HILLSBORO Star-Journal

HEADLINES

Trading in a protractor for a pro tractor
After 24 years of rounding up elementary school children, Hillsboro Elementary School teacher Rod Just will instead be rounding up cattle on his father’s farm near Aulne. “It’s something I’ve had in my mind for the past few years,” Just said.
Hillsboro man charged with sex offense
A Hillsboro man charged with aggravated indecent liberties with a child will make his first appearance in Marion County District Court on May 1. The charge against Leslie W. Hopkins, 52, Hillsboro, stems from an alleged Sept. 25 incident involving a 9-year-old.
Work on 190th Rd. to begin
While county commissioners bemoaned delays in one project Monday, they moved ahead on another that should have cross-county traffic moving again by summer. A Wichita construction firm will soon begin work to repair 190th Rd. west of Marion, which has been closed as a safety precaution for over seven months.
School board to spend over $96,000 on computers
USD 410 school board approved a request at Monday’s meeting to purchase 41 laptops and 67 desktop computers from Twotrees Technologies. Superintendent Max Heinrichs said the purchase is in a three-year rotation to purchase new technology, and will include 25 staff computers and laptops: Nine laptops for middle school staff, 15 for leadership and office staff, one for both Parents as Teachers and TEEN directors.
Medical professional unwinds by spinning yarn
People decompress after a long day at the office in many ways, but where some exercise, play music, or watch TV, one local medical official spins animal fiber to help alleviate stress. “It’s fun and relaxing,” Sharon James, assistant chief nursing officer and director of quality and risk management at St. Luke Hospital, said. “Like many people, I have kind of a stressful job.”
Famly ties and rural life bring doctor back home
If not for an enduring love of interaction with and helping people, Amanda Baxa might have been a mathematician or an engineer. Instead, the Tampa native and 2004 Centre High School graduate has found her way home as the newest physician at St. Luke Medical Clinic.

DEATHS

Kathy Boesker
Katherine M. “Kathy” Boesker, 65,died March 24 at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, Wichita. She was born May 8, 1951, to Dick and Mary (Borovick) Sipes in Topeka. She was a registered nurse. She was preceded by two grandchildren.
Christine Combs
Christine Sue (Lies) Combs died April 5 at Via Christi— St. Francis in Wichita. She was born Sept. 15, 1951, to John and Shirley (Orth) Lies in Wichita, and graduated from Andale High School.
Velma Martin
Velma Rachel Martin, 95, died Friday at St. Luke Living Center. A service will be at 10:30 a.m. today at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church in Pilsen with a Rosary being recited at 10 a.m. before Mass. Interment will be at Pilsen Cemetery.
Lula Penner
Lula V. Penner, 91, died Thursday at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro. She was born May 30, 1925, to Peter J. and Pauline (Javorsky) Schmidt at Bessie, Oklahoma.

DOCKET

FARM

Old-school farmer has soft spot in his heart
For more than 60 years in farming, Wilbur Leppke of rural Peabody and his wife, Helen, have sown seeds of friendship in hopes of bettering other people’s lives. The harvest hasn’t always been as hoped, but there’s satisfaction in knowing they tried. Leppke said his father, Sol, set the example for him while he was growing up. He had a heart for others in need and took them in.
Peacocks rule at Leppke farm
One morning 10 or 12 years ago, an unexpected visitor appeared at the Wilbur Leppke farm in rural Peabody: a male peacock. The bird made itself at home and never left. Spring came, and he was still fanning around.
Vinduska visits Mexico on Kansas ag trade mission
In the midst of uncertainty about America’s foreign trade agreements, Terry Vinduska of Marion recently had a hand in building bridges with Mexico, the largest export market for U.S. wheat and corn. Vinduska was among nine Kansans who traveled to Mexico from March 26 to 30 on an agricultural trade mission sponsored by Kansas Department of Agriculture. Vinduska represented the Kansas Corn Commission.
Relief effort keeps on rolling along
Generosity from area farmers and ranchers continues to flow into parts of Kansas hard-hit by March wildfires. Shane Williams, manager of Cooperative Grain and Supply’s Canton location, said volunteers have taken truckloads of supplies three of the last four weekends to help victims of the largest wildfires in Kansas history.

OPINION

Can't get there from here
It was dark Monday when I left the Peabody city council meeting, and just as pulled out of town, I spied the glow of a controlled burn off to the southeast. Grassland fires in the dark are spectacular, so I turned off the highway to go take a look. It was indeed worth the drive down; I’m not so certain it was worth the drive back.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Lake improvements noted

PEOPLE

Scholarship to honor legacy of local nurse
Chris Combs’ entire life was about caring for people. Along the way, she became a nurse who left an indelible mark on those whose lives she touched. Their number includes the colleagues she left behind at St. Luke Hospital, who established a scholarship as part of her legacy after her recent death.
Senior menu
NORTHWEST OF DURHAM:
Birthdays celebrated in Davis home

