First responders honored for saving fellow firefighter

Volunteer firefighter returns to duty after surviving cardiac emergency

Commission approves Stonewood Estates North Community Improvement District

Stonewood Estates property owners offered prepayment option for road improvements

County to assist city of Victoria with summer street maintenance

Public works to provide labor for city of Ellis chip seal project

Speed limit increased to 45 mph on paved section of 48th Street

Commission declines to post 55 mph signs on unpaved roadways

County to absorb costs for state-mandated tax notices

First responders honored for saving fellow firefighter

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — Ellis County first responders received lifesaving awards at Tuesday's county commission meeting for their actions during a medical emergency earlier this year. County Fire Chief Darin Myers presented awards to Fire Capt. James Younger, Emergency Medical Services Director Danita Schroeder and other responding fire and EMS personnel. The team successfully resuscitated fellow volunteer firefighter Matt VanDyke, who collapsed at the station on Feb. 9 while preparing to respond to a structure fire.

Volunteer firefighter returns to duty after surviving cardiac emergency

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — Volunteer firefighter Matt VanDyke, who suffered a life-threatening medical emergency at the fire station in February, has officially returned to duty. VanDyke was present at Tuesday's county commission meeting to publicly thank the peers who saved his life. Following his collapse, he was shocked with an automated external defibrillator, transported to a local hospital and eventually flown to a Wichita medical center for a week of testing. He has returned to service with zero restrictions, with the exception of a medical prohibition on welding, as the strong electromagnetic fields generated by welding can interfere with implanted cardiac devices such as pacemakers or defibrillators.

Commission approves Stonewood Estates North Community Improvement District

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — Following a public hearing that drew no opposition, the county commission unanimously approved a resolution officially creating the Stonewood Estates North Addition Community Improvement District. The district was petitioned by local property owners to fund specific road improvements, including initial construction and a secondary maintenance phase in five years. The project will be funded entirely by special assessments levied strictly against the affected property owners, ensuring no financial impact on the county's general taxpayer base.

Stonewood Estates property owners offered prepayment option for road improvements

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — With the Stonewood Estates North Addition Community Improvement District officially established, the county will now work with financial advisers to structure the project's funding. Property owners within the newly formed district will be notified of a window to prepay their special assessments in full, which would lower the county's total bond issue and save residents on interest costs. Those who choose not to prepay will have their special assessments spread across a 10-year period.

County to assist city of Victoria with summer street maintenance

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — The county commission unanimously approved an agreement to assist the city of Victoria with a 14,000-square-yard chip seal project. Under the arrangement, the city will provide all project materials, including oil, rock and sand, while the Ellis County Public Works Department will supply the labor and heavy equipment. The project is scheduled to take place during the summer harvest season to minimize traffic disruptions for the local agricultural community.

Public works to provide labor for city of Ellis chip seal project

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — In a unanimous vote, the county commission approved an agreement with the city of Ellis to assist with a chip seal road project covering more than 18,000 square yards of city streets. Similar to the Victoria agreement, the city will cover the cost of all physical materials, and the county will provide the necessary equipment and labor. The county plans to complete the work concurrently with the Victoria project later this summer.

Speed limit increased to 45 mph on paved section of 48th Street

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — The speed limit on the newly paved section of 48th Street, between Commerce Parkway and Vineyard Road, has been officially increased from 35 mph to 45 mph following adoption of a resolution. The county commission approved the change after a traffic engineering assistance study conducted by the Kansas Department of Transportation found that daily traffic was already safely exceeding the 35 mph limit.

Commission declines to post 55 mph signs on unpaved roadways

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — While discussing speed limit changes on 48th Street, the county commission opted against installing 55 mph speed limit signs on the county's unpaved roads. Public works officials noted that the statutory speed limit for all unpaved roads in Kansas is automatically 55 mph unless otherwise posted. The commission opted against installing the signs, which were deemed an unnecessary expense that would only create additional targets for weather damage or vandalism. The county will instead rely on law enforcement to manage speeders.

County to absorb costs for state-mandated tax notices

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — The Ellis County Commission directed the county clerk's office to absorb the cost of state-mandated revenue neutral rate mailings in the 2027 budget. The state of Kansas will cease reimbursing counties for the mailers after 2026, shifting the financial burden to local governments. Despite frustration over the unfunded state mandate, the commission opted to absorb the cost entirely at the county level as the most transparent approach for taxpayers, rather than billing individual taxing entities such as cities or school districts.

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