HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Hospital exec describes financial state

The financial problems of Hillsboro Community Hospital operator HMC/CAH Consolidated are moving toward a positive resolution as soon as this summer, but those attending the community forum Tuesday at Hillsboro Community Hospital were cautioned one hurdle remains. HMC CEO Larry Arthur described for the approximately 60 attendees the complicated financial developments since November 2010 that led to the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in October.

Rabbits teach life skills

They are cute and soft, colorful and unique, and excellent teachers of life skills, particularly responsibility. At least that is what Jacob Dailey, 16, of rural Goessel, found out about rabbits while raising and showing them over the past 11 years. “I wanted to do something different,” Dailey, a member of the Goessel Goal Getters 4-H Club said. “I also liked the subtle competitiveness of showing them. There is always more to learn, and I like the people I have met through the project.”

Burglars take guns from rural home

When Mickey and Anne Harvey left their rural Hillsboro home the morning of Jan. 31, they had no reason to suspect thieves would target them. Sometime before they returned at 9 p.m., 10 guns, a television set, a new converter box, and peace-of-mind were stolen from their home. “The first thing I noticed was the front window was wide open,” Mickey Harvey said. “I knew right away someone had been there; the screen was tore off, there were boot prints below other windows. It looked like they tried to kick in the front door, but the deadbolt lock held.”

Ethel Bartel

Ethel Bartel, 79, of Hillsboro died Feb. 14, 2012, in Wichita. She was born April 2, 1932 in Hillsboro to Peter A. and Marie (Winter) Duerksen. She was a farm wife and custodian. She married Eldon A. Bartel on May 25, 1951, in Hillsboro. He preceded her in death in 1983.

Stanley R. Farr

Stanley R. Farr, 78, died Feb. 14 at Newton Medical Center. He was born Dec. 3, 1933 in Adams Center, N.Y., to Nathan Earl and Letha (Clark) Farr. On April 6, 1953 he married Jeanetta E. Deines in Chapman.

Jonathon Hojda

Jonathon “Jon” Hojda, 20, of Ramona died Feb. 13, 2012, at Herington Municipal Hospital. He was born July 24, 1991, in Salina. He was self-employed. He lived most of his life in Osborne and attended school through his freshman year at Osborne High School before moving to Wichita.

Roger W. Kohls

Roger Willis Kohls, 68, of rural Chase County died Feb. 13, 2012, in the same home in which he was born. He was born July 29, 1943, in the family home of Alfred and Dorothy Lucas Kohls near Elk. He graduated from Chase County High School in 1961 and served in the Sea Bees division of the U.S. Navy. He was a farmer and a stockman.

Albina Libal

Albina Barbara Libal, 98, died Feb. 19, 2012, at St. Luke Living Center in Marion. She was born Feb. 19, 1914, in Pilsen to Anton and Anna Urbanek Libal.

Edna Josephine Mueller

Edna Josephine (Utech) Mueller, age 94, of Tampa died Feb. 18, 2012, after a brief stay at St. Luke Living Center in Marion. She was born Sept. 19, 1917, at Tampa, Kan., the daughter of William and Marie Schlesener Utech. Edna was a homemaker and farmer and lived in the Tampa community all of her life and was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church.

William R. 'Bill' Novak

William R. “Bill” Novak, 82, lifelong resident of Lost Springs, died Feb. 20, 2012, at his home. He was born May 14, 1929, in the same family home to Ralph and Anna Christina (Carson) Novak. He graduated from Lost Springs High School in 1947 and served in the U.S. Air Force as a 1st Lieutenant, first as a B-26 pilot and finally as a flight instructor. He received a degree in biological science from Kansas State University in 1957. He dealt with aircraft parts and sales for many years. He was a member of Hebron Lutheran Church. He served in the Kansas Legislature in the 1970s.

Brenda Lee Pierce

Brenda Lee Pierce, 58, of Kansas City died Feb. 17, 2012, at the Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo. She was born Sept. 28, 1953, in Arkansas to Frank and Annie Lucille (Sweet) Pierce. She is survived by her dear friend, the Rev. Phyllis Garrett; her caregiver, Lisa Carroll; a brother, Frank Pierce Jr.; and a half brother, Ernie Hesket.

