwest Kansas include: • I-70 reconstruction in Gove County • I-70 resurfacing in Thomas County • K-147 bridge replacement in Trego County • K-9 bridge replacement in Norton County • K-9 bridge replacement in Smith County<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589484581808.png" alt="T-Works Investment for 2009-2019 for northwest Kansas" />
 <figcaption>T-Works Investment for 2009-2019 for northwest Kansas</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589484714598.png" alt="IKE transportation spending" />
 <figcaption>IKE transportation spending</figcaption>
 </figure>These are the first projects to move forward under the Eisenhower Transportation Legacy Program (IKE, which was created in March.“These transportation investments come at a critical time for our state’s economy. A robust development pipeline will help jumpstart our economic recovery by creating jobs and allowing the state to take advantage of potential federal stimulus dollars,” said Governor Kelly. “I’m thankful to the Legislature for passing IKE, a critical employment tool that will help put more Kansans back to work.”“A modern transportation system moves people, freight and technology and these 40 projects will allow us to do all those things better in every region of the state,” Secretary Lorenz said. “We’ve selected smaller projects, which can advance to construction quickly, and larger projects that will employ many people in all phases of development or construction.”More than 2,000 Kansans participated in local consult discussions that shaped the IKE program and modernized how transportation should be delivered in Kansas. Here are a few notable features:<ol>
 <li>IKE is a&nbsp;rolling program, which means major highway modernization and expansion projects will be selected every two years rather than once a decade as previous programs did. This ensures the State can address the most pressing needs and adjust to fluctuating revenues.</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Emphasis on&nbsp;right-sized, practical improvements.&nbsp; For example, utilizing passing lanes rather than 4-lane expressways where applicable.</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>New&nbsp;partnership programs (Cost Share, Local Bridge)&nbsp;between the State and local governments to address more needs.</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Investments in&nbsp;broadband and new technologies.</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Continued commitment to&nbsp;multimodal transportation with public transit, aviation, short-line rail and bike/pedestrian programs.</li>
 </ol>Previously, the only projects in KDOT’s development pipeline were the remaining T-WORKS projects.&nbsp; The development pipeline includes all the phases of work prior to construction such as design, acquiring right-of-way or moving utilities. KDOT is not committing to constructing these 40 projects, but this will allow the necessary advance work to begin.&nbsp;“I’ve directed KDOT to explore all options for accelerating project delivery for these 40 projects and for the&nbsp;delayed T-WORKS projects, which we remain committed to constructing,” the Governor said. “Transportation investments provide short-term and long-term economic benefits to communities and we’re committed to capturing as many of those opportunities as we can.”The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the last stimulus for transportation infrastructure, prioritized shovel-ready projects. Currently, discussions are underway for a new federal stimulus bill for infrastructure, which will likely have similar requirements. Today’s announcement will allow KDOT to get more projects shovel ready.“Thanks to Governor Kelly, the Legislature and Kansans, IKE was tailor made for this moment,” Lorenz said.&nbsp; “It provides us the flexibility we need now and in the future. Today’s announcement is only the beginning. We know we have much more work to do.”More information about IKE, including the list of 40 projects selected, is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ksdot.org%2FIKE.asp&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C70157cf69fa34b232e4508d7f8264597%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637250715672575842&amp;sdata=CZWwSVVl%2F4CIRYk%2Fx6meo6En%2FKOSKYSeiGWUF9L99WU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">http://www.ksdot.org/IKE.asp</a>Cristina Janney of the Hays Post contributed to this story.

$750M in NW Kan. projects part of new state transportation plan

Congrats to the Hays High School Class of 2020!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589306086031.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Congrats to the Hays High School Class of 2020!<div>
 <style>
 .wp-caption {
 text-align:center;
 margin-right:auto;
 margin-left:auto;
 }
 figcaption {
 text-align:center
 } 
 img {
 margin-right:auto;
 margin-left:auto
 }
 .graduationcontainer {
 overflow:hidden;
 }
 </style>
 <div class="graduationcontainer">
 <div id="graduationloading">Loading...</div>
 <div id="graduationbody" style="display:none;"></div>
 </div>
<script>

