The Hugoton City Council met for their regular monthly meeting Monday, December 9, 2019 at the council meeting room. Attending the meeting were Mayor Jack E. Rowden and Councilmen DeanBanker, Frankie Thomas, Dan Corpening, Shannon Crawford and Jason Teeter. Also present at the meeting were City Clerk Carrie L. Baeza, City Inspector Josh Grubbs, Outside Utilities Supervisor Paul Nordyke, Electric and Park Systems Supervisor Gary Rowden, City Attorney Wayne R. Tate, Police Chief Courtney Leslie and Hugoton Hermes reporter Ruthie Winget. Guests attending were Jamie Gold, Gary Gold, Jan Leonard, Leslee Hoggett, Earl Dean Peterson, Debbie Nordling, Davonna Daharsh, Sue Smith, Miranda Williams, Effie Kolb and Rafael Guereque. Mayor Jack E. Rowden presided.

The council approved the minutes of November 12, 2019. They also approved the November municipal judge’s report. City Inspector Josh Grubbs reported KDI is running a foundation for another new building. The 3LG Holdings LLC restaurant is about to finish their remodel.

Economic Development Director Jan Leonard informed the council they had put together a board for the movie theater. Members of the board are Debbie Nordling, Leslee Hoggett, Davonna Daharsh, Sue Smith and Diane Crawford. They are working on some grants for the theater. Jan reported Stevens County Commissioners agreed to take the theater off the tax rolls. He was asking the city council to take the theater off the tax rolls also. They would then ask the school board to do the same.

He stated the commissioners agreed to allocate $7,500 to the theater for expenses. The city council voted to donate $7,500 also to the theater. The council voted to approve cereal malt beverage renewals for Stumpy’s and Sunrise Hospitality. The Planning Commission met November 19 to consider rezoning. According to their recommendation, the council voted to rezone Jamie Gold’s property from Heavy Industrial to Agricultural as he plans to put animals there. This is Ordinance 853 on page 7 of this issue of The Hugoton Hermes.

HP Oilfield Services (formerly Dillco) is planning to put in a small cement plant on their property for plugging wells.The Planning Commission recommended rezoning this property from Light Industrial to Heavy Industrial. The council voted to approve this rezoning. This is Ordinance 854, which is on page 4 of this issue of The Hugoton Hermes.

The council voted to pass Resolution 2019-2 which is a yearly waiver from Generally Accepted Accounting Practices.

After some discussion concerning Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurance rates, the council voted to stay on the grandfather status on the policy they now have.

The Convention & Tourism Board recommended giving a $1,000 grant to Annie, Get Your Gun. The council passed to motion to give the grant.

Police Chief Courtney Leslie informed the council that the price to purchase the new radios will be $7,498. The council approved the motion to pay for the radio project.

Police Chief Leslie reported that they will do the Shop with Cop. The Stevens County Fire Department and Stevens County EMS will help with the project. City Clerk Baeza suggested to create a Diversion Fund with the money to go to the Police Department for unexpected expenses. The council approved the motion.

The meeting adjourned. Their next meeting will be December 30, 2019.