Elaine L. Stoltenberg

Elaine L. Stoltenberg, 70, of Marion died Feb. 15, 2012, in Sedgwick County. She was born July 4, 1941, in Goessel to Walter and Edna (Yauk) Winter. She married William Stoltenberg on Dec. 31, 1960, in Wichita. She worked as a secretary in a loan company.

Edwin M. Wheeler Sr.

Edwin M. Wheeler Sr., 85, of Sarasota, Fla., formerly of Longboat Key, Fla., and Washington, D.C., passed away on Feb. 18, 2012, at his home. A memorial service will be held on Friday, Feb. 24, at 1:30 p.m. at All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church, Longboat Key. Interment will be in Marion, Kan., at a later date. Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Rosalie; two sons, Edwin M. Wheeler Jr. and his wife Cheryl of Marion, Kan., and Christopher Wheeler and his wife Helene of Bethesda, Md.; a sister, Suzanne Watt of Naperville, Ill.; grandchildren, John, Jason, and Natalie; step-grandchildren, Zachary and Skylar.

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Presidential caucuses coming soon

Rather than having a presidential primary this year, Kansas is having presidential caucuses. Republican Party

Council approves documents to get money

Kansas Department of Commerce grant administrator Rose Mary Saunders met with Hillsboro City Council on Tuesday. Her mission, to guide the council through the approval process needed for the city to receive $400,000 recently awarded for street repair projects. “Larry came to Wichita last Wednesday, as required, to pick up the contracts for this award,” Saunders said of City Administrator Larry Paine. “I am before you this afternoon to make sure the necessary steps are taken to put grant No. 12-PF029 into action.”

County to tear up 2 roads

Marion County Commission voted to tear up a 10-mile stretch of Remington Road between U.S. 56 and the Durham-Lincolnville Road to replace the crumbling base underneath the road. Road and Bridge Superintendent Randy Crawford said the project will be scheduled for late summer or early fall 2012. Part of the plan is to widen the road from 22 feet to 24 feet.

Gardener gets ready for spring

There is nothing like the fresh smell of wet soil, onion and potato starts, and green things growing to put Sharon Boese and many other gardening enthusiasts in the mood for spring. Boese, owner of The Garden Center in Hillsboro, got a head start on most gardeners, planting seeds in mid-January at her rural Hillsboro home. Next week she will be transplanting those seedlings into containers at her garden center in town, getting ready for customers and a grand opening during the first week of March.

Ground provides energy

Dirt-cheap? Probably not. But when it comes to saving money with home energy systems, geothermal is an option for those who like dirt, and cheap, to consider. “A geothermal system harnesses free energy stored in the earth to provide heating and cooling,” Merle Flaming, owner of Flaming’s Inc. in Marion, said. “Basically we are heating and cooling homes with dirt.”

Get involved with democracy

In February 2008, while I was still working in Blackfoot, Idaho, I was assigned to cover the local Democratic Party presidential caucus. The field was down to two candidates: then-Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I’d never seen anything quite like it in the political arena. In primaries and general elections, campaigning for one candidate over another is unwelcome. But at the caucus, it wasn’t just welcomed, it was encouraged almost to the level of being the whole point of the caucus.

One Woman's View

On my recent bus trip through the Rocky Mountains, a fellow traveler told me, “You must really be enjoying this scenery being from Kansas.” His tone implied that people living in Kansas had never seen any beautiful scenery in their lives. I did not really resent his attitude, since I realized that a majority of people who do not live in Kansas view us as a vast wasteland to fly over on the road to somewhere else — anywhere else.

Trip reveals small world

Sometimes it is just good to get away. Not long ago our family took a quick weekend trip to the snowy, cold single digits of Kearney, Neb. We went to sell goats, but came back with revived spirits and a renewed vision for what we might be able to accomplish someday on our own small farm. Of course, the good thing about taking small trips with family is the funny things that happen. No one in our family will likely ever forget our trip to Iowa last fall that involved my daughter getting her foot stuck in a hotel toilet.

