HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Clerk corrects ballot problem

Marion County Clerk Carol Maggard and her staff scrambled to fix a mistake on ballots for the Nov. 6 election. About 400 early voters had filled out incomplete ballots because Marion County’s ballots did not include questions about retaining two Eighth Judicial District Judges — Michael F. Powers and Maritza Segarra. It was Powers — not one of the voters — who brought the error to Maggard’s attention on Oct. 24. At first, Powers did not realize he had not been mailed information candidates receive when they appear on a ballot.

Field fire concerns neighbor

A field fire five miles north of Peabody on Monday afternoon burned close to 100 acres of soybeans and wheat-stubble, and threatened some abandoned outbuildings before fire crews from Peabody and Hillsboro got it under control. “My neighbor Rodney Suderman called me about it, and when I came over the hill I was really worried,” said Neil Hett, Rock Shop owner and resident in the same section where the fire burned.

Trojans repeat as state volleyball champions

The Hillsboro High School volleyball team won its second consecutive state championship Saturday in Salina. The 25-20 and 25-16 victory over Garden Plain sealed back-to-back titles. Even though the feeling had yet to sink in, senior hitter Tena Loewen marveled at the accomplishment. Loewen and head coach Sandy Arnold agreed that the second title, with every team in the state gunning for them all year, was more difficult than the first. Loewen said the Trojans, featuring three exceptional hitters, an all-tournament libero, and a resilient supporting cast of roleplayers, was a special group.

Election is Tuesday

The 2012 general election is Tuesday, with township, county, state, and federal offices on the ballot. Poll hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Registered voters are required to have a photo identification to vote. Select Poll sites

Emmanuel Baptist Church, 229 N. Walnut St., Marion — north Marion city, north Centre Township, south Grant Township, Gale Township, and part of south Centre Township.

Florence Masonic Center, 421 Main St., Florence — Florence city, Doyle Township, and part of Fairplay Township.

Lincolnville Community Center, 213 W. 6th St., Lincolnville — Lincolnville and Lost Springs cities and Clark, Clear Creek, and Lost Springs townships.

Our Savior Lutheran Church, 320 S. Cedar St., Marion — south Marion city, Wilson Township, and part of south Centre Township.

Tampa Senior Center, 100 Main St., Tampa — Durham, Ramona, and Tampa cities and Blaine, Colfax, Durham Park, Logan, and Moore townships.

United Methodist Church, 905 E. D St., Hillsboro — east Hillsboro city and Liberty Township.

Never too old to play with dolls

Mary Klenda did not have dolls to play with when she was growing up near Lost Springs. One of nine children, she had plenty of real-life babies to play with, but she remembers getting her first doll at age 13. Now she has a collection of 600 porcelain dolls at her home in Hillsboro. On Friday, she displayed 77 of them at the Hillsboro City Building. “A couple of ladies I work with here asked me to bring them,” Klenda said. “I’ve never done a public display before.”

Gallery opens on Saturday

The Hillsboro Holiday Art Gallery will hold its grand opening from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at 110 N. Main St. Painting and carvings will be available for purchase at a variety of prices. Private showings are available by appointment. All of the sales from the gallery benefit the Hillsboro Public Library Building Fund.

Jeannette D. Bentz

Jeannette D. Bentz, 48, Prairie Village, died Oct. 19 at Kansas City Hospice House following a battle with cancer. She was born July 3, 1964, in Hillsboro to Clinton and Elaine Young Bentz of Lincolnville.

Robert J. Bina

Robert J. “Bob” Bina, 61, died Sunday at his farm residence east of Lincolnville. He was born on Nov. 23, 1950, in Hillsboro to Frank and Lillian Moravec Bina of Lincolnville.

Clara Bredemeier

Clara Bredemeier, 105, of Marion passed away Oct. 27. Visitation is to be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at Zeiner Funeral Home, Marion. Funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Valley United Methodist Church, Marion. A full obituary will follow in a future edition.

