HILLSBORO Star-Journal

USD 410 votes down in-town busing

USD 410 Board of Education heard a request from a group of parents to restore the in-town bus route that was cut in 2010, but ultimately the board decided to seek other solutions to the parents’ concerns. The town route was eliminated before the start of the 2010-11 academic year as part of sweeping budget cuts the district made in the past few years because of declining enrollment and decreased funding from the state.

City council approves safe sidewalks

Hillsboro City Council members voted to support a Safe Routes to School grant application Tuesday after a lengthy discussion about how, when, and where money would be spent on the project. The request came from a committee of parents hoping to submit a plan to the Kansas Department of Transportation for a grant to cover construction of new, wider sidewalks along major routes children walk to school. Council members viewed a map that highlighted sidewalks needing expansion along East A, Adams, Grand, and Ash streets, to name a few.

Area school graduations listed

Marion and Goessel high schools have already had their commencement ceremonies for the 2011-12 school year, and this weekend the rest of the high schools in the county will send graduating seniors on their way with best wishes. Hillsboro High School

Hillboro tech students gear up for nationals

Hillsboro High School Technology Student Association had a fundraiser dinner Friday evening followed by demonstrations of several events they will be competing in at the 2012 National TSA Conference, June 21 through 25 in Nashville, Tenn. The highlight event was a VEX Robotics Showdown. Teams control robots to score points by putting balls and barrel-shaped objects in goals within a time limit. HHS will have three teams, totaling six people, competing at the national conference in the school’s first year in the event.

Scammers seeking bank information

Many Marion County residents received phone calls late last week, saying their debit card had been restricted because of recent activity. The callers requested the card number, expiration date, and PIN to reactivate the card. Marion Assistant Police Chief Clinton Jeffrey was one of the people who received such a call. After seeing the scam for what it was, he contacted his bank and was told that several other people had called about the scam over a brief period, starting May 9.

Carroll Harder

Carroll Lee Harder, 75, died May 11, 2012, at HCA Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. He was born Aug. 19, 1936, in Newton to Herbert and Helen (Wuthrich) Harder. He was a master plumber and contractor with Harder Construction. He served on the Peabody Fire Department from the mid-1960s through 1980 and was fire chief from 1975 to 1980.

Perry R. Hudson

Perry R. Hudson, 93, of Herington died May 9, 2012, at Herington Municipal Hospital. He was born Nov. 26, 1918, in Parkerville to Franklin H. Sr. and Mabel M. (Roehrman) Hudson. He was a fuel foreman for the Rock Island Railroad in Herington. He was a member of Kansas Masonic Lodge No. 307, A.F. & A.M.; Kansas Chapter No. 73, R.A.M.; Herington Commandery No. 53 K.T.; ISIS Shrine; Esther Chapter No. 93, O.E.S.; and he held an Unlimited Card in the Masonic Lodge. He was also a member of the Brotherhood of the Maintenance of the Way.

Gene W. Johnson

Augusta —Gene W. Johnson, 75, retired structural engineer, passed away at home on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. Visitation with family was Friday, May 11, at Dunsford Funeral Home in Augusta. Funeral service was at the First Christian Church of Augusta, 1600 State Street on Saturday, May 12, 2012.

Roy J. Manka

Roy J. Manka, 81, died May 12, 2012, at Kansas Christian Home in Newton. He was born Aug. 3, 1930, in Peabody to Gilbert Arthur and Gladys (Burton) Manka. He married Betty McAlister on Feb. 14, 2001, in Peabody.

Ruby Pschigoda

Ruby Fern (Bliss) Pschigoda died May 11, 2012, at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro. She was born June 14, 1920, near Tampa to Henry L. and Clara (Moot) Bliss. Her family moved around but always stayed in Dickinson and Marion counties. She attended country schools through the eighth grade.

Glenda G. Razor

Glenda G. Razor, beloved aunt, friend and teacher to thousands of students in Kansas and Santa Ana, Calif., has passed away. Born Sept. 15, 1936. in Hillsboro, Kan., died May 5, 2012, at home in Laguna Niguel, Calif., after complications of recurring illnesses. Glenda was preceded in death by her parents, Wilbur and Lola Razor; sister, Dolores; and nephew, Michael. She will be greatly missed by nieces, Teresa and Sandy; nephew, David; nine great-nieces and nephews; and eight great-great-nieces and nephews. Glenda will also be missed by her many friends, retired colleagues and fellow quilters.

