HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Tiny cuts create relaxing hobby

Dwight Johnson of Hillsboro has a big job (director of the laboratory at Hillsboro Community Hospital), he has a big dog (a St. Bernard named Cooper), he once played for a big football team (as a Sooner at the University of Oklahoma), but he has a special hobby that requires tiny little cuts and great attention to small details. Johnson is a wood scroll artist. In spare moments of his life, he plans, prepares, cuts, sands, and stains or paints intricately designed projects on 1/8 inch Baltic birch plywood. Though he starts with a computerized pattern, Johnson makes all the cuts freehand, following design marks of a picture he has customized to meet his specifications.

Winter wheat a good feed option

When Doyle Jost of rural Hillsboro saw hay prices climb in recent weeks, he decided to take advantage of the increase and sell his winter hay. That left him with a group of 20 Holstein steers to finish out, but he had a good feed option in mind. “I took a little of that money I made on the hay and bought a few fence posts,” Jost said. “Then I put them out on the wheat.”

Blind student wins award

There was not a dry eye in the audience when Roy Blosser, age 11, made his way across the grand stage with his white cane, then stepped up to the microphone Dec. 5 and gave his award acceptance speech at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita. Blosser, a Goessel Elementary student and one of eight students from the state of Kansas honored at the meeting, won an award for his use of technology in education during the 6th annual Infintic Corporation meeting. “I am sure he sees more than those of us who are sighted. He uses all of his senses,” said Susan Levra-Wallace, his teacher from the Marion County Special Education Cooperative. “It was a very proud moment for him, and I was very humbled when he stepped up and spoke right into that microphone. It was just so awesome to see how perfect he is.”

Special Christmas edition is Dec. 21

The Marion County Record, Hillsboro Star-Journal, and Peabody Gazette-Bulletin will print a very special “Dear Santa” keepsake edition of the newspapers on Dec. 21. Publication will be normal Dec. 19. The special edition on Dec. 21 will include letters to Santa and drawings. Children may drop off letters or drawings at the

Hearings in Tabor death delayed

Preliminary hearings for Alton L. Franklin and DeQuinte Oshea Flournoy in McPherson County District Court have been delayed from Dec. 10 to 1 p.m. Jan. 21. Franklin and Flournoy were both arrested in September and charged with aiding and abetting murder in the second degree in connection with the beating death of Tabor College junior Brandon Brown on Sept. 16 in McPherson.

Howard Roy O'Neal

Howard Roy O’Neal, 86, died Dec. 4, 2012, at his home in Newton. He was born on April 17, 1926, to Frank and Genevera O’Neal in Pamona, Kan. He served in the United States Army and went on to receive a master’s degree in education. He retired after 33 years as a school teacher at Peabody.

Martha Peters

Martha (Bartel) Peters, 87, died Dec. 4 at Bethesda Home in Goessel. She was born June 24, 1925, to Peter and Anna Schmidt Bartel, in Hillsboro. She married Ralph Peters on Oct. 21, 1948; he died on May 15, 2002.

Kenneth H. Peterson

Kenneth H. Peterson, 92, of Herington died Sunday at his home. He was born Dec. 26, 1919, in Burdick to Birger and Anna (Johanson) Peterson. He graduated from Diamond Valley High School in 1938 and attended Emporia State University’s business school.

David Winter

David Winter, 22, died Dec. 3 at Saluda, N.C. He was born Nov. 30, 1990, in Hillsboro to Dale and Rachel (Hofer) Winter. He was a railroad conductor. He is survived by his parents and a sister, Erin Winter, all of Hillsboro.

Debra Ann Wolf

DERBY —Debra Ann Wolf, age 56, loving daughter, wife, mother, Nana, sister and realtor, passed away Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. Visitation is 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday with family present 6 to 8 p.m. at Smith Mortuary, 1415 N. Rock Road, Derby. Funeral service is at 2 p.m. Friday at Eastside Community Church, 14242 E. 21st St. N.,Wichita.

