Ellis County is opening its first winter shelter this year at Hays First Baptist Church. The Ellis County Ministerial Alliance will operate the shelter, which will open when the temperature drops to 20 degrees or lower and when there is a need, including for stranded travelers. The Ellis County Ministerial Alliance is recruiting volunteers to run the shelter. The first meeting is Sept. 10 at the Hays First Baptist Church.
Source: KSN-TV

USD 428 in Great Bend has secured a $15,000 grant that will help homeless students in the school district. The money comes from the McKinney-Vento Homeless grant, which Director of Teaching and Learning JoAnn Blevins helped secure for the school district. The McKinney-Vento grant comes from the U.S. Department of Education. Its purpose is to remove barriers from unhoused children and youth so everyone has equal access to free and public education “We applied for the max amount that we could apply for, which was $15,000, and so that’s what I applied for, and that’s what we were lucky enough to receive,” Blevins told KSN. “Those funds will be used to help further establish our McKinney-Vento program. In Great Bend, the number of kids we have living in poverty is to the extent that we should be identifying more kids that are eligible for McKinney-Vento support.” Blevins said the money will be used in part to develop an educational campaign that will help the community know more about support from the McKinney-Vento program. Eligible students and families will have support like paying for school fees for high schoolers working on college classes or supply fees for welding or art classes. They’re also eligible for free breakfast and lunch, clothing and medical, dental and vision needs, which Blevins said are all barriers to learning.
Source: KSN-TV

The recovery community has built a sturdy foundation throughout the state, and a western Kansas mental health facility is seeing that addressing both mental health and addiction simultaneously in young people can help prevent future battles. Compass Behavioral Health in Dodge City is utilizing its employees to help people start their journey. “There was an opening for a peer support specialist, so I was like, you know, I’m going to get into that field and give back to people,” Seth McGinnes, a peer support specialist, said. The facility provides support for mental health and addiction and aims to give young people a jump start on knowing their minds and body. “If I could get people to realize the signs of kids that are struggling in the earlier ages, they would not go to hospitals, and they would not get in trouble with the law, and they would not have addiction problems if we could get them in early,” Richard Falcon, program manager at Compass, said. Compass Behavorial Health also has transitional housing, which connects people with local providers or therapists before they need to be fully admitted to a hospital. Officials say that, typically, people stay between 24 and 72 hours, but every case is different.
Source: KSN-TV

Governor Laura Kelly has directed flags to be flown at half-staff throughout Kansas on Wednesday, Sept. 4, in honor of Arkansas City Firefighter Trevor Rusk. Rusk died while off-duty on Aug. 24. However, since it was less than 24 hours since his last shift, it is considered a line-of-duty death. Rusk served the Arkansas City Fire Department since June 5, 2023. The ACFD said a visitation service will be held tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. at First Assembly of God, 3125 N. Summit St., Arkansas City. The memorial service will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 10 a.m. at Wellington Free Will Baptist Church, 802 E. 16th St. in Wellington. You can virtually join the service through the Wellington Free Will Baptist Church Facebook page. Flags are to be flown at half-staff from sunup to sundown on Wednesday. “Trevor Rusk’s selflessness and courage will be remembered by his colleagues, friends, and family,” the governor said in a statement. “Kansas owes him a debt of gratitude for his service and sacrifice. My condolences go out to his loved ones and the Arkansas City community during this difficult time.”
Source: KSN-TV

A local goat who’s been “on the lam” for the last few days, frightening Lawrence drivers and bystanders, was detained by the Lawrence Kansas Police Department (LKPD). On Thursday, the LKPD shared body camera footage of the tussle. The footage shows a goat pinned in an alleyway between two houses. A Lawrence police officer lassos and tackles the goat before returning it to its rightful owner. “It turns out when it comes to lasso skills, we have a GOAT of our own here at LKPD — and not the kind that eats hay,” the LKPD wrote on YouTube. You can watch the goat detainment above.
Source: KSN-TV

On Wednesday, 700 backhoe operators were in Wichita, showing off the skills necessary to do the job. The Backhoe Rodeo tests the skills of equipment operators, and it’s timed and judged on performance. “It just gives the operators a chance to come out and demonstrate their skill or get on a new piece of equipment that might be different from what they’re used to operating at home,” said Dan Defore, the water superintendent for the City of Winfield. This battle is part of a conference for people working in water and wastewater management. “There is education on drought preparedness, and there’s education on the regulations that the state comes up with for drinking water and the discharge of wastewater,” said Defore. People who competed say it’s important to know how to handle the machinery and controls on the job. “A person really needs to respect the equipment and what it can do, you know, ’cause it can be a dangerous thing just like a car going down the highway,” said Dallas Merritt, a utility operator for the City of Lawrence. Events like this go toward continuing education for operators for their professional certification. Competitors and people attending the conference are from all over the state. The Backhoe Rodeo awarded prizes for the best operator in first, second, and third place.
Source: KSN-TV