Hi Neighbor! Don’t forget the Taste of Hoisington First Annual Soup Tasting event at Activity Center on Saturday, Feb. 3, just after the Legislative Coffee.

Hi Neighbor! to Kris Schneweis and Chris Price for stopping by the office.

Hi Neighbor! to Emily Zorn who stops by to buy our greeting cards.
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UPCOMING EVENTS

Annual Groundhog & Pancake Supper
The Claflin United Methodist Church will hold its 51st Annual Groundhog & Pancake Supper on Saturday, February 4, from 4 to 7 pm at the church, 3rd & Hamilton.  To arrange for delivery to shut-ins in the Claflin area, please call the church office at 620-587-3505.  Proceeds will go to the mission work of the church.  Freewill donations will be accepted.

Taste of Hoisington
First Annual Soup Tasting Event at Hoisington Activity Center Saturday, Feb. 4 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Come and try a couple different soups. All proceeds go to help the needy of our community. Everyone is invited.

Boy Scout Pinewood Derby
Hoisington Boy Scouts, Pack No. 130 will hold their Pinewood Derby on Saturday, Feb. 4 at First United Methodist Church, 3rd and Clay, Hoisington. Judging at 9:15 a.m., Race at 9:30 a.m. Spectators welcome to watch the race. Contact Kris Schneweis at 620-786-1673 for more information.

Legislative Coffee
Legislative Coffee at the Hoisington Activity Center Feb. 4, at 10 a.m. with Rep. Bob Bethell and Senator Jay Emler, sponsored by Wilson State Bank.

Chamber Coffee
Chamber Coffee will be hosted by Town and Country Supermarket at the Chamber office on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 9:30 a.m.

Hoisington Dispatch hdispatch@ruraltel.net

Login to see the full versions of the stories on this page. Updated 2/3/12

Berry remembers Hoisington in a generous way

"In these economic times, it was a Godsend," he said.
According to the hospital's press release, Leona P. Berry was born to William and Grace (Chenoweth) Berry on May 9, 1916 near Beaver. She graduated from Hoisington High School. She was a member of the Hoisington United Methodist Church. The release also stated...

Clara Barton Hospital Foundation announced the generous gift from Leona Berry. Members of Berry’s family represented her for the official presentation. (left to right)Ken Berry, Richard Berry, Karla Berry, sister-in-law Carleen Berry, brother Emery Berry, Garry Dassow, Cheryl Steinert - foundation board president, and Michelle Moshier - foundation executive director. (photo by Tina Rose)

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Hoisington Homecoming Candidates. Front Row: Becca Harmon, Stephanie Stephens, Savannah Rose, Belle Brickley, Morgan Ward. Back Row: Dylan Bell, Matt Stacey, Derrick Kaiser, Eric Hellerud, Cody Batt.

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Clara Barton and Barton County working together on community-wide health needs assessment

In order to gauge the overall health needs of Barton County residents, Clara Barton Hospital and Barton County Department of Health are working together with Northwest Kansas Health Alliance to conduct a community wide health needs assessment. Results of the survey will provide guidance to address health care needs and fulfill both federal and state mandates.
To gather the necessary information for this assessment, a comprehensive paper / online survey has been created to measure Barton County resident’s views regarding health care perceptions of delivery, access, and health practices. Starting the week of Jan. 30, surveys will be mailed to 2000 randomly selected Barton county residents. (Note: Anyone can participate by logging in to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BMPGWLX to take the survey online. Additionally, there will be a limited supply of paper surveys that can be obtained at Clara Barton Hospital or Barton County Department of Health.) VVV Research & Development, Inc., an independent research firm from ...

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Jessica Schauf and Tagan Brown with shoes for the Soles 4 Souls drive that the Hoisington FCCLA did in conjunction with a national FCCLA program.