Norma J. Cain

Norma J. (Drake) Cain, retired KG&E bookkeeper, passed away Oct. 26, 2012. She is survived by daughters Cathy Parker and Candice Hall, granddaughters Lori D. (Chapman, Parker) Robbins, Shannon N. (Parker) Krall, Rachael Zielke and Megan (Hall) Wheeler, and grandson Justin Hall, and nine great-grandchildren.

George H. Hardey

MARION — George H. Hardey, 77, passed away Oct. 23, 2012, at Mercy Hospital in Moundridge. He was born April 29, 1935, in Walters, Okla., the son of Grayson and Vivian Cloud Hardey. On Aug. 16, 1953, he was united in marriage to Earline Midgley. He was a retired dispatcher for the Santa Fe Railroad. He was active in the Isis Temple of the Shrine, and a 32nd Degree Mason. He was active in the Florence community and served several terms as mayor.

Konley Lowell Harding

Konley Lowell Harding, 21, of Manhattan, formerly of Burdick, Kan., passed away Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. He was born July 21, 1991 in Emporia, Kan., to Kelsey Leon and Lois Irene (Miser) Harding.

Elfrieda Franz Hiebert

Elfrieda Franz Hiebert, 90, of Belmont, Mass., passed away peacefully onSept. 2, 2012. Born onOct. 17, 1921,in Hillsboro, Kan., to Leonard J. and Helen Franz, Elfrieda showed early promise as a pianist, and throughout her life, she was involved in musical activities.Starting at age 13, she performed regularly as church organist on the foot-pressure harmonium at church services, weddings, and funerals for her local Mennonite Brethren church in Hillsboro. At age 17, she received the highest award in piano at the National Music Competition (Midwest Section) in Colorado Springs,Colo., in 1938.

Edmund Kroupa

Edmund Kroupa, a lifelong resident of Marion County, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012, at St. Luke Living Center in Marion. Edmund was born Oct. 27, 1923, on his parents’ farm southeast of Pilsen, the youngest of three sons of Joseph and Antonia Shramek Kroupa. He attended Beauty of the West School, Pilsen Grade School, then Marion High School, graduating with the Class of 1941.

Sylvia Dewey Muse

WICHITA — Sylvia Dewey Muse, 101, retired Director of Patient Relations, Wesley Medical Center, died Oct. 27, 2012. Sylvia was born Feb. 14, 1911, daughter of Henry and Harriet Grabill at Hesston, Kan. Her parents and five siblings preceded her in death.

Accidents reported

Civil cases

County jail

Criminal cases

Deeds

Emergency dispatches

Hillsboro police

Marriage licenses

Marion police

Peabody police

Traffic cases

Extra schooling worth the effort

Kelli Willis of Goessel is a full-time mother of three, works two jobs part-time, and somehow finds time to continue her education through classes online and at the Butler Community College Marion campus. “It’s very stressful and multiple times I wanted to quit,” Willis said. “But my kids understand and are all for me finishing college. I am doing this to better myself and for my family.”

Students can take free college courses

When Butler Community College planned a certified nursing assistant class at Marion High School, Butler of the Flint Hills Director Amy Kjellin was worried the cost of the class might prevent students from taking it. The five-credit-hour class would normally cost $483 plus the cost of a textbook, Kjellin said. But in a stroke of good fortune, circumstances allowed high school students to take the class for only $18 plus the cost of a textbook.

Commission hesitates on low roof bid

It seemed too good to be true, like a trick. Marion County Commission read the bids for repair of the courthouse tower roof, inside and out, and one bid was about a third of the other two bids.

How do you handle criticism?

At the Marion Chamber of Commerce meeting Oct. 19, city council member and Marion Economic Development Inc. President Todd Heitschmidt presented the results of a discussion MEDI had about Marion’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. One of the weaknesses discussed was leadership. That certainly is an area where Marion, or any other community, could use improvement. There is so much that goes into leadership. It takes charisma, organizational ability, setting ambitious but reachable goals, and recognizing successes and acknowledging shortcomings.

