HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Sharps celebrate return of Kaw Nation to Kansas

When Doug Sharp came to Marion County 24 years ago to work for Scully Estates, he managed a portfolio of properties dating back to the 1870s. William Scully of Illinois began acquiring Kansas properties at the same time the last of the Kaw, or Kanza tribe was moved from its native lands to Oklahoma. The “People of the South Wind” returned Saturday to dedicate a dance arbor on the site of their last Kansas village at Allegawaho Heritage Memorial Park south of Council Grove. Sharp had good reason to be there — his wife, Pauline, a member of the Kaw Nation, was involved in the dedication ceremony as vice president of the tribe’s cultural committee.

USD 410 budget wins in election

Voters of Durham-Hillsboro-Lehigh USD 410 gave resounding approval to maintaining the district’s 33 percent local option budget, according to unofficial results of mail-in balloting released Tuesday by county clerk Tina Spencer. District voters cast 612 votes in favor of keeping the current LOB level, against 377 no votes.

Curbside recycling going better than expected

Tuesday, day two of the test period for Hillsboro’s single-stream curbside recycling program, street foreman Dale Dalke said residents are recycling about twice as much material as originally projected. “We averaged out tonnage received at the recycling center and found that we usually get about two tons a month,” Dalke said Tuesday. “I was expecting about 1,000 pounds a day.”

Disabled soldiers bag a gobble of turkeys

A group of injured soldiers made a trip over the weekend to hunt turkeys at a rock quarry north of Marion as part of a two-day event called American Heroes Turkey Hunt. This is the second year veteran and Marion resident Rocky Hett and the Harshman family has donated land and turkeys for the event.

Ranch sues county over wind turbine setbacks

A local ranch has filed suit against Marion County in an attempt to reverse wind energy zoning changes it alleges increase safety hazards. “We’re concerned about the health, safety, and welfare of these and want to be sure it’s properly protected,” said Robert Titus, Wildcat Creek Ranch, LLC attorney. He declined further comment.

Relief Sale totals over $545,000

Proceeds from the 2015 Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale, held April 17-18 at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, are estimated at over $545,000 said Tim Miller, KMRS treasurer. The proceeds will be donated by the Mennonite Central Committee to world-relief organizations. The donation is a combination of sale proceeds, funds raised from MCC Ride of Relief (a motorcycle fun run) and other donations given to the sale.

Commissioners project lean budget

Next year’s county budget wasn’t on the agenda Monday, but commissioners engaged in early forecasting that painted a dim view for planning. “I think we’re all concerned what the state of Kansas is doing,” Commissioner Randy Dallke said. “I’d almost like to present the same budget we had again next year.”

Vivian Hughes

Former real estate broker Vivian Blodget Hughes, 90, died Saturday at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro. Services were to be today at 11:30 a.m. at Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church in rural Hillsboro.

Kenneth Wittrig

Former business owner Kenneth Wittrig, 87, died Thursday at Parkside Home in Hillsboro, where he had lived for three years. Born March 1, 1928, to Dave and Elizabeth Kerler Wittrig, he grew up in Beemer, Nebraska. He served in the Army from 1951 to 1953.

IN MEMORIAM:

Accidents reported

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Offenses reported

Traffic division

Cousins turn combine parts into a 'Swamp Buggy'

Put together a welder and a diesel mechanic and what do you get? Whatever invention their combined imaginations can devise. Tom Oborny of Marion and Ethan Oborny of Durham have been creating things together since they were old enough to drive. Tom will graduate from Hutchinson Community College in two weeks with a degree in welding. Ethan is a freshman at HCC, studying diesel mechanics.

New owners add options at Peabody Farm Service

When Chuck Mead decided to purchase Peabody Farm Service from Dick Alcorn, he did so with backup from his family. His significant other Liz Clark and her son Darcy Pease joined him in the venture. The business officially changed hands April 1. The three made some upgrades to the office area and the stockroom where parts are shelved and stored.

Man makes foray into racing circuit at 81 Speedway

Peabody resident Todd Woodruff’s auto racing career has been years in the making. Either a few years or 24, depending how you look at it. “I’ve been watching racing since I was in diapers,” he said. “It’s always been something I wanted to do.”

