HILLSBORO Star-Journal

HEADLINES

Goessel gym to be named after Unrau
Every year, the Goessel Board of Education elects officers from among the group. For 22 years in a row, the board elected Lynel Unrau as president until his resignation in 2009. “The attitude was, ‘Things are going well so why make a change’?” current board president Mary Rosfeld said.
Hillsboro incumbents are only candidates to file
Hillsboro City Council incumbents Shelby Dirks and Byron McCarty were the only residents to file candidacy for the April 6 city election before the deadline at noon Tuesday. Dirks represents Ward I, and McCarty represents Ward II.
Fire destroys Lehigh home
In the early morning hours Thursday, Rick Mounts woke up to the sound of what he thought was one of his stepsons’ alarm clocks. He quickly realized the sound was a smoke alarm. Mounts woke up his wife, Gina Mounts, and they escaped the burning house with most of their pets. Gina’s sons — Tristen and Jace Hett — were not there.
Missionaries bring Haitian children to U.S.
When she saw her children playing Sunday at her family’s home southeast of Hillsboro, Jennifer Ebenhack finally realized it was real. She and her husband, Jarod, began trying to adopt three Haitian children — Jaden, Justin, and Daphne — nine years before, but they had made virtually no progress.
Drug is a destroyer
Meth provides one of the most powerful and longest lasting highs of any illegal substance. It’s effect on an user’s life is defined by suffering. Methamphetamine use and production still exist in Marion County.
Blood drives draws many first-timers
Hillsboro High School junior Taylor Nikkel was among the first-time donors at a Red Cross blood drive Tuesday at HHS. “I wanted to save lives, and I thought this was my opportunity,” she said.
Farm groups decry change in atrazine review
Triazine Network representatives said advocacy groups pressured the Environmental Protection Agency to change an upcoming review of the herbicide atrazine. Atrazine is used in corn and sorghum farming. The cities of Marion and Hillsboro are members of a class action lawsuit against the makers of the chemical; they are seeking money for removal of atrazine from the cities’ water supply.

DOCKET

GOVERNMENT

County recycling director: Commit or get out
Marion County has two viable options for a recycling program: take over all recycling in the county and really commit to it or get out of it entirely, Transfer Station Director Rollin Schmidt told county commissioners Monday. The county shouldn’t do it halfheartedly, he said.
Commission may force departments to share
Marion County Commissioners want county departments to take bigger strides to fill temporary staffing shortfalls in other departments. Commission Chairman Randy Dallke said in a special meeting Thursday that he was not impressed with some departments’ willingness to help in a time of budget woes.

OPINION

One woman's view: Cozy up for winter
Perhaps you have noticed there has been a lot of stay indoors weather lately. Although you could have caught me griping about it as much as anyone, I really fare better than the outdoor types whose idea of fun is strenuous athletic activity or a hard day’s work in the garden. Many of my favorite things can be enjoyed sitting quietly in a chair or lying on my back while the snow blows outside almost unnoticed. Some of my friends and relatives catered to those tastes at Christmastime, so I’ve been content. One friend gave me a recent book in the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader series. If you aren’t familiar with those, you’re missing a lot of fun. This one is titled “Uncle John Plunges into the Presidency.” I learned many interesting tidbits about the office, the White House, and its 43 historic occupants. Did you know, for example, that George Washington liked peanut soup, that Thomas Jefferson smuggled a variety of rice seed from France that is still raised in the South, or that some historians think James Buchanan may have been gay?
Our voice in Topeka: readers respond
Thank you to the folks who have responded to the questions I asked last week. I now know that more than 90 percent of those who responded so far believe they would rather pay an extra cent of sales tax than cut more dollars from Medicaid for nursing homes, mental health centers, the disabled, or from schools. Seventy-five percent of those who responded to the issue of beer sales told me they believe that opening up strong beer sales to convenience stores would harm the local economy and be more difficult for law enforcement to monitor — most of you believe it would lead to more undetected sales to minors. One respondent said for the reason of convenience, it would be OK. I appreciate all your responses; you have helped me get a handle on more aspects of the issues than simply the questions I raised in the last column.
Gracious gifts
In the past, I have been accused of being a Pollyanna — unrealistically upbeat and optimistic — a negative trait for newspaper people. These days, it is even difficult for me to keep my chin up and stay on the positive side of life. There are so many reasons to be negative — the plight of the economy, legislators arguing, shortage of state funds — the list goes on and on.
LETTERS:
Chain saw mentality is wrong

PEOPLE

Church collecting items for Haiti
Burns United Methodist Church will be assembling “health kits” to send to Haiti as part of relief efforts to earthquake victims. Each health kit will include a hand towel, washcloth, large comb, nail file or fingernail clipper, bar of soap, toothbrush, and a package of six adhesive strip sterile bandages in sealed, one-gallon bags.
Relay for Life kickoff is Feb. 3
Marion County walkers will walk around the clock to fight cancer during the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Marion County. This celebration of life brings groups and individuals concerned about cancer together in an effort to fight back. Relay For Life will return June 18 and 19 to Reimer Field at Tabor College, Hillsboro. Kickoff has been set for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 3 in the Marion Family Physicians Clinic Basement, 537 S. Freeborn. Enter through the west door.
Hillsboro hospital's CEO elected to national council
Michael Ryan, chief executive officer of Hillsboro Community Hospital, was elected to serve a three-year term on the American Hospital Association’s Section for Small or Rural Hospitals. The 21-person governing council represents small or rural hospitals in the association’s national policy process and member services initiatives.
Bartel elected to Kansas Farmers Union board
Herb Bartel of Hillsboro was elected to the board of directors of Kansas Farmers Union Jan. 9 during the Kansas Farmers Union Convention in Lawrence. Bartel will represent district seven of south central Kansas for one year on the board of directors.
Seamstress still making memories
Ask any bride and she’ll tell you it’s all about the dress. A bridal gown is an important part — if not the centerpiece — of a wedding ceremony.
Low attendance threatens meals at senior center
Goessel Senior Center needs to increase its daily attendance in order to keep its lunch program, Marion County Department on Aging Director Gayla Ratzlaff told county commissioners Monday. The North Central Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging requires a nutrition site have at least 15 attendees each day and does not allow for averaging attendance, she said.
Austin Jost converts passion into a career
Austin Jost, of Hillsboro worked patiently, slowly detailing the outline of a white skull on the black, detached front fender of the Harley. The hissing sound of the airbrush was the constant soundtrack for Jost’s efforts. A yellow foam skull rested to Jost’s left; a panel that Jost painted earlier sat to his right. On the panel was a skull that looked like it was backlit by a full moon. The examples help Jost add the necessary depth at the top of the skull.
CORRESPONDENTS:
NW Durham: Family members visit, 'Round the Town: Kings Daughters meet