Accidents reported

Civil cases

County jail

Criminal cases

Deeds

Emergency dispatches

Hillsboro police

Marriage licenses

Marion police

Offenses

Peabody police

Tampa council approves new building

Tampa City Council approved a bid from Craig Bell for the erection of a 1,200-square foot building for $16,300 including materials and labor. The building will be used to store city and local rural water district equipment. Paul Backhus reported the water district has agreed to pay a $100 monthly rent for use of part of the building. Backhus said the water district would pay the extra cost required to install a door larger than specified in its section.

Durham council experiences changes

A rather rapid turnover is happening in Durham’s city government. The council accepted the appointment of Ed Flaming on Dec. 3 as a new council member. He will complete the term of Arnold Sommerfeld, who resigned in November. Mayor Mike Sorenson read a letter of resignation from City Clerk Joyce Medley. She offered to continue with the duties of treasurer. The council accepted her resignation.

County discusses lot splits

Planning and Zoning Director Tonya Richards and planning consultant David Yearout presented Marion County Commission with a recommendation from Marion County Planning Commission to allow agricultural lot splits for existing homes that do not have a direct frontage on a public road. Currently the county doesn’t allow lot splits that leave a lot without frontage on a public road. The recommendation was to allow those lot splits as long as the split includes easements for a driveway and utilities to the residential lot.

Children overlooked in jail plans

With a new communications tower in place, Marion County Commission addressed another need that was overlooked in plans for the new jail: children. Meredith Butler, director of Community Corrections for the 8th Judicial District, spoke to the commission Monday. Community Corrections has handled intake of juvenile offenders and children in need of care for 10 years, she said. Over that time, Marion County has had an average of 40 to 45 juveniles go through the system per year, but for the past three years it has been between 50 and 55.

1 week left to nominate causes

There is one week left to submit nominations for Hoch Publishing Company’s True Meaning of Christmas charity donation. Nominations slowed down this week, but several readers made donations directly to the pool of money that will be given out. Phoebe Janzen of Florence nominated Big Brothers Big Sisters of Marion County. She praised the non-profit organization’s work providing mentoring to local children.

County gets it right

Marion County Commission recently became aware of another need that was overlooked in planning the new county jail and law enforcement center. And this missing piece was a lot more important than a radio tower. It was children. The Community Corrections division of the Eighth Judicial District handles both juvenile offenders and children who have to be taken out of their homes and placed in foster care. The agency has been using the old office portion of the old jail when needed, but no space was included in plans for the new facility.

LETTERS:

Windbreaks shelter livestock

Established tree windbreaks sheltering beef and dairy cattle operations can lower feed costs, prevent weight loss, and help maintain milk production during the winter months. Bob Atchison of the Kansas Forest Service said additional feed is needed to maintain body temperatures, but a windbreak can help remedy the problem.

Al-Anon meets Mondays

Marion County Women’s Serenity Al-Anon group meets at 8 p.m. Mondays in the basement of the doctor’s clinic at 535 S. Freeborn St. in Marion. Al-Anon is for family and friends of people with drinking problems. For more information, call (620) 803-2687 or e-mail mncowomenserenity@gmail.com.

Watering trees good idea

Bob Atchinson of the Kansas Forest Service suggests watering trees, even in winter, to counteract drought conditions. Newly planted trees should be watered regularly for the first three years. Established mature trees should be watered every two to four weeks by soaking the top foot of soil under the tree’s canopy. Atchison recommended using a soaker hose, drip irrigation, or slow drip bucket to spread water over the entire root area. He recommends two gallons of water be applied for every inch of tree diameter.

Reception for county clerk is Friday

Eighth Judicial District Chief Judge Michael F. Powers will swear in Marion County’s elected officials at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 14, but before then, the county will recognize retiring County Clerk Carol Maggard with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday in the courthouse. Maggard began working in county government as deputy county clerk in 1985. She was elected county clerk in 1996 and has held that position for 16 years.

