Feedlot Road repair sparked by bridge closing
Hays Daily News
A portion of Feedlot Road will get a facelift to fix the chronic flooding that often makes the two-lane chalk road impassable two miles east of Ellis.
The fix-up is called for after a handful of rural residents on Monday protested a vote by the Ellis County Commission to close a bridge on 140th Avenue, which is their only alternative route to Feedlot.
The commissioners voted to close the bridge March 1. Locals showed up at Monday’s regular commission meeting to say that they are forced to travel 140th after even light rains to avoid flooded, muddy Feedlot Road.
Ellis County sees sharp drop in COVID-19 disease
Hays Daily News
Ellis County continues to record a steep drop in COVID-19 cases, as the residents also log one year of living under a pandemic.
Cases have declined precipitously since Nov. 23, 2020 according to the county’s health services director Jason Kennedy.
“Actually the last five days we’ve had seven-day average cases of less than five, which is good,” said Kennedy during an update to the Ellis County Commission at its regular Monday meeting in the Ellis County Administrative Center, 718 Main.
Demonstrating with graphs the course of the disease in Ellis County in recent months, Kennedy pointed out the relationship between testing and cases, as it’s unfolded locally.
Hays Daily News
The Ellis County Commission on Monday evening denied a permit for Leann Zimmerman’s proposal to build a country wedding barn on her farmland north of Hays, but Zimmerman says she hasn’t given up.
“We’re very disappointed, but I think we’ll move forward in some manner,” Zimmerman said after a lengthy meeting at the Ellis County Administrative Center, 718 Main. “That’s what I know at this point.”
“Absolutely” she and her husband, Jayme Zimmerman, will try to build the wedding barn “at the same location.”
Zimmerman was seeking a permit for a proposed 7,200-square-foot building to host 350 people on a 4-acre plot of land 6 miles north of town on Buckeye Road.
Hays Daily News
Some Ellis County businesses hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic will get a financial shot in the arm by March from a round of federal aid.
The Ellis County Commission on Monday was updated on the scheduled payment of $132,000 to 18 businesses in the county. Another eight applied, but two of those withdrew their applications, five did not meet a requirement for low- or moderate- income, while another had unpaid federal or state taxes, according to Lyle Pantle, assistant director of fire and EMS for the county.
The Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Response Supplement is federal money channeled through the states to local counties and cities, mostly rural ones, to help local businesses. The money is part of the 2020 federal CARES Act COVID-19 response relief passed by Congress.
New general manager hopes to build crowd, possibly add new events at Ellis County track
Hays Daily News
In case you’re wondering, the menu will be a little different this year at RPM Speedway when the racetrack opens for the 2021 season on Saturday, April 3.
That’s according to Chris Sutton, the new promoter for the county’s popular Rolling Plains Motor Speedway at the Ellis County Fairgrounds.
“I’ve already had at least a dozen people ask me if we’re going to sell gizzards at Hays, and the answer is ‘yes,’ ” said Sutton, also competition director for Salina Speedway in Salina, where fried chicken gizzards are a big hit.