HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Hernandez facing charges in Texas

Rojelio “Roy” Cruz Hernandez II, who is accused in the disappearance of a Lehigh teen, has been extradited to Odessa, Texas. The 21-year-old Latino male was arrested Oct. 15 in Brown County after an Amber Alert was issued to find 17-year-old Tara Simhiser of Lehigh who was reported missing Oct. 13. She and Hernandez were found Oct. 15 in Hiawatha

H1N1 vaccines now available to all residents

Free immunizations are available from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Marion County Health Department, 230 E. Main St., Marion and Kansas Department of Health and Environment are encouraging those who have not been vaccinated against the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus, to do so. The health department gave more than 160 vaccines Jan. 6, but have a sufficient supply to continue giving for some time.

KDHE: Fish from reservoir, county lake safe to eat

Marion Reservoir and Marion County Park and Lake are not among the locations with potentially risky contamination levels among fish, according to a revised fish consumption advisory from Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The agencies test for mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls in fish and lead and cadmium in shellfish. Those metals and compounds pose health risks to humans.

Peabody farmer re-elected to FSA committee

Peabody area farmer and rancher Eldon Andres was re-elected to serve a three-year term on the Marion County Farm Service Agency Committee. Andres received 121 of the 136 votes cast in the local administrative area election that represents producers residing in the Marion, Peabody, Florence, and Burns areas.

Orthopedic specialists are setting up shop in Marion

In the past, when local patients wanted treatment for orthodpedic injuries, they had to drive out of town. No more.

Group to build home for wounded soldier

The program may not be familiar to local residents but the cause is a common one. The organization, Homes for Our Troops, is planning to construct a new home in Marion for the Ryan and Carrie Newell family, but they will need help to do it.

Women’s ag conference scheduled for Feb.

Partners in agriculture, business managers, producers, farm homemakers, absentee landlords, and helpers are encouraged to attend the Women Managing the Farm Conference Feb. 5-6 in Wichita. Kristy Archuleta, Kansas State University faculty member, financial educator, and conference coordinator said the conference is intended for women who are involved in agriculture.

Intangibles tax return due April 15

Marion County voters ended the countywide intangibles tax in a November 2008 election, and the change goes into effect this year. Intangibles tax is collected on gross earnings from savings accounts, stocks, bonds, accounts receivable, and mortgages, according to a mailing from Kansas Department of Revenue.

New IRS tax rules are a benefit for local taxpayers

More workers and working families are eligible for the earned income tax credit. In particular, expanded benefits are now available for those with three or more qualifying children and married couples. The EITC helps taxpayers whose incomes are below certain income thresholds, which in 2009 rise to $48,279 for families with three or more qualifying children, $45,295 for those with two or more children, $40,463 for people with one child, and $18,440 for those with no children.

IRAs help delay tax payments

The Internal Revenue Service is encouraging taxpayers to invest in retirement accounts by giving tax breaks to those who do. The tax bill due on retirement savings can be significantly less with individual retirement accounts or IRAs.

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Helen Wiebe

Helen Wiebe, 90, of Durham, died Jan. 9 at Moundridge Manor, Moundridge. Born Dec. 9, 1919, in Winton, Calif., to Enoch and Hannah (Koehn) Dirks, she was married March 6, 1966, to Isaac Wiebe in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

Marie Guhr

Marie J. Guhr, 95, of North Newton, died Jan. 6, at Kidron Bethel Village, North Newton. Born July 17, 1914, at Hillsboro, to John and Maria (Jantz) Bartel, she was a registered nurse.

Moran seeks summer interns

Congressman Jerry Moran announced Monday that he is accepting applications for paid congressional internships in his Washington, D.C., and Kansas offices for the summer 2010 term. Interns working in Moran’s offices will gain a better understanding of the legislative process, develop writing and communication skills, and become better acquainted with Kansas leaders and organizations.

Ambulance calls for 2009 surpass 1,100

Marion County Emergency Medical Services responded to 1,102 ambulance calls in 2009, Director Steve Smith said Monday in a meeting with Marion County Commission. The agency was on-pace for much of the year to surpass 2008’s record-setting 1,151 calls, but ambulance calls dipped beginning in October.