// defaults
var page_id = 156
var api_url = 'https://graduation.eaglewebservices.com/wp-json/wp/v2/pages/'+page_id;

// initial load
loadBodyOfPage()

// ends loading div and enables content
function toggleLoading () {
 document.getElementById('graduationloading').style.display = 'none';
 document.getElementById('graduationbody').style.display = 'block';
}

// fetches page using wordpress api
function loadBodyOfPage () {
 fetch(api_url).then(function (response) {
 response.json().then(function(data) {
 // end loading and set body
 toggleLoading()
 document.getElementById('graduationbody').innerHTML = data.content.rendered
 })
 })
}
</script>
</div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589306086031.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

SENIOR SALUTE: Hays High Class of 2020

Throughout this pandemic, we've gotten used to waiting on, listening to, and then either criticizing or thanking our elected leaders much more than usual. The reasons for this are obvious: during a public emergency we all, like it or not, depend upon those with governing authority who impose restrictions, provide support, and make decisions regarding public health.

What many Kansas have discovered, however, is that such authority isn't always located where they thought it was. A lot of it, in fact, lies in the hands of Kansas's 105 county commissions, probably the most often overlooked of all the state’s governing institutions.

To be fair, the same can be said for counties all across the United States. It's common, in the political science literature, for scholars to admit that our knowledge of how county commissions make public decisions is sorely lacking.

There's no good reason for this, of course: county commissions adhere to the same public meeting requirements as other governing bodies. And yet, unlike the contentious fights that occur in city halls or the grandstanding that takes place in state legislatures, to say nothing of the constant attention focused on Washington D.C., the day-to-day administrative work of counties often goes unnoticed by scholars and the media alike. Until, that is, a pandemic forces commissioners directly into the spotlight.

With few exceptions it is American counties, not cities, which have the ground-level responsibility for collecting data on health, overseeing the distribution of welfare, conducting the electoral business of democracy, and much more. But since county lines were historically drawn by state governments, dividing up their rural space without attention to the urban communities that later grew within them, it’s not unusual for those who seek and win county elections, and the officials they subsequently appoint, to become disconnected from the contentious, pluralistic reality they oversee.

There are, of course, plenty of contrary examples. In Johnson County, Public Health Director Sanmi Areola and his team have fought to communicate clearly across a complicated metropolitan area with many rival jurisdictions, as they have addressed Governor Kelly’s stay-at-home orders. In Shawnee County, the commission has mostly responded to County Health Officer Gianfranco Pezzino concerns positively, even contemplating, in the face of worrisome infection numbers, an unpopular extension of local lock-down orders as he recommends.

Still, examples of the occasional disconnect between Kansas’s citizens and those who run our counties aren’t hard to find. It’s not just a commissioner in Riley county attributing Manhattan’s low COVID-19 numbers to its lack of Chinese residents or commissioners in Sedgwick county joking about needing to talk more about the pandemic to justify the money they’ve received from the federal government. It’s simply the fact that in counties across Kansas, from Finney to Leavenworth, it has too often been the commissioners themselves criticizing state–or even their own county–health experts, playing to business or suburban communities that appear unaware of or unconcerned about what is happening in the downtown hospitals they depend upon.

The very shape of political institutions help form the beliefs of those who work within them. Consequently, as Kansas attempts to rebuild a new normal beyond the pandemic, thinking more seriously about home rule, and the way cities, counties, and the state share governing authority, should be near the top of every elected official’s list.

