HILLSBORO Star-Journal

HEADLINES

USD 410 Board considers all-day kindergarten
Hillsboro schools Superintendent Steve Noble told the board of education Monday that the time is now to discuss starting all-day kindergarten classes at the elementary. He said first, Kansas and college career standards have gotten higher, causing teachers to have to teach more in the same amount of time.
USD 411 qualifies for additional school funding
In his monthly report, Superintendent John Fast informed the Goessel school board that USD 411’s enrollment for next year had increased enough to qualify the district for about $75,000 in additional school funding. “The original budget was about $2,206,082 and the adjusted budget is set to be approximately $2,281,691,” Fast said.
Schools react to court's funding ruling
The Kansas Supreme Court issued its ruling Friday morning on a lawsuit against the state filed in 2010 by several school districts, claiming the state did not adequately fund public schools. The long-awaited decision ruled against the state saying that certain school funding laws failed to provide equality in public education as required by the state constitution. The case was returned to Shawnee County District Court to enforce the court’s decision and to reconsider whether school funding laws provide adequacy in public education.
Lake subdivision nears approval
When county Planning and Zoning Director Tonya Richards and developer Garry Dunnegan showed commissioners a new draft of a plat for Saddle Creek Estates at the county lake, only one adjustment needed to be made. After discussing different roads in the plat, commissioners requested a specification that a road not be built over a 40-foot easement in the back row of houses. Commissioner Dan Holub said the easement looks like a road, but will not be used as one.
Dying baitfish are feast for eagles
Bald eagles have become a fixture in Marion County every winter, attracted by a surprisingly plentiful food source. Every winter, full-grown shad die and float to the surface of lakes in the winter, an easy meal for eagles. Shad are small fish, larger than minnows, commonly eaten by sport fish.
Wiens to present digital photography classes in Hillsboro
Gerald Wiens will speak about the basics of digital photography from 7 to 8:30 p.m. March 24 and 31 at the Hillsboro City Building. Wiens has been photographing nature and wildlife for more than 35 years.
National Poison Prevention week focuses on medications
More than 2 million poisonings are reported each year to the nation’s poison centers. The Kansas Poison Control Center received over 30,000 calls in 2013. Approximately three out of every four calls were for a child under the age of five.
Crappie fishing derby is Saturday
The seventh annual John Waner Memorial Crappie Fishing Derby will be Saturday at the county lake’s heated fishing dock. Registration is in advance at the lake office or starting at 6 a.m. Saturday. There is a $15 fee and registration is limited to the first 35.

DEATHS

Wilbur Hett
Wilbur A. Hett, 90, died March 2 at Hillsboro Community Hospital. He was born Oct. 30, 1923, to Alfred J. and Mary (Schlotthauer) Hett in Marion. He graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1941 then went into farming. He married Marjorie Jean Larsen on June 6, 1946, at Strassburg Baptist Church. They had a son, Alvin, and adopted a daughter, Marilyn.
Ellen Lautt
Ellen Lautt, 89, died March 4 in Shawnee. Interment was Thursday at Gnadenau Cemetery, rural Hillsboro. She was born June 17, 1924, in Bowden, N.D., to Gottlieb and Minnie (Baier) Witt. She married Ben J. Lautt on Sept. 20, 1942, in Fessenden, N.D.
Dorothy Yost
Dorothy E. Yost, 82, of Galva died Thursday at her home. She was born Jan. 25, 1932, in Antelope to Archie Boyd and Helen (Loveless) Dody. She was a retired restaurauteur and had lived in Galva since 1983 when she moved from Hillsboro.
IN MEMORIAM:
Beverly Goering