Brookens crunches tax numbers

We’ve been fed numbers from those supporting a “march to zero” on the income tax, suggesting it is essential for Kansas’ economic growth. Here’s a host of facts for you to digest this week that seem to suggest otherwise. You can decide for yourself how Kansas compares with other states in a number of categories. How Kansas compares with the no-income-tax states in economic growth — this shows the change in real per-capita gross domestic product from 1997 to 2009: Kansas, 18.8 percent; Alaska, 5.4; Florida, 13.5; Nevada, 1.6; New Hampshire, 20.5; South Dakota, 47.6; Tennessee, 5.1; Texas, 12.6; Washington, 16.5; and Wyoming, 52.2.

LETTERS:

Blood drive is Monday in Goessel

The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday at Goessel Mennonite Church, 109 S. Church St., Goessel. Winter is a time when blood supplies run low because winter weather can force cancellation of blood drives.

Artifact workshop planned March 11

The Mud Creek chapter of the Kansas Anthropological association will host an artifact identification workshop 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. March 11 in North Newton. A program by Raymond Thompson, the director of the Arizona State museum, will lead the event. Attendees are invited to visit the museum and speak with professional archeologists. Collectors can bring in Native American and early historical artifacts for identification and dating.

Round the town

A group of ladies from Durham Baptist Church had lunch Feb. 10 to celebrate birthdays. Present were Connie Wiens, Ruth Hamm, Lois Nuss, Carol Ollenburger, Frances Unruh, Beverly Elliott, Arlene Pankratz, Jane Miller, Kay Carlson, Kathy Dirks, Mildred Hamm, Shirley Hamm, and Marcella Mohn. Marissa Diener of Lawrence spent the weekend of Feb. 11 and 12 with parents, Tim and Donna Diener. On Feb. 12, the Dieners, Marissa, Kent, and Emily Nichols of Hesston, Ken Pankratz of Durham, and Marcella Mohn were dinner guests of Arlene Pankratz.

Tampa news

Russ and Julie Kerbs took his mother, Lucille Kerbs, out for supper to Lost Springs on Feb. 15 in celebration of her birthday. Rustyn Kerbs of Hillsboro and Jesse and Ashton Smith and Sydney of Pilsen joined them. Earlier that day, Lucille’s daughter, Connie Thompson, came to Tampa and took her out for dinner. Lucille also gratefully received many nice birthday cards and phone calls on her special day. Leona Kleiber was a Feb. 15 supper guest of Dale and Andrea Klenda, Elijah and Evan at their rural Pilsen home. A special part of the evening was the opportunity to read stories to the boys and sing with them.

Northwest of Durham

Merlin and Karletta Wiebe hosted a Wedel family dinner Feb. 12. Guests were Kelly and Karleen Koehn, Ron and Jenelee Becker, Darrel and Donita Rhodes, Harry and Sheryl Rhodes, Warren and Jane Unruh, and Harry and Lela Wedel. The family celebrated Harry’s Feb. 14 birthday. Mark and Barb Unruh, Sarah, Katelin, and Josh Hendricks of Wamego attended the wedding of Ethan Ediger and Shawna Penner on Feb. 11 at Bethel Mennonite Church near Inman.

Tabor receives housing gift

Thanks to Wilmer Harms, North Newton, and his wife, the late Esther Harms, more housing options will be available on the Tabor College campus in the fall of 2012. The Tabor College Board of Directors approved a building project at their meeting Monday in Hillsboro. The housing project, to be constructed at 218 S. Madison, west of Cedar Hall, will have the capacity to house 16 students.

Special education teachers rewarded

Teaching special education students isn’t easy, but the difficulties involved make the rewards of students’ achievements that much sweeter for their teachers. Hillsboro Elementary School has three special education teachers, each assigned to two grade levels. Kathy Koop works with kindergartners and first graders, Gloria Winter works with second and third graders, and Chris Herbel works with fourth and fifth graders.