The Stevens County Hospital Board met for their monthly meeting December 2.
Board members present were, Kirk Heger, Patty Lahey, Sandra Passmore, Johnnie Denton, Keith Rome, Seth Gillespie and Benny Cabrera.
Also attending were, Linda Stalcup CEO, Dave Piper CFO, Boyet Tablate laboratory, Dawn Maas director of nursing/hospital, Jennifer Featherston long term care unit
nursing, Stacy Helget clinic, Diane Mangels human resources, Jessica Reinerio health information managment, Lynnette Hageman infection control, Judy Lynch radiology, Michelle Martin surgery and Beverly Gerrond from The Hugoton Hermes.
Kirk called the meeting to order. The current agenda with one change and the minutes from the previous meeting were approved.
Dave Piper went over the financial report and reported that all was fairly stable.
Policies and procedures were presented from several departments for approval from the board. After the said policies were explained by each department the board
approved all.
Judy Lynch reported that the radiology department passed inspection with no discrepancies.
Michelle Martin said that the new surgery equipment had arrived and was in use.
Lynnette Hageman stated that some employees had not received their flu shot. She reported that influenza B and Strep had been really bad in October and the first part of November but had leveled off now.
Diane Mangels said that they had been busy with medical and dental open enrollment and
volunteer enrollment.
Dawn stated they still had an opening for night shift nurse. The hospital staff members are doing skills training and will continue through January.
Stacy Helget from the clinic reported that the clinic was really busy. October and early November was mostly flu and strep.
Medical staff credentialing was approved for the following staff. Appointment for Gary Morsch MD, reappointments for Charles Hardison, MD, Timothy Lawton, MD, Douglas Brown, DPM, Samer Al-Hashmi, MD, Lisa Steers, PA-C, Charles Frankum, MD, Matt Steel, CRNA, Shawn LeDoux, MD and Jeffery Lee, MD.
Kirk Heger informed the board that this was his last meeting due to his serving the allotted nine years on the board. He also thanked everyone for their service to the
community.
The meeting continued with Jennifer Featherston reporting that there are 74 residents with three beds available at the Pioneer Manor at this time.
Linda Stalcup started her report with thanking Kirk for his service and everyone present applauded and thanked him. Linda provided pizza and cake for a small party to celebrate. She then gave the report for the hospital and Pioneer Manor.
ER and on-call schedules were reviewed.
There was no old business, new business or public comments.
The board then went into executive session.

Thanksgiving weekend is a busy time of year in Hugoton. Friday, November 29 join the Santa Committee in front of the Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce at 630 S. Main for their annual Christmas Caroling event. The singing will start at 6:00 p.m. You can also enjoy hot chocolate and cookies along with lots of good music and visiting.

Saturday, November 30 is Small Business Saturday. Be sure to visit the stores in town for some great Christmas gifts and maybe just something special for yourself. Following your shopping spree, at 5:30 p.m., the Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring a Christmas Parade.

Santa Claus will make his grand appearance in the parade and will stick around to visit with the kids afterwards. Yardmaster Lawn and Landscape will warm you up by giving out Hot Cider during the parade in front of State Farm Insurance.

Be sure to stop by and get a hot cup of their delicious cider. Santa will stay at the Senior Citizens Activity Center at 624 S Main after the parade until 7:30 p.m. So bring the kiddos by and visit with Santa so they can tell him what they want for Christmas. Santa’s visit is sponsored by the Santa Committee. Be sure to come out, see all the christmas lights on the floats, visit with Santa and just have a fun filled Friday and Saturday.

Moscow Wildcats brought home the six man State title after an undefeated season. This took place 41 years after the wildcats brought home an eight man title in an undefeated season back in 1978.

The wildcats traveled to Dodge City to play at the high school’s memorial stadium in a match up against undefeated Cheylin. The wild west bowl was sponsored by American implement.

Moscow ran away with the game scoring 52 points to Cheylin’s 6, bringing home the trophy for the six man State title. More story on page 1B.

The Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals (KASSP) is proud to recognize Melody Witt, Hugoton High School, as the KASSP Area VI High School Principal of the Year. She will be presented this award Thursday, November 14 at 5:30 p.m. in the South Ballroom of the Holiday Inn on Rock Road in Wichita.

KASSP is an organization of over 450 secondary school principals from across the state of Kansas. Witt was nominated and selected by peer principals. Candidates are evaluated on their school leadership, school improvement, dedication, professionalism, and service to students.

Congratulations are extended from the Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals to Melody Witt.

The General Election is Tuesday, November 5, 2019. Polls will open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Voters in Moscow 1, 2 and 3 will vote at the Methodist Church at 304 Main in Moscow. Stevens County voters in all other voting precincts will vote at the Memorial Hall at 200 East Sixth in Hugoton.
In the election there will be a proposition to amend Section 1 of Article 10 of the Constitution for the State of Kansas.
Voters will also have a chance to vote in Stevens County for the USD 210 Board of Education, USD 209 Board of Education and Moscow and Hugoton Mayor positions and City Council.
USD 210 Board of Education candidates running are Todd Gayer, Barry D. Hittle, Mike Persinger, Paula M. Rowden and Ed Stevenson.
USD 209 Board of Education candidates running are Antonia “Toni” Crawford, Grace Eisenhower, Mark
Horyna, Brandi Lahey, Terry A. Pierson and Tammy L. Sutherland-Abbott.
For the Mayor position in Hugoton Jack E. Rowden is running and Moscow Mayor position Kevin Staggers is running.
Hugoton City Council has two positions open. Frankie D. Thomas and Jason Teeter are both running for the positions. In Moscow there are two positions open and only one candidate is running, Curtis R. Crawford.