Jon Dale Soyez

Jon Dale Soyez, 74, of Newton died May 7, 2012, at Newton Medical Center. He was born Sept. 21, 1937, in Marion to Emile and Grace (Sampson) Soyez. He was the eighth of eight children.

Accidents reported

Civil cases

County jail

Criminal cases

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Emergency dispatches

Hillsboro police report

Peabody municipal court

Lincolnville gardener sold on raised beds

Darlene Carlson, 68, of rural Lincolnville has found a way to deal with the heavy clay soils that are common in this area. She has been using raised beds in her garden since she moved there in October 1993. She said 95 percent of the gardening she does is done with raised soil. She said the raised beds allow for better drainage and can be filled with lighter soil.

Klaassen family busy mowing grass

Chances are, if the sun is shining (and even sometimes when it is not); Milford Klaassen of rural Hillsboro is out mowing. With dozens of customers to please, and jobs ranging in size from several acres to a few feet across, the JAMM family mowing company is a busy little business with a 25-year- history of good service in the area. “When we first started this, we had about 20 customers and wondered how we would ever get it all done,” Klaassen said. “Now I am usually going full blast from the first of April to the end of October. I am pretty much gone from dawn to dusk.”

Narrow banding completed at county level

Narrow banding for Marion County radios was completed this past week, Emergency Management Director Dan D’Albini told Marion County Commission on Monday. First Wireless Inc. reduced the wattage output on nearly 700 radios. Even though the original bid was only slated to cover 491 radios, the contractor did not require more than the projected $6,700 for the job.

Give yourself a refresher in park and lake

Late last week, I received a letter from Helen Beckham of Hesston, along with a fairly hefty packet of information about the history of Marion County Park and Lake, after she read my editorial, “On the subject of names.” Probably the most interesting item Beckham included was a letter dated March 10, 1939. The letter was from James Meisner, who designed and supervised construction of the lake in his role as county engineer, to Jerry Mullikin, the first park and lake superintendent. Meisner — who signed the letter as “Jimmy” Meisner — urged Mullikin to take very good care of his brainchild, not to cut corners in an effort to save a few pennies. He emphasized the importance of developing and keeping a reputation as a great place for families and children to visit.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:

Milk producers earn contract payments

USDA’s Milk Income Loss Contract program administered by county offices of the Farm Service Agency compensates dairy producers when domestic milk prices fall below a specific price. In addition, a feed cost adjuster applies over the life of the program, which adjusts the support level upward depending on the cost feed rations. Due to recent higher expenses recognized in dairy feed rations, MILC payments are triggered for milk produced and commercially marketed in the U.S. during the month of March 2012.

Farmers market vouchers delayed

The Senior Farmers Market vouchers have been delayed until the week of May 21. Eligibility requirements for vouchers are that recipients must be 60-years-old or older and have an income at or below 185 percent of the poverty guideline — individual income of $1,723 a month or $2,333 for a family of two.

Goessel rec oversees building construction

Construction of a building to house handicapped accessible restroom facilities, a concessions stand, and covered patio is underway at the Goessel’s city ball diamonds north of town. “We are all very excited about this project and hope it will allow us to do more things out there,” Goessel Recreation Commission president Chad Lindeman said. “I envision tournaments, family gatherings, and of course, more softball, baseball, and little league games.”

Car seat specialist explains safety guidelines

The National Highway and Transportation Administration, along with the American Academy of Pediatrics recently announced new guidelines for parents to follow when strapping their children into car seats. Child passenger safety technician and maternal child care nurse Stephanie Regier spends three days each week training parents in car seat safety. She knows how important using a car seat properly can be. Regier, of rural Goessel, is a registered nurse at Newton Medical Center. A big part of her job is instructing new parents like Matthew Allen and Brittany Long of Hillsboro and Wichita, how to take their new daughter, Claire Pauline Allen, born on Mother’s Day, safely home.

Tampa farmers market to start June 6

The Tampa PRIDE farmers market returns this year with a light meal June 6. The market will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. each Wednesday at the Tampa Senior Center through August. Anyone interested in being a vendor at the farmers market can contact Carole Spohn at (785) 965-2639. There is no charge for vendors.

Jost wins academic awards at Newman

Meghan Jost of Hillsboro was a recipient of a Graduating Cardinal Newman Scholar award and Distinguished Bachelor of Science in Nursing Graduate Award on April 20 at an Academic Awards Convocation at Newman University, Wichita. The university-wide event is presented every year to acknowledge superior performance by students.

Weber gets education scholarship

Hillsboro High School senior Courtney Weber has been awarded a $500 scholarship form Alpha Omega Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma for the 2012-13 school year. The award is given to a female high school senior or college student studying education at college in Kansas.