Census count determines federal funding

Responding to the U.S. Census is important because more than $400 billion of federal funds are apportioned each year based on population, Topeka Local Census Office Manager Nancee Torkelson said Thursday. Food programs, adult education, and social services are among the programs funded based on population, she said.

Proposed postal rate hike could affect local newspapers

As if newspapers don’t have enough problems with keeping their doors open another year — or day, for that matter — the U.S. Postal Service now wants to penalize lightweight newspapers that fail to pass a new “droop” test. Currently, periodicals that droop less than 4 inches when tested by dangling off a flat surface are permitted to be mailed in the current standard mail category. The fewer number of pages, the more the periodical will sag or droop. If the new rule were implemented, only 3 inches of droop would be allowed.

Gotta love Kansas weather

What a difference a day or a week makes. Remember this time last week? We were still digging out from snowstorms that seemed endless in temperatures that were beyond cold. Most of us tried to keep close to home, praying water pipes would hold up and the wind wouldn’t snap electrical lines and poles as it had done in the past. Basketball games were postponed in anticipation of more winter weather and dangerously frigid wind chills.

Stop the exemption

The 2010 Kansas Legislative session began Monday. Citizens of Marion, Butler, Clay, Cowley, Dickinson, and Washington counties need to contact their state representatives and state senators regarding one of the most important legislative sessions in recent history — an exemption from local property taxes for the Keystone/TransCanada pipeline. The construction of the pipeline is slated for 2010 and the counties in the pipeline corridor wil llose out on tax revenue of approximately $8.5 million per year for 10 years.

Our voice in Topeka

The 2010 session began Monday and Governor Parkinson delivered the State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate. My column deadline is Monday a.m., so I cannot share with you the Governor’s thoughts. I hope you listened to the address or can find it on the Internet after the fact, if you have that available. As you might suspect, the budget will again be the big cloud looming over us all throughout the session. There will be those who intend to simply cut more from the state budget to balance it; some who believe a spending increase is not only warranted, but essential; and some of us who believe the taxing mechanism of Kansas is out of balance and desperately needs re-aligning, which could raise taxes for some and lower or not touch others. If taxes are raised, I predict not a property tax raise, but possibly one on specific items, such as cigarettes and beer; and I’d predict some currently authorized tax cuts, exemptions on credits being frozen or rolled back until we are out of these tough economic times. If we only cut the current budget, what do you intend we cut? In the upcoming weeks, I will expound on some of the major financial conflicts we have.

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Schools cope with state funding crisis

Kansas has decided to delay payment to public schools for another month. The state has been late with payments several months last year and the scarcity of state funds has had an adverse effect on the five Marion County school districts. Over the last three years, USD 398 has taken the most drastic measures to stay economically viable. They have cut 10 days off the end of their school year, six jobs, and three bus routes, USD 398 Superintendent Rex Watson said. USD 398 also changed from a block schedule to seven classes per day. Peabody is also attempting to withdraw from the Marion County Special Education Cooperative to avoid paying approximately $168,000 to the co-op.

School board discusses special education hurdles

Marion County Special Education Cooperative will have to find ways to patch a $557,000 budget shortfall in 2011, MCSEC and USD 410 Board of Education member Debbie Geis told the Hillsboro school board Monday. The cooperative is another victim of state budget woes, as state funding for special education was cut significantly, she said.

Lady Trojans surprise Hesston in overtime win

Despite the season still being relatively early, Dec. 10 may be a dark cloud hovering over the Lady Trojan basketball teams’ heads. On that day — Hillsboro’s third game of the season — victory was within the Trojans’ grasp against the Hesston Lady Swathers in the second round of the Moundridge tournament.

Trojans stumble against Swathers

After just seven games, it’s probably safe to say the Hillsboro boys basketball team is getting tired of seeing the Hesston Swathers. Of the seven, two have come against Ty Rhodes’ Hesston High School basketball teams, resulting in two of the Trojans six losses.

Trojan grapplers finish third at Herington

Being short on experience, the Hillsboro High School wrestling team is not as concerned with winning as they are with improving throughout the year. That’s part of the reason Trojan wrestling coach Scott O’Hare was happy with his team’s third-place performance Saturday at the Herington Invitational.

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