Be sure to wear orange for Unity Day Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Every October, individuals from across the nation – and around the world – unite in a campaign to keep all youth safe from bullying.  Every day thousands of young people experience bullying from their peers while at school, after school in their neighborhoods, and even when they are at home, through social media and texts. There are many ways to support bullying prevention as an individual or with friends and family, and within your school or community.  One way is to wear ORANGE Wednesday, October 23 to bring awareness and support for bullying prevention on Unity Day.

WHY UNITY?

For years, our culture justified bullying with expressions such as, “Bullying is a natural part of childhood,” “Some kids just deserve to be bullied,” or “Bullying is a rite of passage.” The goal of the day is to bring together youth, parents, educators, businesses, and community members across the nation to emphasize the message that bullying is not acceptable and that all students deserve to be safe in school, online, and in the community.

WHAT IS THE CALL TO ACTION?

 The call to action is simple—wear and share the color orange—as a visible representation of the supportive, universal message that our society wants to prevent bullying, and is united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. 

WHY THE COLOR ORANGE?

 Unity Day is held during October, and orange is a color commonly identified with that month and season. It is also a color associated with safety and visibility. Orange is described as warm and inviting, and its vibrancy makes a strong statement. It was also a color that was not being used by another widely known cause.

WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO?

Everyone’s involvement is important! This event goes beyond the school walls and into the community. Anyone can wear orange and share an image with an online post. For so long, those who were bullied felt that no one cared— the simple act of wearing orange shows them that they are not alone and will hopefully empower them to speak and reach out.

HOW CAN BUSINESSES AND ORGANZATIONS GET INVOLVED?

Go orange! Be creative! A few ideas include: in 2013, the iconic Green Giant

statue in Blue Earth, Minn. wore an orange toga and lit up the night sky

with an orange glow. TLC of the Discovery Channel made their logo orange

for the day. Other ways to go orange include tying orange ribbons to a

fence or around a tree, offering an orange item for sale with proceeds to the

National Bullying Prevention Center, or creating a unity mural. Check out the

“Activation Ideas” section of this guide for more tips.

The City of Hugoton was recognized for 100 years of providing a quality electric service to their community. The City was presented with the Centennial Award from the Kansas Municipal
Energy Agency at their annual awards banquet October 3, 2019 in Wichita.
The Centennial Award is given out each year to honor Community Visionaries who founded the City’s Electric Utility.
Kansas Municipal Energy Agency is a member driven joint action agency with the mission of providing municipal utilities reliable and economical energy to serve their communities.
Hugoton was represented by Gary Rowden, Electric System Supervisor who accepted the award.
The City of Hugoton is a member of KMEA. Hugoton, in Stevens County in Southwest Kansas, has a population of approximately 3,900.

Gary Rowden, Electric System Supervisor for the City of Hugoton, was presented with the Max Embree “Distinguished Service Award” for his leadership role in his community and to public power. He was presented with the award from the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency at their annual awards banquet October 3, 2019 in Wichita.
The Max Embree “Distinguished Service Award” was established in honor of Max Embree of Colby who played a leading role in the early years of the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency. The award honors his memory and is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and devoted service to both the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency and Public Power.
Kansas Municipal Energy Agency is a member driven joint action agency with the mission of providing municipal utilities reliable and economical energy to serve their communities.
Gary has spent the majority of his career in a leadership role in his hometown of Hugoton. He held an elected position on the city council before taking a position on the staff. He has been in a supervisory role for the city since 1998 overseeing the distribution and production operations of the Electric Department as well as the Parks Department. Gary has served on the KMEA Board of Directors, Power Supply Committee and Awards Nominating Committee for several years.