ANNIVERSARY:

Wall to speak at Tabor College graduation

Marlene Wall, Ph.D., a Tabor alumna and associate dean and president of LCC International University in Klaipeda, Lithuania, will give the commencement address Saturday at Tabor College. The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. at the Joel H. Wiens stadium. In case of inclement weather, the event will be in the Tabor College gymnasium.

Teachers see growth in kindergartners

As Hillsboro Elementary School kindergarten teachers Michelle Berens, Tracy Boldt, and Rita Loewen reflect on the changes they have seen in their students over the course of the school year, and the first things that come to mind aren’t improvement in academic skills. Boldt singled-out the students’ improved attention spans. When the school year began, she had to keep lessons and activities incredibly brief. Now her students are able to spend significantly more time on the same task.

Washburn University lists local grads

Four local students graduated from Washburn University in Topeka on Saturday. Florence Elisa Gayle, bachelor of business administration-finance and bachelor of arts-mathematics, both cum laude. Hillsboro Caitlin Reimer, bachelor of science in nursing, magna cum laude. Marion Riley Ross, bachelor of science-chemistry. Jessica Vogel, bachelor of music, magna cum laude.

Goessel musicians rank high at festivals

The Goessel High School Music Department participated in several music festivals this spring. Performing at the Kansas State High School Activities Association Regional Solos and Small Ensembles Festival March 31 at Tabor College in Hillsboro were Erin Brubaker, vocal; Reece Hiebert, vocal; Isabelle Houben, vocal; Samantha Jarvis, vocal; Makayla King, saxophone; Alex Schmidt, vocal; Peter Voth, vocal; Carolin Wetzel, trumpet; the Brass Ensemble and the Trumpet Trio.

GHS recognized as bronze-level school

For the third time in three years, Goessel High School has been recognized as a bronze medalist in To qualify for a bronze medal, a school must perform better than statistically expected on reading and math assessments, factoring in the portion of economically disadvantaged students. A school’s disadvantaged — African-American, Hispanic, and poor — students must also perform better than the statewide average for students in those categories.

HHS vaulters and throwers shine at league

As Hillsboro High School pole vaulter Tyler Proffitt staggers his leg and eyes the bar standing 12 feet, 6 inches high, he simultaneously increases his focus and blocks out unnecessary thoughts about technique. All season he has worked on combining a jump with placing the pole in the pit, then rowing out to clear the bar, and then contorting his body to allow himself to keep the bar upright while he falls to the mat.

Faber places 9th at state tennis

Hillsboro High School tennis player Harry Faber went 4-2 Friday and Saturday at the state tennis tournament in Wichita to earn ninth place in the tournament. “Harry’s game has really improved this year as he worked at being a complete player and developing all aspects of his game,” head coach Stuart Holmes said.

Trojans end baseball season with Sacred Heart loss

The Hillsboro High School baseball team lost in the first round of regional play to Sacred Heart, 4-1, Monday in Salina. The Trojans were shut down by Sacred Heart starter Dalton Dooley who pitched a complete game and allowed four hits. At the beginning of the seventh inning, Dooley had retired 11 consecutive batters.

Goessel boys place at league track meet

The Goessel boys’ track and field team will not dominate a track meet, so winning first was not realistic, but it was all smiles coming from the 4x100 relay team. “In order to letter in track, you have to score points in an event at the League Track Meet,” Zach Showalter said.

Goessel girls earn points at league

For the Goessel girls’ track and field team, it was not until their last two events that the Bluebirds could claim first place. Ali Buller ran a tactical race, taking the lead from the start and continuing to mount a pace no other runner could maintain. Buller finished the 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 36.50 seconds and 50 meters ahead of second place.

Dick qualifies for state golf

Hillsboro High School senior golfer Devin Dick finished fifth in the regional tournament Monday in Osage City. He shot a score of 84 and qualified for the state tournament for the second consecutive year.

Goessel golf team wins regionals

The Goessel High School golf team won its 1A Regional Tournament Monday in Herington, hosted by Centre High School. The Bluebirds shot a team score of 369, 14 strokes lower than second-place Valley Heights.

HHS softball headed to state

The Hillsboro High School softball team won its regional tournament with victories over Southeast of Saline, 2-0, and Sacred Heart, 3-0, Tuesday at Southeast of Saline. By securing a third-consecutive state berth, some Trojan standouts deserve an early graduation from their underclassman status. It’s only a couple of weeks early.

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