$1 (tax included; 73¢ delivered at home) 56 Pages, 3 Sections Wednesday, October 27, 2010 132nd Year, Number 43 Water project moves forward The Oberlin City Council gave well to use part of the allowed 301 said he would have to check. the engineer working on the water million gallons a year. He didn’t The city has several wells which project the go-ahead to ask that the Council Countdown suggest asking for a bigger water are no longer pumped, including water from a proposed new well right for fear that the city could lose Nos. 3 to 7, and three, Nos. 10, 11 be added under the city’s current At a meeting last Thursday, the Oberlin City Council: tion well to be added under the city’s current water rights. some of the current rights. and 12, which are used. water rights. • Heard that the airport committee plans an informa- Story at left. Councilman Bill Riedel asked if The irrigation well, said Mr. Mill- At the meeting last Thursday, tional meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the airport. Story • Decided to change the due date on the city utility bills the city could use some of the excess er, if it’s transferred to a municipal, Chris Miller, with Miller and As- on Page 3A. from the 10th of the month to the 15th. Story on Page water for Sappa Lake. Mr. Miller well will be No. 13. sociates, said this summer the en- • Approved an oil-and-gas lease for 169 acres near the 3A. said that’s something that he would It costs about $100 to file the ap- gineering firm submitted an ap- sewer ponds south of town. Story to come. • Announced that a third city administrator candidate have to check on. The city probably plication, he said, but in order to get plication to convert a city-owned • Gave the engineer working on the water project the has decided not to take the job. Story below. wouldn’t be allowed to exceed the the irrigation well changed to a mu- irrigation well southeast of town to go-ahead to ask that the water from a city-owned irriga- amount of water that can be pumped nicipal one, that is the next step. a municipal well. from each well, said Mr. Miller. Can the city ask to change a mu- This month, he said, the Kansas The city has two irrigation wells nicipal well to an irrigation well? Department of Agricultural Divi- if the city wants that right converted Currently, the city’s water right is 176 million gallons. and those might stand a better asked Mr. Riedel. Mr. Miller said sion of Water Resources responded to a municipal well, the city needs to pump 301 million gallons a year. Mr. Miller said he would recom- chance of being used in a situation it could. to the letter. Basically, the state said to explain why it’s needed. On average, the city pumps around mend that the city ask for the new like this than a municipal well. He (See LETTER on Page 10A) Administrator turns down city spot here Mayor Joe Stanley announced at Bill Riedel. a City Council meeting Thursday There was no action taken. night that after discussions with the The council met again to discuss latest city administrator candidate matters of attorney-client privilege in closed session, the candidate had for an hour and 50 minutes last decided not to take the job. Wednesday at The Gateway with The council gathered twice last Mrs. Larson, Mr. Hirsch, Mayor week in closed session on evenings Stanley, Mr. Gaa and the council. it normally doesn’t meet. Again, there was no action tak- The second night, last Wednes- en. day, Joseph Gaa, the third candidate The council had offered Mr. Gaa who had been offered the job, was the job after the other two candidates present. selected for the post declined. The first closed session was held Mayor Stanley said the council for an hour and 15 minutes at The plans to start over in the search. Gateway late Tuesday afternoon. There are resumes still to look at Included in the session were Mayor from the initial advertisement. Stanley, Interim City Administra- There was no discussion at the tor Karen Larson, City Attorney regularly scheduled meeting on Steve Hirsch, Police Chief Wade Thursday on what the council plans Lockhart and council members to do now for finding an adminis- Richard Kimble, Rhonda May and trator. Voters get chance Buying to pick officials books Kansas voters get the chance before advanced voting ended at Tuesday to decide who will serve as noon. senator, governor, attorney general Voters who wait until election day to read and more when they cast their bal- to cast their ballot, she said, don’t IN THE LIBRARY at lots in the general election. need to bring anything with them Oberlin Elementary School In Decatur County, all of the unless they are first-time