Tabor students to play in state group

Three students will represent Tabor College in the state intercollegiate orchestra that will perform Friday during the Kansas Music Educators Association annual meeting and inservice in Wichita. They are Mary Goering, Newton, on the violin; Cody Schroeder, Goddard, on the bass trombone; and Matthew Wiebe, Hillsboro, on the trumpet. They were selected through audition.

HHS choir to perform for educators

The Hillsboro High School Concert Choir, under the direction of Lynn Just, will perform Friday during the Kansas Music Educators Convention in Wichita. The 62-member choir was chosen through an audition of choirs from across the state. The program includes songs in Latin, French, Indonesian, African languages, and English.

Vaccine requirements updated by KDHE

There have been minimal changes for vaccination requirements, published by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, for the 2012-13 school year. Each required vaccination increased by one grade level. Vaccination requirements such as Hepatitis B have been phased in over the past few years. The 2012-13 school year will be the first year that all students will be required to have a complete three-does Hepatitis B vaccination series. KDHE has updated the School and Child Care Immunization Information for the 2012-13 school year at www.kdheks.gov/immunize/schoolinfo.htm. The information provided on the KDHE website is based on the Advisory committee on Immunization Practices recommendations and the consensus of the Governor’s Child Health Advisory Committee Immunization work group.

Custodial service handles mercury spill

An unusual event occurred Feb. 15 at Centre High School. An employee of IServe, the district’s custodial service, reported finding a broken barometer in the science room. Mercury had spilled out onto the carpet. He made the discovery at 10:09 p.m. Because mercury is a toxin and needs to be handled according to state-prescribed procedures, the employee called Richard Idleman, the director of operations for IServe, and reported the spill.

Boys score victory over Kingman

Fans of the Hillsboro High School boys’ basketball team have watched the development of a scorer over the Trojans’ 10-out-11 winning surge the past two months. Shaq Thiessen’s offensive output was on display Friday in a 69-52 win over Kingman in Kingman. The dynamic shooting guard was the high-point man for Hillsboro on Friday with 17 points. He is often the first Trojan player to burst into the open court after a steal; he had three steals himself. He scored on a layup for his first basket, then a pull-up jump shot in transition.

Good chemistry helps Trojan girls win

Despite being shorthanded Friday at Kingman, the Hillsboro High School girls’ basketball team won the game, 45-27. The Hillsboro front court tandem of Krista Reimer and Addie Lackey had a high-scoring and effective rebounding night for Hillsboro.

Goessel boys win on Friday

Against the eighth-ranked Udall Eagles, the Goessel High School boys’ basketball team got off a last second 3-pointer to tie, but it bounced off the rim in a Feb. 14 loss. The Bluebirds fell behind, 11-4, and it looked like the home team with the better record was off to another win. Two baskets by Peter Voth got Goessel within 3 points and the first quarter ended with a Udall fast break to give the Eagles a 13-8 advantage.

Bluebird girls win last home game

In a game that looked like a 7-point deficit would be a huge hurdle to cross, the Goessel High School girls’ basketball team came from behind and clipped the Canton-Galva Eagles for another non-league win on Friday. Neither team could take a commanding lead in the first half as the score was tied at 6 at the end of one quarter and then at 13 at halftime. Johanna Hoffman scored first in the second half and D’Ambra Kruger hit one of two free-throws to tie the game at 16. Aimee Flaming got her hands on a rebound and went back up for 2 points, but then the Bluebirds were stuck. Canton-Galva scored 8 consecutive points to take what looked like a commanding 25-18 lead. The Bluebirds called timeout without having scored for more than two minutes. Flaming was open on the right side and swished a 3-pointer to bring some life into the Goessel crowd. On the next trip down the floor, Flaming was at the same spot on the court and swished another 3-pointer to get the Bluebirds within 1 point and the momentum seemed to swing to the home team. The third period ended with Goessel trailing, 25-24.

Leppke pursues coaching career

McPherson College football strong safety and former Marion High School quarterback Mitchell Leppke wants to coach college football when his playing days are over. Leppke has used the off-season to initiate contacts with some of college football’s top names, seeking advice that will help him achieve his goal.

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