Professor Russell Arben Fox directs the History &amp; Politics major and the Honors program at Friends University in Wichita, KS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586443443315.jpeg" alt="Professor Russell Arben Fox directs the History &amp; Politics major and the Honors program at Friends University in Wichita, KS." />
 <figcaption>Professor Russell Arben Fox directs the History &amp; Politics major and the Honors program at Friends University in Wichita, KS.</figcaption>
 </figure>Throughout this pandemic, we've gotten used to waiting on, listening to, and then either criticizing or thanking our elected leaders much more than usual. The reasons for this are obvious: during a public emergency we all, like it or not, depend upon those with governing authority who impose restrictions, provide support, and make decisions regarding public health.What many Kansas have discovered, however, is that such authority isn't always located where they thought it was. A lot of it, in fact, lies in the hands of Kansas's 105 county commissions, probably the most often overlooked of all the state’s governing institutions.To be fair, the same can be said for counties all across the United States. It's common, in the political science literature, for scholars to admit that our knowledge of how county commissions make public decisions is sorely lacking.There's no good reason for this, of course: county commissions adhere to the same public meeting requirements as other governing bodies. And yet, unlike the contentious fights that occur in city halls or the grandstanding that takes place in state legislatures, to say nothing of the constant attention focused on Washington D.C., the day-to-day administrative work of counties often goes unnoticed by scholars and the media alike. Until, that is, a pandemic forces commissioners directly into the spotlight.With few exceptions it is American counties, not cities, which have the ground-level responsibility for collecting data on health, overseeing the distribution of welfare, conducting the electoral business of democracy, and much more. But since county lines were historically drawn by state governments, dividing up their rural space without attention to the urban communities that later grew within them, it’s not unusual for those who seek and win county elections, and the officials they subsequently appoint, to become disconnected from the contentious, pluralistic reality they oversee.There are, of course, plenty of contrary examples. In Johnson County, Public Health Director Sanmi Areola and his team have fought to communicate clearly across a complicated metropolitan area with many rival jurisdictions, as they have addressed Governor Kelly’s stay-at-home orders. In Shawnee County, the commission has mostly responded to County Health Officer Gianfranco Pezzino concerns positively, even contemplating, in the face of worrisome infection numbers, an unpopular extension of local lock-down orders as he recommends.Still, examples of the occasional disconnect between Kansas’s citizens and those who run our counties aren’t hard to find. It’s not just a commissioner in Riley county attributing Manhattan’s low COVID-19 numbers to its lack of Chinese residents or commissioners in Sedgwick county joking about needing to talk more about the pandemic to justify the money they’ve received from the federal government. It’s simply the fact that in counties across Kansas, from Finney to Leavenworth, it has too often been the commissioners themselves criticizing state–or even their own county–health experts, playing to business or suburban communities that appear unaware of or unconcerned about what is happening in the downtown hospitals they depend upon.The very shape of political institutions help form the beliefs of those who work within them. Consequently, as Kansas attempts to rebuild a new normal beyond the pandemic, thinking more seriously about home rule, and the way cities, counties, and the state share governing authority, should be near the top of every elected official’s list.Professor Russell Arben Fox directs the History &amp; Politics major and the Honors program at Friends University in Wichita, KS.

INSIGHT KANSAS: How are counties handling their authority?

By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN, FHSU University Relations and Marketing&nbsp;

Flexibility and problem solving are part of nurses’ DNA. So when the BSN to DNP students at Fort Hays State University were forced to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic in their final semester, the program’s first group of graduates braced themselves for any forthcoming challenges.&nbsp;

The university’s bachelor of science in nursing to doctorate of nursing (BSN to DNP) program began in the summer of 2016, the same time the two-year master of science to DNP was started. This will mark the third group of graduates for the MSN-DNP, but it is the first graduating class for the BSN-DNP cohort.&nbsp;

The modality for both DNP programs is online. But students regularly come to campus for tests, and a highlight &nbsp;of their career – the defense of their major project on Scholars Day – was scheduled for this spring on campus.&nbsp;

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced Fort Hays State to transition all its classes online, thus changing all on-campus presentations, the nursing staff began improvising and scheduled thes students to present their projects over Zoom.&nbsp;

“The students put a lot of work into those final posters,” said Mary Jo Gubitoso, an assistant professor of nursing who teaches classes in the DNP program. “It’s their scholarly project.”&nbsp;

Kathryn Amrein, the clinical site coordinator for the program, is preparing a flip video of all the posters, and when it is finished, she will share a link on the FHSU website for all to see.&nbsp;

“The presentations online worked out really well, and the video will be a good way for everyone to get a chance to see their project,” Amrein said. “This is our first cohort of students, our first graduates in this program, and we want to make this memorable for them.”&nbsp;