SCHOOL

HHS scholars compete
Hillsboro High School Trojans scholars’ bowl team narrowly missed advancing to the tournament rounds Thursday at Southeast of Saline. The team finished with a 3-2 record in pool play with wins over Centre, 60-50; Sacred Heart, 80-10; and Council Grove, 60-40. Losses were against Salina Central, 55-40, and Smoky Valley, 55-50.

SPORTS

TMP rallies to hand Trojans sixth place
When Hillsboro High School Trojan basketball coach Darrel Knoll thinks back on the first half of what has been a frustrating season, the question “what if” may be one that frequently crosses his mind. He, along with the rest of the Trojans, would have a good reason to be wondering the outcome had Hillsboro been able to just make four more free throws.
TMP defeats Lady Trojans to win first place
It’s not a bad idea to assume that when things look too good to be true, they are. In the title game of the Trojan Classic Saturday night in Hillsboro, the Lady Trojans played arguably their best quarter against a good, solid Thomas More Prep Lady Monarch team.
Trojan grapplers take sixth place
After a letdown last week at Halstead, Trojan wrestling coaches Scott O’Hare and Kurt Bowman went back to the drawing board to figure out how to get the Trojans back on track. Hillsboro was stumped on finishing matches and short on confidence along the lines of technique and abilities and overall basics.
Tabor hire offensive coordinator
Tabor College head football coach Mike Gardner has hired Billy Hickman to serve as his offensive coordinator. Hickman, 25, played offensive tackle under Gardner in the head coach’s first stint at Tabor and was a senior team captain in 2007. He graduated in 2008 with a history degree.
Goessel girls lose first league game
The Goessel Bluebird girls basketball team traveled to Little River Friday. It took more than five minutes for the Bluebirds to score their first field goal. The Bluebirds only scored five points in the second quarter and saw the deficit at nine points at halftime. Karis Janzen and Kendra Flaming led an attack where the Goessel girls outscored the Redskins, 8-2, to get as close as 21-18. At the 5 minute, 30 second mark in the fourth quarter, Goessel trailed 27-22, but Little River dominated the rest of game, finishing as winners, 36-24. Scoring for the Bluebirds was Flaming with 11, Janzen 6, Shanna Klassen 3, and Aspen Frey and Jennifer Van Horn with 2 each. The Goessel girls are now 4-1 in Heart of America League play and 7-3 overall.

HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Every year, the Goessel Board of Education elects officers from among the group. For 22 years in a row, the board elected Lynel Unrau as president until his resignation in 2009. “The attitude was, ‘Things are going well so why make a change’?” current board president Mary Rosfeld said.

Hillsboro City Council incumbents Shelby Dirks and Byron McCarty were the only residents to file candidacy for the April 6 city election before the deadline at noon Tuesday. Dirks represents Ward I, and McCarty represents Ward II.

Meth provides one of the most powerful and longest lasting highs of any illegal substance. It’s effect on an user’s life is defined by suffering. Methamphetamine use and production still exist in Marion County.

Hillsboro High School junior Taylor Nikkel was among the first-time donors at a Red Cross blood drive Tuesday at HHS. “I wanted to save lives, and I thought this was my opportunity,” she said.

Marion County has two viable options for a recycling program: take over all recycling in the county and really commit to it or get out of it entirely, Transfer Station Director Rollin Schmidt told county commissioners Monday. The county shouldn’t do it halfheartedly, he said.

Marion County Commissioners want county departments to take bigger strides to fill temporary staffing shortfalls in other departments. Commission Chairman Randy Dallke said in a special meeting Thursday that he was not impressed with some departments’ willingness to help in a time of budget woes.

LETTERS:

Herb Bartel of Hillsboro was elected to the board of directors of Kansas Farmers Union Jan. 9 during the Kansas Farmers Union Convention in Lawrence. Bartel will represent district seven of south central Kansas for one year on the board of directors.

Ask any bride and she’ll tell you it’s all about the dress. A bridal gown is an important part — if not the centerpiece — of a wedding ceremony.

CORRESPONDENTS:

It’s not a bad idea to assume that when things look too good to be true, they are. In the title game of the Trojan Classic Saturday night in Hillsboro, the Lady Trojans played arguably their best quarter against a good, solid Thomas More Prep Lady Monarch team.

Tabor College head football coach Mike Gardner has hired Billy Hickman to serve as his offensive coordinator. Hickman, 25, played offensive tackle under Gardner in the head coach’s first stint at Tabor and was a senior team captain in 2007. He graduated in 2008 with a history degree.