HILLSBORO Star-Journal

HEADLINES

State is looking at $100 million shortfall this year
State Rep. J. Robert Brookens and State Sen. Jim Barnett were greeted Saturday by packed meeting rooms in Hillsboro and Marion. Constituents asked questions regarding KPERS, health care reform, a pipeline exemption, and ways to balance the state’s budget.
House passes smoking ban
The Kansas House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday banning smoking in most enclosed public places and businesses. The House passed HB 2221 by a 68-54 vote. District 70 Rep. J. Robert Brookens voted in favor of the bill. The Senate previously approved the same bill, 26-13, in February 2009. Gov. Mark Parkinson indicated he will sign the bill into law.
Teachers talk the science of reading
The way reading is taught in elementary schools has changed. “We have so much more information; it’s almost scientific,” Peabody-Burns Elementary School Title I teacher Michelle Gossen said. “It used to be more of an art.”
Hillsboro mayor seeks volunteers to join playground committee
Hillsboro Mayor Delores Dalke is looking for volunteers to join a playground committee. Committee members will help select equipment to replace pieces that were removed from the park because they were no longer fit for use, she said Tuesday during City Council meeting.
Pipeline pieces falling into place
After much anticipation, they are coming by train carloads to the usually quiet Florence depot. Giant pipes, weighing 13,000 pounds each, began arriving this past week during the night with 8 to 12 pipes per car.
Athletes participate in tournament following arrests
Two students who represented Marion High School in the state wrestling tournament this past weekend were arrested in Newton the weekend before on suspicion of a variety of offenses. USD 408 Superintendent Lee Leiker said the students were not suspended from the tournament because the school district had not been officially notified of the arrests.
Marion’s Chingawassa Days: Rock ‘n’ roll headache
Bands continue to play at Chingawassa Days because of the effort put in by the members of the Chingawassa Days committee. The process starts with two or three lists. Patti Donahoe-Fadden a Nashville-based booking agent, puts together lists of classic rock and country acts, and what they charge for a show. She then sends them to Chingawassa committee member Mike Powers.

DEATHS

Virginia Frick
Virginia Frick, 99, of Durham, died Feb. 28 at Salem Home, Hillsboro. Born Nov. 8, 1910, in Shattuck, Okla., to Edward and Anna (Wasemiller) Weber, she was a homemaker.

DOCKET

GOVERNMENT

Sales tax collections down
Marion County sales tax receipts in February were $49,966, a decrease of $2,989 from the same period in 2009. Overall, sales tax collection in Marion County is down about 6 percent from 2009. Deputy County Clerk Tina Spencer presented the sales tax report Friday to Marion County Commissioners.
Pipe trucks coming through Lincolnville
At the Monday meeting of Lincolnville City Council, Mayor Barbara Kaiser announced that semis hauling pipe to the pipe depot at Quail Creek Road have been coming through Lincolnville since Friday. She and council members agreed Keystone Pipeline supervisors and drivers are being “very careful and conscientious.”

OPINION

Obligated to report the news
As a newspaper, we are obligated to report news — the good, the bad, and the ugly. For us, it doesn’t make any difference who the people are. If it’s news, we do our best to investigate, research, and report it in a fair and balanced manner.
Our voice in Topeka
The legislative coffees on Saturday were well attended and both Sen. Jim Barnett and I were grateful for the opportunity to meet and discuss the issues of greatest concern to you all. Thanks for taking part in our government process. We now have the unofficial figures for the state’s revenue in February, and revenue is again below the estimate predicted by Legislative Research.
LETTERS:
Contributions do make a difference, HES students benefit from grant

PEOPLE

Farmers urged to use ‘disciplined’ marketing
Tampa State Bank sponsored an agriculture seminar for farmers Thursday at Pilsen Community Center. Greg Lohoefener of Market Data, Inc., Oberlin, was the presenter. He gave an overview of the crop and livestock outlook for 2010 and showed farmers how they can set realistic target prices and work to achieve realistic profit goals for their individual operations.
CORRESPONDENTS:
'Round the Town

