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Newcomers to
any community might find the chore of obtaining basic services
somewhat daunting - but they don't have to be.
- Power
Midwest Energy Inc., 1330 Canterbury, provides both electricity
and natural gas to residents within the city limits of Hays,
Ellis and Victoria. They also provide natural gas to Ellis County
residents outside of city limits as well as electricity to rural
customers in the eastern half of the county.
A normal deposit for services will be the average bill for two
months but the deposit can be made in four monthly installments.
If a resident remains a customer and makes their payments on
time, the deposit will be returned to them with a 6% interest
rate applied, after one year of residential service.
No deposit is required if: the resident has had service; if the
newcomer can provide a letter of credit; or applicant has a co-signer.
In cases of new construction the contractor generally purchases
a $50 non-refundable connection fee. The deposit then is based
on square footage.
After a home is constructed a "blower door" test is
required before the city will issue a certificate of occupancy
to the homeowner. Completed by Midwest Energy, the test makes
sure the furnace of any given home has enough oxygen to operate
correctly without distributing carbon monoxide into the home.
The charge ranges from $50 to $100 for residences and charged
on a case by case basis for commercial businesses. This test
is also available to older homes.
Another available test provided by Midwest Energy is an infrared
scan. This test helps determine where the major leaks are in
a home in order to make the home more efficient. The cost for
the test is $75 for residences, and again, case by case for commercial
properties.
Recent changes to regulations allow an account to be established
by phone rather than stopping by the office. The number is (785)
625-3437 or (800) 222-3121.
Rural customers in the western half of the county can obtain
electricity service through Western Cooperative Electric Association,
WaKeeney, at (785) 743-5561.
Service can be obtained through a telephone call, but a contract
must be signed either in the office or it can be mailed to the
customer. A deposit or credit reference is required.
- Water, Sewer
,Trash:
For residents within the city of Hays, a deposit of $70 is required
of all new customers. To have same-day service, customers must
apply before 3 p.m.
Service can be obtained by stopping by the city clerk's office
located at 16th and Main.
The same holds true for residents to the city of Ellis except
the deposit is $100. The city of Ellis requires an application
to be completed at city hall, 815 Jefferson. Residents then can
be issued polycarts for grass clippings or trash for $1 per month
during the summer.
Victoria residents must pay a one-time, non-refundable $40 connect
fee. However, that fee is waived for first-time homeowners. An
application must be completed at city hall, 1005 Fourth, before
service can begin, which can also be acquired in the same day.
Victoria also offers a senior citizen discount for trash service
of $1.50 per month with proof that the resident is over 65.
Rural residents of Ellis County have the option of connecting
with rural water districts. For a referral to the nearest water
district, contact the Kansas Rural Water Association at (785)
336-3760 or e-mail krwa@nvcs.com.
- Cable TV
Eagle Cable TV offers basic cable services, as well as additional
premium movie channels. Additional outlets, with the landlord's
permission, can be installed with a one-time fee.
Ellis County residents in Hays, Ellis and Victoria must provide
proof of identification as well as the first month's service
fees in advance as a deposit for cable service from Eagle Cable
TV, 2300 Hall.
Digital TV programming only is available in Hays and Ellis. For
package options and prices, call (785) 625-5910.
Residents in Munjor and Schoenchen can obtain cable services
through Golden Belt Telephone, Rush Center, at (800) 432-7965.
In Victoria, Classic Cable provides service. Call (800) 999-8876.
- Telephone
For local telephone service, the majority of central Ellis County
is served by Southwestern Bell. Service can be established by
calling (800) 464-7928.
The city of Ellis and much of the western portion of Ellis County
is served by Golden Belt Telephone, Rush Center. They can be
reached by calling (800) 432-7965.
Most of eastern Ellis County, including the city of Victoria,
can obtain service through Rural Telephone Service Company, Lenora.
The office can be reached toll free at (877) 567-7872 or (785)
567-4281.
Residents in the city of Hays also can obtain local telephone
and long distance service through Nex-Tech, Hays. It can be reached
toll free at (877) 625-7872 or (785) 625-7070.
Residents on the eastern edge of Ellis County can obtain local
telephone service through Gorham Telephone Service, Gorham. It
can be reached at (785) 637-5300.
- Internet
Most of eastern Ellis County, including the cities of Hays and
Victoria, can obtain service through Nex-Tech, Hays. For rates
and setup fees, call (877) 625-7872 or (785) 625-7070.
Hays customers can choose Omega Data Systems for their monthly
Internet service. For rates, call (785) 628-3635.
Subscribers can contract with Southwestern Bell for unlimited
Internet access. They can be reached at (800) SWB-INET.
Eagle Cable TV & Internet Services offers dial-up Internet
access for Hays and Ellis. Businesses can subscribe to Eagle
High Speed Access, and Eagle Cable TV and Internet Services also
offers High Speed Residential Cable Modem Access. This means
subscribers can surf the net at high speeds while not disturbing
their Cable TV service. For more information, call (785) 625-4000.
- Media
Newspapers
- The Ellis Review is a weekly community newspaper in Ellis.
It is published every Thursday. Subscription rates vary for local
readers in Ellis County and readers across the state. For information,
call (785) 726-4583.
- The Hays Daily News publishes Monday through Friday afternoons
and Sunday mornings and serves readers across the 20 counties
of northwest Kansas. The Daily News also publishes its news on
the Web, at www.hdnews.net. For subscription information, call
(800) 657-6017 or (785) 628-1081.
Radio Stations
- KPRD, 88.9 FM, non-commercial Christian radio.
Eagle Radio manages five radio stations with various entertainment
categories for listeners in Ellis County:
- KAYS, 1400 AM, talk radio through the day, and ESPN sports
coverage from 6 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
- KFIX, 96.9 FM, classic rock and roll.
- KHAZ, 99.5 FM, old country favorites.
- KJLS, 103.3 FM, pop and top-40 hits.
- KKQY, 102 FM, hot country tunes geared for a younger audience.
Television Stations
- Cable 14 and KMA Productions air local sports, 24-hour advertising
and video marketing programs.
- KBSH is a CBS affiliate station that covers Ellis County and
northwest Kansas news.
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