SCHOOL AND SPORTS

Hillsboro golfers win at Herington
With four golfers finishing in the top 10 and two golfers in the top 15, the Trojans won the Herington golf tournament by 13 strokes Thursday with a team score of 368. Elliot Ollenburger placed third with 83 strokes, Elias Werth was sixth with a 94, Carson Herbel came in eighth with a 95, Colin Settle was ninth with a 96, Caroline Roth was 12th with a 98, and Joe Knoll was 15th with a 99.
Goessel track teams debut at Marion
Goessel girls placed eighth out of 15 teams Friday at the Marion Relays. Olivia Duerksen was the only Bluebird to bring home a first place medal as she cleared 4’10” in high jump. Brittney Hiebert, Stephany Meyer added points in individual events. The girls 4X400-meter relay team of Duerksen, Meyer, Hiebert and Julia Nightengale finished fourth. The girls 4x800 relay team of Elyse Boden, Maddy Meier, Edel Miller and Porclein Unruh earned fifth.
Hillsboro tennis places at home tournament
Hillsboro tennis places at home tournament Trojans doubles tennis team of Jacob Isaac and Dylan Wiens placed fourth and Hillsboro’s singles player Dakota Klein placed sixth, each going 1-2 Friday in Hillsboro.
Goessel's Holada scores golf championship at Hillsboro
Goessel’s Michal Holada had a productive week on the golf links, following up a second-place finish at Herington on Thursday with a championship round at Hillsboro on Friday. Herington’s meet was rescheduled due to a rain delay, creating the unusual back-to-back meets.
Area school menus

UPCOMING EVENTS

Calendar of events
Democrats offer scholarships to county high school seniors
County high school seniors planning on postsecondary education are eligible to apply for a scholarship from the Marion County Democratic Party. A $100 scholarship will be awarded to one senior from each of the county’s five high schools. Students planning to attend a university, college, community college, or technical school are eligible.
Easter egg hunt is Saturday
The annual Easter egg hunt sponsored by the Florence
Chamber of Commerce will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in Grandview Park. Kids 12 and under are invited to come and hunt for eggs and register for prizes.
Seniors to convene
The Senior Citizens of Marion County board of directors will meet at 9:30 a.m. April 21 at Tampa Senior Center. Tampa seniors will serve morning refreshments, but not lunch. Attendees may eat lunch at Tampa Grill following the meeting.
Disability board to meet
A public forum will begin the monthly meeting of Harvey-Marion County Community Developmental Disability Organization at 4 p.m. Monday at 500 N. Main St., Suite 204, Newton.
Waste authority to meet
A Central Kansas Regional Solid Waste Authority quarterly meeting will be at 7 p.m. April 19 at McPherson County Transfer Station, 1431 17th Ave, McPherson.
Historical society to meet Monday
A tour of the Historic Elgin Hotel in Marion will highlight a Marion County Historical Society meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the hotel. Attendees will learn about county museums, historic sites and trails, and have an opportunity for input into promoting the county’s historic features.

HILLSBORO Star-Journal

After 24 years of rounding up elementary school children, Hillsboro Elementary School teacher Rod Just will instead be rounding up cattle on his father’s farm near Aulne. “It’s something I’ve had in my mind for the past few years,” Just said.

A Hillsboro man charged with aggravated indecent liberties with a child will make his first appearance in Marion County District Court on May 1. The charge against Leslie W. Hopkins, 52, Hillsboro, stems from an alleged Sept. 25 incident involving a 9-year-old.

If not for an enduring love of interaction with and helping people, Amanda Baxa might have been a mathematician or an engineer. Instead, the Tampa native and 2004 Centre High School graduate has found her way home as the newest physician at St. Luke Medical Clinic.

Katherine M. “Kathy” Boesker, 65,died March 24 at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, Wichita. She was born May 8, 1951, to Dick and Mary (Borovick) Sipes in Topeka. She was a registered nurse. She was preceded by two grandchildren.

Christine Sue (Lies) Combs died April 5 at Via Christi— St. Francis in Wichita. She was born Sept. 15, 1951, to John and Shirley (Orth) Lies in Wichita, and graduated from Andale High School.

Velma Rachel Martin, 95, died Friday at St. Luke Living Center. A service will be at 10:30 a.m. today at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church in Pilsen with a Rosary being recited at 10 a.m. before Mass. Interment will be at Pilsen Cemetery.

Lula V. Penner, 91, died Thursday at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro. She was born May 30, 1925, to Peter J. and Pauline (Javorsky) Schmidt at Bessie, Oklahoma.

One morning 10 or 12 years ago, an unexpected visitor appeared at the Wilbur Leppke farm in rural Peabody: a male peacock. The bird made itself at home and never left. Spring came, and he was still fanning around.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

NORTHWEST OF DURHAM:

Hillsboro tennis places at home tournament Trojans doubles tennis team of Jacob Isaac and Dylan Wiens placed fourth and Hillsboro’s singles player Dakota Klein placed sixth, each going 1-2 Friday in Hillsboro.

Goessel’s Michal Holada had a productive week on the golf links, following up a second-place finish at Herington on Thursday with a championship round at Hillsboro on Friday. Herington’s meet was rescheduled due to a rain delay, creating the unusual back-to-back meets.

The annual Easter egg hunt sponsored by the Florence Chamber of Commerce will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in Grandview Park. Kids 12 and under are invited to come and hunt for eggs and register for prizes.

The Senior Citizens of Marion County board of directors will meet at 9:30 a.m. April 21 at Tampa Senior Center. Tampa seniors will serve morning refreshments, but not lunch. Attendees may eat lunch at Tampa Grill following the meeting.

A public forum will begin the monthly meeting of Harvey-Marion County Community Developmental Disability Organization at 4 p.m. Monday at 500 N. Main St., Suite 204, Newton.

A Central Kansas Regional Solid Waste Authority quarterly meeting will be at 7 p.m. April 19 at McPherson County Transfer Station, 1431 17th Ave, McPherson.

A tour of the Historic Elgin Hotel in Marion will highlight a Marion County Historical Society meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the hotel. Attendees will learn about county museums, historic sites and trails, and have an opportunity for input into promoting the county’s historic features.

The annual Easter egg hunt sponsored by the Florence
Chamber of Commerce will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in Grandview Park. Kids 12 and under are invited to come and hunt for eggs and register for prizes.