Good neighbor Sam

There’s an old, obscure Jack Lemmon movie that’s a favorite of mine, “Good Neighbor Sam,” in which he pretends to be a woman’s husband to help her meet a condition of gaining an inheritance. It often seems to me that our own Sam, Gov. Brownback, pretends things are rosier than they are in a state facing a possible $800 million deficit. A press release this past week was typical, touting all sorts of economic positives as another state revenue projection fell short, this time by $98 million.

Have any extra blood?

The American Red Cross is sponsoring a blood drive from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at Trinity Mennonite Church. Visit redcrossblood.org or call (800) 733-2767 to schedule an appointment.

CDDO to throw fiesta Tuesday

A Cinco de Mayo “Munch and Learn” fiesta at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Marion Community Center pairs food and learning under the theme “Pathways to Adult Life and Work.” The program, sponsored by Harvey-Marion County CDDO, will focus on support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they move toward adulthood.

May Friendship Day is Friday

May Friendship Day will be celebrated Friday with “Tea at Three” at Marion Presbyterian Church. Theme of the program is “Journey of the Caregiver.” There will be an opportunity for patrons to share their own caregiver stories.

BIRTHS:

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HHS fine arts festival is May 8

Hillsboro High School band, vocal, and art departments will present a Fine Arts Festival at 6:30 p.m. May 8 in the high school gym. Sixth through 12th grade bands and choirs under the direction of Bruce Major and Lynn Just respectively will perform. Students works from Dustin Dalke’s art classes will be displayed in the commons.

Youth shoe drive nets 1,200 pairs of footware for orphans

Children and adults in Haiti, Ecuador, and Burkina Faso will walk miles in the footwear of generous Marion Countians who contributed 1,200 pairs of shoes to a charitable effort of county youths. Girl Scout troops in Peabody, Marion, and Centre, along with the “Live Big” group from Burns United Methodist Church, collected 1,000 pairs of shoes for Dando Amor, a nonprofit charity that works with orphanages in Haiti, Ecuador, and Burkina Faso, a small, impoverished African country. Marion Girl Scouts contributed $100 to buy an additional 200 pairs of flip flops.

Music highlights Lifelong Learning session

Tabor College will celebrate the final spring session of Lifelong Learning on Friday with a feast of music and goodies. Music professor Sheila Litke will provide piano music as participants partake of cinnamon rolls and drinks provided by the college. Attendees are asked to bring fruit plates to share.

Tabor groups to perform on Sunday

Tabor College’s symphonic band, orchestra, and chamber strings ensemble will perform their annual spring concert 4 p.m. Sunday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. They will perform the same program as they did for their spring tour, the theme of which is “symphoniae laudis,” Latin for “symphony of praise.”

Bown-Corby receives historic designation

The Bown-Corby Building in Marion has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, city officials were informed Monday. The designation means construction can begin on a $500,000 renovation project to convert the former school building into an apartment complex.

Tabor arts center to break ground

Ground will be broken on the Shari Flaming Center for the Arts at Tabor College at 1 p.m. Saturday in Tabor Park. Construction on the center will begin in the fall. “It will be a time of celebration and fellowship,” Tabor President Jules Glanzer said. “The reality of commencing the construction will be an inspiration to so many of the Tabor constituency.”

Trojans get first win against Marion 3-2

It seemed like forever in coming, but the Hillsboro baseball team ended an 0-11 skid with a 3-2 victory in the second game of a Friday doubleheader against Marion in Marion. “One-and-11 never felt so good,” one of the players said as he came off the field.

Hillsboro softball picks up 4 wins

Slow offensive starts against Sterling and Larned didn’t deter the Hillsboro softball team from winning doubleheaders against each. The Trojans’ road trip to Larned on April 21 tested the their defensive mettle, as both contests were close.

Hiebert sets meet record at Norwich

The Goessel girls’ track team finished fifth out of 14 schools at Norwich on a windy Friday night. Brittney Hiebert set a meet record in the 800 meters, winning with a time of 2 minutes, 33.15 seconds, and she also won the 1,600 in 5:39.70.

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