voters and polling places will be open from 7 didn’t show a picture ID when they on Monday, Kelli Bryan a.m. to 7 p.m., allowing registered registered. Those who didn’t show (above left) paid librarian voters the chance to help decide who an ID will have to show one when Linda Glaze for books will serve. they vote. Those polling places include: Mrs. Geihsler said she had no she picked out during the • The Gateway for voters from predictions about voter turn-out school’s book fair while both Oberlin city precincts, plus from the state as of Monday. With A.J. Zillinger waited. Beaver, Finley, Harlan, Liberty, the exception of one county office, Logan, Olive, Roosevelt, Sherman, all candidates on the ballot are for Megan Lohoefener (right) Altory, Bassettville, Center, Cook, state offices. flipped through a book Oberlin, Prairie Dog, Sappa and Incumbent Stan McEvoy is seek- while Cassidy Gillespie Summit townships. ing re-election for county commis- • The Dresden Methodist Church sioner in district No. 1. Mr. McEvoy (below) picked one out. for voters from Dresden and Custer, said he’s just finishing up his first The fair will be open Lyon and Dresden townships. term, although he isn’t new to po- tonight and Thursday • The Sunflower Senior Center for litical office. He first served on the night during parent-teacher voters from Jennings and Clayton, Oberlin City Council. Allison, Pleasant Valley and Jen- He said he decided to run again conferences. nings townships. because he feels like he can still • The Norcatur City Hall for those make a difference. Mr. McEvoy said from Norcatur and Garfield, Grant he enjoys serving the people and is and Lincoln townships. enthusiastic about the job. Clerk Colleen Geihsler, who Mr. McEvoy is president of the serves as the county election officer, Kansas Counties Commissioners said as of early Monday afternoon, Association; last year he was vice 210 people had cast their ballots (See POLLING on Page 10A) Hunting section inside today’s paper Nor’West Newspapers’ 2010-2011 annual fall Hunting Guide HUNTING GUIDE is included in today’s copy Nor’West Newspapers of The Oberlin Herald. The section includes articles on the outlook for hunting pheasants, deer, turkey and waterfowl in this Native arrested in attempt to hire a ‘hit man’ area, where to buy licenses A 73-year-old Kansas man was According to court documents, cash for “expenses” to commit the At the end of the meeting, Mr. and the rules and regula- arrested last Tuesday at Denver In- e-mails and instant messages were contracted killing. Kellogg was arrested. tions for the year. ternational Airport after attempting exchanged about the purported The conversation allegedly in- The man Mr. Kellogg allegedly It also has maps show- to hire a “hit man” who turned out to murder-for-hire job prior to the cluded the agent asking Mr. Kellogg wanted killed had won $2.5 mil- ing where hunters can go be an undercover FBI agent. meeting. if he really wanted the person killed, lion in a lawsuit against him. That for walk-in access to state- Bird City Times Brooks Kellogg, who is said to be An affidavit filed by an FBI agent which he allegedly replied “yeah.” (See MAN on Page 10A) leased land in northwest The an Oberlin native and have a home with the criminal complaint says The conversation goes on to the Goodland Star-News THE NORTON Kansas. TELEGRAM in Hays, was arrested after the meet- that Mr. Kellogg met with the un- men discussing the possibility of ing at the Denver airport. dercover agent to pay $2,000 in other jobs. 10A THE OBERLIN HERALD Wednesday, October 27, 2010 *Man *Polling places Starting with a song arrested (Continued from Page 1A) suit involved a Steamboat Springs, open all day Colo., real estate development busi- ness called Chadwick Real Estate Group. The case has been filed in the U.S. District Court in Colorado. Mr. on Tuesday Kellogg is facing one count of using (Continued from Page 1A) • Chris Biggs, Democrat; Kris interstate commerce facilities and president. Basically, he said, the as- Kobach, Republican; Derek Lang- mail in the commission of murder sociation represents commissioners seth, Reform; and Phillip Horatio for hire. The penalty includes 10 at the state level. Lucas, Libertarian, for secretary years in prison, a $250,000 fine or Others on the ballot include: of state. both, a $100,000 special assess- • Jerry Moran, Republican; Lisa • Derek Schmidt, Republican; ment, three years of supervised Johnston, Democrat; Joseph K. Steve Six, Democrat; and Dennis release and restitution to be deter- Bellis, Reform Party; and Michael Hawver, Libertarian, for attorney mined by the court.