This spring’s FHSU graduation, as well as the annual pinning ceremony for nurses, has been postponed.&nbsp;

Cathryn Preisner from Hays said that if a graduation ceremony isn’t possible later this summer, she will participate in the fall commencement in December.&nbsp;

“This is really important to us, and I applaud the faculty for making this happen because they realize how much we put into it,” said Preisner, a member of the historic BSN-DNP graduating class.&nbsp;

That caring culture is what convinced Preisner, who grew up in Hays, to stay home and college in her backyard while following both her parents into the medical field,&nbsp;

Preisner said she knew she wanted to pursue some kind of career in healthcare after she grew up in in a household with a cardiologist (her dad, Dr. Jeff Curtis) and a registered nurse (her mom, Connie).&nbsp;

But she wasn’t sure what direction to take until she worked as a CNA while during her first semester at Fort Hays State.&nbsp;

“One thing I learned from my dad was his incredible bedside manner,” she said. “That’s something I’ve taken from him and tried to apply in my practice. Nurses spend a lot of time with patients and are able to treat patients holistically.”&nbsp;

Not surprisingly, Preisner chose to feature a heart failure template for a rural cardiology clinic for her scholarly project.&nbsp;

“We do a lot of research, basically work on it for four years, and I learned so much,” she said. “My dad has been a super resource for me to have for sure.”&nbsp;

After graduating with a bachelor’s in general studies with an emphasis in health promotions in 2011, Preisner worked in her dad’s clinic while finishing her bachelor of nursing. She knew FHSU was in the process of starting the BSN to DNP four-year program and applied once the launch date of fall 2016 was announced.&nbsp;

Preisner, mother of two young daughters and expecting her third child in September, admitted there were times she wasn’t sure she made the right decision.&nbsp;

She thought about bowing out of the program not long after the birth of her second child, who will turn 3 next month.&nbsp;

But words of encouragement were never farther than a phone call or email message away.&nbsp;

“I about gave up, didn’t know if I could do it,” Preisner said. “But one of my instructors, Mary Jo Gubitoso, said ‘I believe in you; you can do this.’ She had a belief in me when I didn’t even believe in myself. All the FHSU teachers are like that. They grab you by the hand and aren’t going to let you fail.”&nbsp;

Now, Preisner is just a few weeks away from graduating and hopes to either land a post-doctoral fellowship through the KU School of Nursing or work locally as a nurse practitioner.&nbsp;

Violet Gomes from Basehor in northeast Kansas had a similar experience as Preisner while working on her degree from across the state.&nbsp;

Gomes, the mother of three children ages 9 to 15, is realizing a dream of earning a doctorate and she plans to continue to work for the Leavenworth County Health Department following graduation.&nbsp;

While working as an RN at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita following her graduation from Wichita State University in 2009, she met Kayla Del Rio, an FHSU graduate.&nbsp;

“A lot of times word of mouth is how you can get an idea about the quality of a program,” Gomes said. “Kayla had really good things to say about Fort Hays State, and I really liked the idea of doing a good portion of it online. That gave me the flexibility to still work and have family time, too.”&nbsp;

It didn’t take long for Gomes to see that she made the right decision.&nbsp;

“The instructors always took the time to figure out what I needed help with,” she said. “I feel like they are really invested in the program, that they always available to us students. I think that’s important whether it’s online or in the classroom.”&nbsp;

Now, those instructors are looking forward to watching the first BSN-DNP graduating class, along with the eight MSN-DNP graduates, begin their new careers.&nbsp;