LETTERS:

Flag retirement is Nov. 12

James William Miesse American Legion Post 22 of Marion will have a flag retirement ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at Marion County Park and Lake. Section 8 of the U.S. Flag Code says, “

Auxiliary plans book and bake sale

The Hillsboro Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary will have a bake and book sale 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday in the Hillsboro Community Hospital front lobby at 701 S. Main St. The proceeds from the sale will go toward buying an ultra-sound machine for the HCH emergency room. The machine costs $1,500.

Marion County Democrats organize

A meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Big Scoop restaurant, 616 E. Main St., Marion, to organize the Marion County Democratic Central Committee. Officers will be elected. All Democrats and Democratic precinct committee people are invited to attend. Only the precinct people elected at the August primary election are eligible to vote.

Lifelong Learning to feature flour sacks

Nancy Jo Leachman, Salina, will share her flour sack collection and tell about milling, art, and marketing at 9:45 a.m. Friday at the Lifelong Learning session in Hillsboro. The session will take place in the Wohlgemuth Music Education Center on the Tabor College campus. Leachman started collecting flour sacks about 13 years ago, attracted by their artwork and importance in U.S. history.

Democratic women plan Kansas Day activities

Marion County Democratic Women met for lunch Oct. 26 at Marion Senior Center. Sue Clough conducted the business meeting. Marilyn Cox of Peabody accepted the position of vice president.

Tampa game night is Sunday

Tampa PRIDE has scheduled a game night at 7 p.m. Sunday in the senior center. Organizers encourage guests to bring a snack to share. For more information, call (785) 965-2639.

CORRESPONDENTS:

HHS to present 'Wonka' musical

Hillsboro High School will present “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka,” a musical adaptation of Dahl’s book, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The story is perhaps better known from two film adaptations starring Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp as the candy tycoon Wonka. It will be director Lynn Just’s 20th musical at HHS. Just said she chose the musical because she considered it a good fit for the students she expected to be involved, and they haven’t disappointed her. Dylan Nelson stars as Charlie Bucket, and Daniel Nelson plays Wonka. Molly Wiebe and Graham Pankratz play Charlie’s parents, and Peyton Loewen, Danae Bina, Clay Ethridge, and Tanner Sechrist play his grandparents, all with strong comedic sensibilities, Just said. She also praised the students playing the other children who found “golden tickets” for a tour of Wonka’s factory.

Parent-teacher conferences set for Hillsboro

Hillsboro High School and Hillsboro Middle School will conduct parent-teacher conferences from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Monday nights in the Robert C. Brown gymnasium.

Tabor College to host joint band concert

Tabor College Symphonic Band and Garden City Community College Band will perform a joint concert at 7 p.m. Monday in the Tabor College Chapel. Tabor band director Daniel Baldwin said the consortium will play pieces by Leemans, Debussy, Tschesnokoff, Reed and Higdon, and other hymn tunes.

Tobias named teacher of the month

Hillsboro High School special education teacher Shandi Tobias began her career teaching English in Nebraska, but after that year earned her special education endorsement, allowing her to work more with students individually instead of in a regular classroom. “I really like giving the one-on-one support to students, giving them the help to succeed,” Tobias said Thursday. “You have to treat each student as an individual and assess what they need.”

HHS musical offers Golden Tickets

Audience members at Hillsboro High School’s productions of “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka” on Nov. 8, 9, and 10 will have a chance to find their own Golden Ticket. Coupons for “Willy Wonka Bars” will be sold before each performance to be traded for the bars at intermission. Two bars each performance — one for adults and one for children — will have a Golden Ticket that can be traded for gift certificates for food, movie passes, gas cards, and other prizes.

Goessel FFA to canvas for canned goods

Goessel FFA members will trick or treat for canned goods on Nov. 2 in the Goessel community. Members will be asking for non-perishable food products, which they will donate to the Tabor Food Pantry. They hope to help area families in need have a feast during the coming holidays that they might otherwise not experience.