DOCKET

FARM

Students witness where milk comes from
Instructor Callie Unruh and her bovine assistant Tiny visited Hillsboro Elementary School Monday morning with their mobile dairy classroom to show students where milk comes from and demonstrate how milk travels from a cow’s udder to a milk jug. “Tiny is just over 2 years old; that’s 24 years old in human years,” Unruh told students. “That means she ages the equivalent of one human year every month. At the age of 2, she had her very first calf. Mammals like Tiny have to have a baby first before they can start producing milk.”
Complete records can help farmers recover losses
The U.S. Department of Agriculture requests farmers and ranchers to keep detailed records of any losses due to natural disasters. Losses include livestock and feed losses, crop losses, and any additional expenses that resulted from a natural disaster such as drought or flood.
USAD expands storage loan program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has expanded the Farm Storage and Facility Loan program. The expansion includes 22 new categories of eligible equipment for fruit and vegetable producers, and makes the process easier for farmers and ranchers to receive low-interest financing.
Vinduska reelected to corn commission
Terry Vinduska was recently reelected to the Kansas Corn Commission, representing District Five. He farms in northern Marion County and is a past officer of the U.S. Grains Council. He is also a member of the National Corn Growers Association, Kansas Corn Growers Association, and Kansas Farm Bureau. He has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Kansas State University.
Cow nutrition is critical to calf health
Special conditions such as drought and extreme cold temperatures require that special attention be made to the nutritional needs of cows and calves. “Nutrition is the foundation of anyone’s health,” veterinarian Jessica Laurin of Animal Health Center said.
Farmer's daughter adds style to herd
Tim Summervill is a fourth generation farmer. He knows what it is like as a child, watching your dad work on the farm. This year it was time for Summervill to have his own helper, his 3-year-old daughter, Shelby.
Hay permits available for highway right-of-ways
Several changes have been made to Kansas Department of Transportation permits to harvest hay along state and federal roadways. Changes to the permits include:

PEOPLE

Jirak to marry in July
Francis and Mary Jirak of Tampa announce the engagement of their daughter, Kristine Anne Jirak, to Mitchell Haig Simpson, son of Jim and Janice Simpson of Wichita. The bride-elect is a 2008 graduate of Centre High School and a 2011 graduate of Benedictine College in Atchison. She works as a graphic designer at Solutio Inc. in Colwich.
Hearing aid checks to be at Hillsboro Senior Center
Patrons are invited to bring anything they wish to share to Hillsboro Senior Center for show-and-tell on Friday, and are encouraged to wear green on Monday for St. Patrick’s Day. The center’s business meeting will be will be over lunch with board members on Tuesday.
NORTHWEST OF DURHAM:
Wiebes entertain guests
ROUND THE TOWN:
Pankratz entertains guests
BIRTHS:
Camdyn Andrew Hajek

SCHOOL

Hillsboro names students of the month
Hillsboro High School has named its students of the month for March. Lydia Kliewer, daughter of Lawrence and Gail Kliewer, is a member of the cross-country team, basketball team, and scholars’ bowl. Kliewer participated in the fall musical, is a member of Parkview Mennonite Brethren Youth Group, is helping with the spring play, and plans to compete in track. She enjoys reading, cooking, sewing, and playing with her cats.
Chess team wins state tournament
Members of the Hillsboro High School Chess Guild took home a championship trophy this weekend after winning the 2-1A State Chess Tournament. Team members were Jonathan Hinerman, Franklin Jost, Kalen Moss, Matthew Denholm, and Jordan Fryhover.

SPORTS

Tabor's teams head to national tournament
Tabor College’s men’s and women’s basketball teams received a student send-off Tuesday before leaving to play in the National Intercollegiate Athletics Association Division II National Basketball Tournament. The women’s team will play Northwestern College of Orange City, Iowa, at 1:45 p.m. Thursday in Sioux City, Iowa.
Trojan boys headed to state after 24-point victory
The Hillsboro boys’ basketball team will make its first state tournament appearance since 2004 Thursday. After substate wins against Peabody-Burns and Moundridge, the Trojans scored big in the third quarter to defeat Berean Academy 54-30.
Lady Trojans want to win state this year
After three years placing third in the state tournament, the Hillsboro girls’ basketball team has made it a goal this year to go further. “We want it a lot more,” senior Addie Lackey said. “We’re tired of getting third.”
Goessel boys advance to substate finals
Balanced scoring and tough defense allowed the Goessel boys to defeat Flinthills High School on Thursday at the substate basketball tournament in Hartford. Three players reached double figures and the team recorded 20 steals in its 53-19 win. The Mustangs scored first, but once the Bluebirds got into the flow of the game, Flinthills’ chances dimmed immediately.

HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Bald eagles have become a fixture in Marion County every winter, attracted by a surprisingly plentiful food source. Every winter, full-grown shad die and float to the surface of lakes in the winter, an easy meal for eagles. Shad are small fish, larger than minnows, commonly eaten by sport fish.

Gerald Wiens will speak about the basics of digital photography from 7 to 8:30 p.m. March 24 and 31 at the Hillsboro City Building. Wiens has been photographing nature and wildlife for more than 35 years.

More than 2 million poisonings are reported each year to the nation’s poison centers. The Kansas Poison Control Center received over 30,000 calls in 2013. Approximately three out of every four calls were for a child under the age of five.

The seventh annual John Waner Memorial Crappie Fishing Derby will be Saturday at the county lake’s heated fishing dock. Registration is in advance at the lake office or starting at 6 a.m. Saturday. There is a $15 fee and registration is limited to the first 35.

Ellen Lautt, 89, died March 4 in Shawnee. Interment was Thursday at Gnadenau Cemetery, rural Hillsboro. She was born June 17, 1924, in Bowden, N.D., to Gottlieb and Minnie (Baier) Witt. She married Ben J. Lautt on Sept. 20, 1942, in Fessenden, N.D.

Dorothy E. Yost, 82, of Galva died Thursday at her home. She was born Jan. 25, 1932, in Antelope to Archie Boyd and Helen (Loveless) Dody. She was a retired restaurauteur and had lived in Galva since 1983 when she moved from Hillsboro.

IN MEMORIAM:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture requests farmers and ranchers to keep detailed records of any losses due to natural disasters. Losses include livestock and feed losses, crop losses, and any additional expenses that resulted from a natural disaster such as drought or flood.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has expanded the Farm Storage and Facility Loan program. The expansion includes 22 new categories of eligible equipment for fruit and vegetable producers, and makes the process easier for farmers and ranchers to receive low-interest financing.

Special conditions such as drought and extreme cold temperatures require that special attention be made to the nutritional needs of cows and calves. “Nutrition is the foundation of anyone’s health,” veterinarian Jessica Laurin of Animal Health Center said.

Tim Summervill is a fourth generation farmer. He knows what it is like as a child, watching your dad work on the farm. This year it was time for Summervill to have his own helper, his 3-year-old daughter, Shelby.

Several changes have been made to Kansas Department of Transportation permits to harvest hay along state and federal roadways. Changes to the permits include:

Patrons are invited to bring anything they wish to share to Hillsboro Senior Center for show-and-tell on Friday, and are encouraged to wear green on Monday for St. Patrick’s Day. The center’s business meeting will be will be over lunch with board members on Tuesday.

NORTHWEST OF DURHAM:

ROUND THE TOWN:

BIRTHS:

Members of the Hillsboro High School Chess Guild took home a championship trophy this weekend after winning the 2-1A State Chess Tournament. Team members were Jonathan Hinerman, Franklin Jost, Kalen Moss, Matthew Denholm, and Jordan Fryhover.

The Hillsboro boys’ basketball team will make its first state tournament appearance since 2004 Thursday. After substate wins against Peabody-Burns and Moundridge, the Trojans scored big in the third quarter to defeat Berean Academy 54-30.

After three years placing third in the state tournament, the Hillsboro girls’ basketball team has made it a goal this year to go further. “We want it a lot more,” senior Addie Lackey said. “We’re tired of getting third.”