“This is exciting,” Gubitoso said. “We’re very proud to present these students as the first graduates of the BSN-DNP program.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589205648112.jpeg" alt="Cathryn Preisner, Hays, 2020 graduate of Fort Hays State's BSN-DNP program." />
 <figcaption>Cathryn Preisner, Hays, 2020 graduate of Fort Hays State's BSN-DNP program.</figcaption>
 </figure>By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN, FHSU University Relations and Marketing&nbsp;Flexibility and problem solving are part of nurses’ DNA. So when the BSN to DNP students at Fort Hays State University were forced to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic in their final semester, the program’s first group of graduates braced themselves for any forthcoming challenges.&nbsp;The university’s bachelor of science in nursing to doctorate of nursing (BSN to DNP) program began in the summer of 2016, the same time the two-year master of science to DNP was started. This will mark the third group of graduates for the MSN-DNP, but it is the first graduating class for the BSN-DNP cohort.&nbsp;The modality for both DNP programs is online. But students regularly come to campus for tests, and a highlight &nbsp;of their career – the defense of their major project on Scholars Day – was scheduled for this spring on campus.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589205699864.jpeg" alt="Violet Gomes, Basehor, is a member of this spring's first graduating class of Fort Hays State's BSN-DNP program. " />
 <figcaption>Violet Gomes, Basehor, is a member of this spring's first graduating class of Fort Hays State's BSN-DNP program. </figcaption>
 </figure>When the COVID-19 pandemic forced Fort Hays State to transition all its classes online, thus changing all on-campus presentations, the nursing staff began improvising and scheduled thes students to present their projects over Zoom.&nbsp;“The students put a lot of work into those final posters,” said Mary Jo Gubitoso, an assistant professor of nursing who teaches classes in the DNP program. “It’s their scholarly project.”&nbsp;Kathryn Amrein, the clinical site coordinator for the program, is preparing a flip video of all the posters, and when it is finished, she will share a link on the FHSU website for all to see.&nbsp;“The presentations online worked out really well, and the video will be a good way for everyone to get a chance to see their project,” Amrein said. “This is our first cohort of students, our first graduates in this program, and we want to make this memorable for them.”&nbsp;This spring’s FHSU graduation, as well as the annual pinning ceremony for nurses, has been postponed.&nbsp;Cathryn Preisner from Hays said that if a graduation ceremony isn’t possible later this summer, she will participate in the fall commencement in December.&nbsp;“This is really important to us, and I applaud the faculty for making this happen because they realize how much we put into it,” said Preisner, a member of the historic BSN-DNP graduating class.&nbsp;That caring culture is what convinced Preisner, who grew up in Hays, to stay home and college in her backyard while following both her parents into the medical field,&nbsp;Preisner said she knew she wanted to pursue some kind of career in healthcare after she grew up in in a household with a cardiologist (her dad, Dr. Jeff Curtis) and a registered nurse (her mom, Connie).&nbsp;But she wasn’t sure what direction to take until she worked as a CNA while during her first semester at Fort Hays State.&nbsp;“One thing I learned from my dad was his incredible bedside manner,” she said. “That’s something I’ve taken from him and tried to apply in my practice. Nurses spend a lot of time with patients and are able to treat patients holistically.”&nbsp;Not surprisingly, Preisner chose to feature a heart failure template for a rural cardiology clinic for her scholarly project.&nbsp;“We do a lot of research, basically work on it for four years, and I learned so much,” she said. “My dad has been a super resource for me to have for sure.”&nbsp;After graduating with a bachelor’s in general studies with an emphasis in health promotions in 2011, Preisner worked in her dad’s clinic while finishing her bachelor of nursing. She knew FHSU was in the process of starting the BSN to DNP four-year program and applied once the launch date of fall 2016 was announced.&nbsp;Preisner, mother of two young daughters and expecting her third child in September, admitted there were times she wasn’t sure she made the right decision.&nbsp;She thought about bowing out of the program not long after the birth of her second child, who will turn 3 next month.&nbsp;But words of encouragement were never farther than a phone call or email message away.&nbsp;“I about gave up, didn’t know if I could do it,” Preisner said. “But one of my instructors, Mary Jo Gubitoso, said ‘I believe in you; you can do this.’ She had a belief in me when I didn’t even believe in myself. All the FHSU teachers are like that. They grab you by the hand and aren’t going to let you fail.”&nbsp;Now, Preisner is just a few weeks away from graduating and hopes to either land a post-doctoral fellowship through the KU School of Nursing or work locally as a nurse practitioner.&nbsp;Violet Gomes from Basehor in northeast Kansas had a similar experience as Preisner while working on her degree from across the state.&nbsp;Gomes, the mother of three children ages 9 to 15, is realizing a dream of earning a doctorate and she plans to continue to work for the Leavenworth County Health Department following graduation.&nbsp;While working as an RN at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita following her graduation from Wichita State University in 2009, she met Kayla Del Rio, an FHSU graduate.&nbsp;“A lot of times word of mouth is how you can get an idea about the quality of a program,” Gomes said. “Kayla had really good things to say about Fort Hays State, and I really liked the idea of doing a good portion of it online. That gave me the flexibility to still work and have family time, too.”&nbsp;It didn’t take long for Gomes to see that she made the right decision.&nbsp;“The instructors always took the time to figure out what I needed help with,” she said. “I feel like they are really invested in the program, that they always available to us students. I think that’s important whether it’s online or in the classroom.”&nbsp;Now, those instructors are looking forward to watching the first BSN-DNP graduating class, along with the eight MSN-DNP graduates, begin their new careers.&nbsp;“This is exciting,” Gubitoso said. “We’re very proud to present these students as the first graduates of the BSN-DNP program.”&nbsp;