Wrestling club meeting is Tuesday

The Hillsboro Wrestling Club is starting its 20th season. Any child age 4 to 18 is eligible to join the club and wrestle. The club practices on Mondays starting Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m. Competitive wrestlers have a second practice, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, but the scheduling of these sessions is dependent on availability of coaches. Interested participants are required to attend the parent information and sign-up meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday in the technology lecture hall located on the south side of Hillsboro High School. Those unable to attend the meeting can contact club director and coach Scott O’Hare at (620) 947-2378 at home, by cell phone at (785)470-1086, or by e-mail at scott.ohare@usd410.net.

County teams dominate Wheat State League selections

When the Wheat State League announced its all-league volleyball team Tuesday, there was hardly any room left for players outside of Marion County. Goessel and Centre High Schools each placed six players on the first, second, and honorable mention teams, and Peabody-Burns High School had four players selected. Centre First team: senior Anna Weber. Second team: junior Cacey Simons. Honorable mention: seniors Genesis Rudolph and Ellie Miller, junior Bryanna Svoboda, and sophomore Brenna Shields. Goessel First team: seniors Tia Goertzen, Alex Hiebert, Jessica Harvey, and Johanna Hoffman and freshman Page Hiebert. Honorable mention: sophomore Erin Brubaker. Peabody-Burns First team: senior Paige Lewis. Second team: senior Rayna Barnes and freshman Katy Benson. Honorable mention: senior Brandee Burnett.

Erin Loewen comes through with big play

The Hillsboro High School volleyball team was up 18-15 in the third game against Silver Lake Friday in pool play at Salina during the state tournament. Hillsboro took the first game, 25-23, but lost the second game, 25-14. The Trojans allowed Silver Lake to score three consecutive points, aided by a kill by senior Kylee Dewey and two-serve streak by junior Ashlyn Lane. Hillsboro had led since 11-10 and the match felt like it may have been slipping away. That’s when Erin Loewen made the crucial play of the match.

Bina solves team chemistry problem

Hillsboro High School volleyball coach Sandy Arnold said this season, culminated with a second consecutive state title, was not easy. After a loss to Council Grove Sept. 6 in Herington, it was clear to Arnold that the Trojans were not meshing as the team had last season. The chemistry was off.

Unselfish attitude defines Trojan football

An undefeated regular season, Central Kansas League championship, and district championship were all sealed with a Hillsboro High School football win Thursday over Halstead in Halstead, 35-8. “Even before the season started, I had a good feeling we were going to do something great this season,” senior Lucas Sinclair said.

Sinclair plays key role in win over Haven

Sometimes a football game boils down to one drive. The Hillsboro High School football team led 20-13 over Haven on Tuesday with 48.9 seconds left in third quarter. After a tough first-down run out of a power I formation, a 5-yard gain where he was forced out of bounds along the left sideline, Hillsboro quarterback Tyler Proffitt slowly walked off the field with the assistance of a trainer and had his ankle taped on the Hillsboro bench.

Goessel football beats Hope

Nicolas Buller snagged five catches on Thursday with three of those going for touchdowns in Goessel’s 42-28 win over Hope. The Bluebirds intercepted Hope four times, which helped the Bluebirds break a tie with Hope in the district standings and allowed the Bluebirds to finish in a tie for first with Chase. Tie-breaker rules gave Chase the first spot in the district with Goessel getting second.

GHS seniors finish cross-country careers

Ali Buller, Goessel’s only senior on the girls’ cross-country team, finished in 31st place at the state cross-country meet Saturday in Wamego. Despite the chilly weather and difficult course, coach Tyler Schroeder was pleased with a time the was better than last week’s regional race.

Sechrist takes 2nd/Richert 16th at state

A year after winning the 3A state cross-country championship with a time of 16 minutes, 3 seconds, Hillsboro High School sophomore Emily Sechrist cut her time on the same course by 28 seconds Saturday at Rim Rock Farm outside Lawrence. But the improvement wasn’t enough to repeat as state cross-country champion. Sechrist finished at 15:35, behind sophomore Jordan Puvogel of Hiawatha, who finished in 15:30. Hiawatha was reclassified from 4A to 3A this year.

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