SCHOOL

Chess tournament will be Saturday
Hillsboro Chess Guild will host a kindergarten through high school chess tournament Saturday in the Hillsboro Middle School gymnasium. The tournament is the last Kansas Scholastic Chess Association tournament before State Chess Championships March 13 in Kansas City, guild coordinator Janet Whisenhunt said.
HHS freshmen win livestock judging competition
The Hillsboro High School FFA freshman livestock judging team placed first in the freshman division Feb. 24 at South Barber High School in Kiowa. Team members Maci Schlehuber and Lauren Geis individually placed first and second. Kale Arnold placed fifth, and Nathan Unruh placed sixth. Rounding out the team were Erin Loewen and Bryce Roberts.

SPORTS

HHS girls win
Hillsboro High School girls team defeated Ellinwood Tuesday night, 50-38. Dakota Kaufman contributed 22 points to the win. Allie Faul had 8 points, including a three-pointer. Tena Loewen and Franny Gottsch each had 7, Becky Faber had four, and Candace Weinbrenner had 2.
Loss to Halstead closes season for Trojans
Being able to say they pushed the fifth-ranked Halstead Dragons to the limit in early January should have been a big boost of confidence for the Hillsboro High School Trojans. The Dragons were “breathing fire,” shooting a scorching 62 percent from the floor and eliminating Hillsboro, 66-38, in the substate competition.
Trojan grapplers stymied at Hays, close frustrating season
As difficult and as frustrating as it may be, Trojan wrestling coach Scott O’Hare has become familiar with the picture. O’Hare’s team was short on experience and young, possibly the key challenges Hillsboro faced in matching past years’ success.
Goessel teams head to 2A substate for first time in years
Goessel High School basketball teams had no games last week and will be in the sub-state tournament this week. For the first time in many years, the Bluebirds will compete in the 2A class. Both the boys and the girls teams are laden with seniors who take leadership roles.

State Rep. J. Robert Brookens and State Sen. Jim Barnett were greeted Saturday by packed meeting rooms in Hillsboro and Marion. Constituents asked questions regarding KPERS, health care reform, a pipeline exemption, and ways to balance the state’s budget.

The way reading is taught in elementary schools has changed. “We have so much more information; it’s almost scientific,” Peabody-Burns Elementary School Title I teacher Michelle Gossen said. “It used to be more of an art.”

Hillsboro Mayor Delores Dalke is looking for volunteers to join a playground committee. Committee members will help select equipment to replace pieces that were removed from the park because they were no longer fit for use, she said Tuesday during City Council meeting.

After much anticipation, they are coming by train carloads to the usually quiet Florence depot. Giant pipes, weighing 13,000 pounds each, began arriving this past week during the night with 8 to 12 pipes per car.

Virginia Frick, 99, of Durham, died Feb. 28 at Salem Home, Hillsboro. Born Nov. 8, 1910, in Shattuck, Okla., to Edward and Anna (Wasemiller) Weber, she was a homemaker.

Marion County sales tax receipts in February were $49,966, a decrease of $2,989 from the same period in 2009. Overall, sales tax collection in Marion County is down about 6 percent from 2009. Deputy County Clerk Tina Spencer presented the sales tax report Friday to Marion County Commissioners.

As a newspaper, we are obligated to report news — the good, the bad, and the ugly. For us, it doesn’t make any difference who the people are. If it’s news, we do our best to investigate, research, and report it in a fair and balanced manner.

LETTERS:

CORRESPONDENTS:

Hillsboro High School girls team defeated Ellinwood Tuesday night, 50-38. Dakota Kaufman contributed 22 points to the win. Allie Faul had 8 points, including a three-pointer. Tena Loewen and Franny Gottsch each had 7, Becky Faber had four, and Candace Weinbrenner had 2.

As difficult and as frustrating as it may be, Trojan wrestling coach Scott O’Hare has become familiar with the picture. O’Hare’s team was short on experience and young, possibly the key challenges Hillsboro faced in matching past years’ success.

Goessel High School basketball teams had no games last week and will be in the sub-state tournament this week. For the first time in many years, the Bluebirds will compete in the 2A class. Both the boys and the girls teams are laden with seniors who take leadership roles.