FHSU graduates first nursing bachelor's-to-doctorate students

PHILLIPS COUNTY&nbsp; — One person died in an accident just after 8p.m. Thursday in Phillips County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Harley Davidson Motorcycle driven by Robby W.&nbsp;Frederick, 47, Lenora, was&nbsp;northbound on Phillips Co Road 1300 six miles south of Prairie View.

The driver attempted to negotiate a curve and lost control of the motorcycle. It traveled left of center, entered the south ditch overturned and ejected the driver.

EMS transported Frederick to the Phillips County Hospital where he died. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

PHILLIPS COUNTY&nbsp; — One person died in an accident just after 8p.m. Thursday in Phillips County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Harley Davidson Motorcycle driven by Robby W.&nbsp;Frederick, 47, Lenora, was&nbsp;northbound on Phillips Co Road 1300 six miles south of Prairie View.The driver attempted to negotiate a curve and lost control of the motorcycle. It traveled left of center, entered the south ditch overturned and ejected the driver.EMS transported Frederick to the Phillips County Hospital where he died. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies in Phillips Co. motorcycle accident

Three-day weather outlook

As I begin my 32nd year as an Extension Educator here in Central Kansas I am excited to share information about some great resource materials available to you. Through the years, people in my position have been known as home demonstration agents, home economics agents and most recently Family and Consumer Science (FCS) agents. Our goal through all of those title changes has remained the same; to bring unbiased research based information to families that can help improve their quality of life.&nbsp;

Through the end of May, I hope you will visit the Cottonwood Extension District FaceBook page each weekday and find a tip related to healthy living. The days of the week have a theme; Mindful Moment Monday, Taco’bout Cooking Skills Tuesday, Working Together Wednesday, Thrifty Thursday, and Friends &amp; Family Friday. Many of the posts will contain a link to a fact sheet that follows the theme. When you click on the #FCSTime2Shine that appears on each post, you will be able to see posts from our colleagues from across the state. Some agents have added fun videos to their posts.

My two posts this past week highlighted the Everyday Mindfulness fact sheet on Monday and a fact sheet titled, “When Your Income Drops: Sharpening Survival Skills” on Thrifty Thursday. Both of these fact sheets contain great information we can use to help us through these uncertain times.&nbsp;

Berny, from the Hays office, and I will be trading off making the daily posts. If you do not have a way to connect to the internet to receive these materials, we will be happy to share a copy of the fact sheets if you give us a call. My number at the Great Bend office is: (620)793-1910 and the Hays office is (785)628-9430.&nbsp;

So look for our Cottonwood Extension District FaceBook page and open up a wealth of knowledge!

Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent for K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. 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/2020/3/1583253738760.jpeg" alt="Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent for K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District." />
 <figcaption>Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent for K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District.</figcaption>
 </figure>As I begin my 32nd year as an Extension Educator here in Central Kansas I am excited to share information about some great resource materials available to you. Through the years, people in my position have been known as home demonstration agents, home economics agents and most recently Family and Consumer Science (FCS) agents. Our goal through all of those title changes has remained the same; to bring unbiased research based information to families that can help improve their quality of life.&nbsp;Through the end of May, I hope you will visit the Cottonwood Extension District FaceBook page each weekday and find a tip related to healthy living. The days of the week have a theme; Mindful Moment Monday, Taco’bout Cooking Skills Tuesday, Working Together Wednesday, Thrifty Thursday, and Friends &amp; Family Friday. Many of the posts will contain a link to a fact sheet that follows the theme. When you click on the #FCSTime2Shine that appears on each post, you will be able to see posts from our colleagues from across the state. Some agents have added fun videos to their posts.My two posts this past week highlighted the Everyday Mindfulness fact sheet on Monday and a fact sheet titled, “When Your Income Drops: Sharpening Survival Skills” on Thrifty Thursday. Both of these fact sheets contain great information we can use to help us through these uncertain times.&nbsp;Berny, from the Hays office, and I will be trading off making the daily posts. If you do not have a way to connect to the internet to receive these materials, we will be happy to share a copy of the fact sheets if you give us a call. My number at the Great Bend office is: (620)793-1910 and the Hays office is (785)628-9430.&nbsp;So look for our Cottonwood Extension District FaceBook page and open up a wealth of knowledge!Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent for K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or <a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

KRUG: FCS Time2Shine campaign is now

Barring any further setbacks, the Hays Larks are planning to
move forward with a shortened baseball season this summer. Following a meeting
by the Larks board Thursday night, the organization is planning a June 15th
start.

“It's not a definite, we're hoping." said longtime Larks
manager Frank Leo. “This whole thing is just hard to predict in what direction it's trying to go but we're going to prepare to try to open on June 15th.” Leo said.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced a revised plan to open
the state Thursday. Currently, Kansas is in Phase One with a new Phase 1.5 going
into effect Monday. It calls for no more than 10 people in public gatherings. Phase
Two, which can start no earlier than June 1st, allows for no more than 30 in
public gatherings. The Larks would operate under Phase Three, which can begin no
earlier than June 15th. It calls for gatherings of no more than 90 individuals.


Leo has been in contact with Ellis County Health
Administrator Jason Kennedy. Both feel fans can be dispersed throughout Larks
Park to adhere to the governor’s plan.

Barring any further setbacks, the Hays Larks are planning to
move forward with a shortened baseball season this summer. Following a meeting
by the Larks board Thursday night, the organization is planning a June 15th
start.“It's not a definite, we're hoping." said longtime Larks
manager Frank Leo. “This whole thing is just hard to predict in what direction it's trying to go but we're going to prepare to try to open on June 15th.” Leo said.Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced a revised plan to open
the state Thursday. Currently, Kansas is in Phase One with a new Phase 1.5 going
into effect Monday. It calls for no more than 10 people in public gatherings. Phase
Two, which can start no earlier than June 1st, allows for no more than 30 in
public gatherings. The Larks would operate under Phase Three, which can begin no
earlier than June 15th. It calls for gatherings of no more than 90 individuals.
Leo has been in contact with Ellis County Health
Administrator Jason Kennedy. Both feel fans can be dispersed throughout Larks
Park to adhere to the governor’s plan.“We feel that with June 15th and that mass gathering rule,
we can still survive.” Leo said. “If a 2.5 phase comes out and we get made any
smaller, it’s going to be hard for us to operate. We’re going to give it a
shot. We think the people of Hays are looking forward to some baseball and we’re
going to try and provide that.”This is also the Larks first season in the Rocky Mountain
Collegiate Baseball League, which is down to eight members after two decided to
not field teams this summer.“The Colorado teams are actually going to start a little bit
before the 15th.” Leo said. “They don’t draw as many people as we do so their mass
gathering doesn’t come into play as much as we do here which is one reason why
we had to push (our start) back to the 15th.”The Larks will now play a 36 game schedule over 41 days. 28 of
their games are at home including the first 12, all in the month of June. After
heading to Colorado for six straight, they close the season with 12 of their
final 16 games at home.Players will report to Hays on June 10th.Leo says as of now, the National Baseball Congress is
planning to move forward with their annual World Series at the end of July,
however it’s no guarantee. Time will tell, but Leo is hopeful we all hear the umpire
say “Play Ball” this summer.