Higgins family has early Christmas

The Boyd and Hazel Higgins family had their Christmas gathering Sunday at Marion Senior Center. Those attending included Gail and Sandra Dody and Kristy, Brad Dody and friend Misti, and Brad’s daughters, Katie, Kara, and Eliziabeth, all of Wichita; Ralph and Charlene Janzen, Hillsboro; Dick and Susie Mueller, Mentor; Virginia Higgins, Jack and Patti Higgins, and Karen Smith, all of Hutchinson; Georgia Higgins, El Dorado; Tom Higgins, Emporia; and Charles Stinchcomb, Howard and Beth Collett, and Shirley Bowers, all of Marion.

CORRESPONDENTS:

WEDDING:

USD 410 to disregard assessments

At the recommendation of Superintendent Steve Noble, USD 410 Board of Education voted Monday to have teachers focus on the upcoming Common Core State Standards rather than the current state assessments. The district will administer the assessments as required by law, but it will not give practice exams, teach to the assessments, or worry about the results of the current assessments.

USD 411 reaffirms wish list

USD 411 Board of Education is continuing plans for district expansion in 2013. The board discussed building plans, heard architectural updates, approved a construction contract, and learned of additional funding Monday at the regular December meeting. “We got the latest updates from the steering committee and Josh Walker of Loyd Construction on specifics for how the new wing will work,” Superintendent John Fast said.

TEEN board to meet

The Technology Excellence in Education Network will hold its regular meeting at 5 p.m. Dec. 19. It will be a phone conference with the call originating from the Hillsboro 410 USD district office at 416 S. Date St., Hillsboro.

Hillsboro High School concert is Monday

The Hillsboro High School Fine Arts Department invites community members to its annual Christmas concert at 7 p.m. Monday in the USD 410 auditorium. The concert will include performances by the high school band, concert choir, and Spirit-N-Celebration. Selections to be performed include Mannheim Steamroller’s “Deck the Halls,” a choral jazz version of “Carol of the Bells,” and “Forever King.”

Goessel Elementary to host Christmas program

Goessel Elementary School’s kindergarten through 5th grade students will present a Christmas program at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Dec. 17. Kindergarten through grade three students will present “Ring the Bells of Christmas,” a Christmas musical.

Mendoza surprises with third

Sometimes sports can provide a surprise performance, even for a coach who knows his team better than anyone. Hillsboro High School freshman wrestler Levi Mendoza won the third-place match in the 182-pound class of the Hesston Invitational Tournament Saturday. It was only a field of five wrestlers but coach Scott O’Hare thought Mendoza was destined to struggle all year. He only expects Mendoza to improve from this point.

Trojan boys drop two games

The Hillsboro High School boys’ basketball team is off to a rocky start. After defeating Moundridge Dec. 4, the Trojans lost to Inman on Thursday, 47-44, and Lyons on Friday, 41-35, in the Moundridge preseason tournament. Hillsboro shot less than 30 percent from the field in both games and shot at 20 percent or less from beyond the 3-point arc.

HHS girls win tournament

With the Hillsboro High School girls’ basketball team up 23 late in the third quarter on Friday, Tena Loewen dived into the legs of a Lyons defender chasing a loose ball. To the outside observer, this play seems unnecessarily rash; a player sacrificing her body when the game is well in hand. To Loewen, that’s the way she is supposed to play. If she’s in the game, she’s going all out.

Bluebird boys nearly come from behind

The Goessel High School boys’ basketball team battled Little River in the final of the Bluebird Classic Tournament Saturday in Goessel. Despite a valiant come from behind effort, the Redskins won the game, 48-42. Little River struck early in the game by gaining a 10-3 lead and Goessel’s aggressive defense got them into early foul trouble. A long Shane Goerzen 3-pointer at the buzzer kept Goessel as close as 12-8 when the first quarter ended.

Goessel girls finish second in classic

The Goessel High School girls’ basketball team took on Little River in the championship game of the Bluebird Classic Saturday in Goessel. In the first quarter, the exchange of points was methodical as each team scored 7 points. Johanna Hoffman scored her 6th point of the night to give Goessel a 9-7 lead, early in the second quarter, but Little River took the lead and held it for the rest of the game. Goessel went cold from the field as the Redskins outscored the home team, 8-2, to finish the first half. Goessel trailed 19-12 at the break.

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