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Updated 1/27/12

After 48 years...the clock-keeper retires

His volunteer stint began when his former high school coach, Elton Brown, asked him to join the chain gang, keeping track of the play yards, during high school home games. "I always liked him. He was a good coach," Kaiser said. "I couldn't tell him no."
Kaiser volunteered on the chain gang for two years and then he was asked to run the clock. "I believe I did a little bit in 1963, but we had better say 1964," he said. Now, 48 years and a lifetime of Hoisington High School sports memories later, Kaiser reminisces about players that he watched in his earlier years and their "re-runs" as he calls them.
"There was Richard Koester and then his daughter Breanne. They looked just the same coming down the court," he said. "Allen and Eric Hoffman, they both played inside around the baskets. Dean and Zach Baird, both physical players. Glenn Bieberle and his boys Trevor and Ryan, Joe Cotten and his boy Micah. Kevin Stetler and his boys Zach and Cody, 'course Cody plays better than...

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Sunday injury accident

A Norton man was treated at Clara Barton Hospital Sunday afternoon for injuries he sustained in a one vehicle accident north of Hoisington.
Around 3 p.m., Trent W. Gautier, 50, was traveling south on Hwy 281, at about the 126.5 mile post, when the vehicle he was driving left the roadway for unknown reasons. The car then entered the ditch and overturned, striking an embankment according to the Kansas Highway Patrol crash log.
Gautier was transported to Clara Barton Hospital for treatment. His vehicle, a 1998 Cadillac passenger car was removed from the scene of the accident by Doonan's Towing.
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Cheerleaders in training - During Saturday’s Cardinal Winter Jam spectators were entertained by the future cheerleaders of Hoisington. The cheerleaders-in-training performed a choreographed number between games.
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City Council: quick but productive meeting

By Tina Rose
Hoisington City Council met in a short session Monday evening. Following a tour through the public works and electric distribution shop, the governing body met for a regularly scheduled meeting.
The first item of business on the council's agenda was the consideration of bids to replace the roof on City Hall. Bids from three different contractors were received. After a brief discussion, the governing body voted and agreed to accept the $98,772.20 bid submitted by Ryan Roofing. Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell told council members that the project should be started in the next month and would be complete by the end of the summer.
Also discussed during the meeting was the purchase of a new vehicle to replace the current City Trolley. According to regulations, the trolley, a 2001 Chevrolet with more than 76,000 miles, is eligible for replacement because it is more than five years old. The Hoisington Commission on Aging contacted the city and asked for assistance in securing a grant for the replacement because the Trolley in use frequently requires mechanical repairs.
"It is nickel and diming us to death," said City Councilman Mike Aylward.
A new vehicle for this purpose must be able to transport 13 passengers and include a wheelchair lift and restraints.
According to Mitchell, KDOT grant funding could provide $53,850 towards the purchase. The city would be responsible to provide the additional $11,039 needed. Council members unanimously agreed to move forward applying for grants.
Another item of business decided on during the meeting included...

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Updated 1/22/12

Lowry speaks out on education funding proposals

By Tina Rose
In Governor Brownback's State of the State Address last week, he proposed many budget changes including the way education in the state of Kansas would be funded in the future. And the possibility of changes to the current system has left many school districts wondering what the future holds for their financial options.
Hoisington USD 431 Superintendent Bill Lowry is no different. "The (current) funding formula itself has been proven to be constitutional. The one we have right now. That is a proven fact. We don't know about the new one," he said.
Lowry said that the current formula for funding education in Kansas was proven and equalized throughout the state. "Everyone receives the same amount, it doesn't depend on your zip code for the type of education that your child would receive. (It) doesn't matter if you're in Johnson County or Barton County, education opportunities should be similar," he said.
The Governor's proposed plan is to increase base aid per student enrolled full time from the current $3,780 amount to $4,492 as well as create a property tax equalization fund and a supplemental equalization fund. However, what may appear to look like an increase in funding will actually cost the local district funding dollars. The proposed plan will fund state aid to the district on a per student basis, eliminating certain considerations including, transportation costs, low enrollment, students at risk of failing, and students that use English as a second language (ESL). These "weightings", as the special considerations are called, will not be taken into account when determining state funding to the individual districts as they have in the past.
Lowry believes that ...

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Hoisington man arrested after three county chase

By Tina Rose
Hoisington police officers were looking for an individual Sunday in connection with a theft that took place at The LiquorBox earlier that day, when they discovered that he was the subject involved in a three-county chase.
Marcus C. Taylor, 32, of Hoisington was identified by Hoisington police officers as the man caught on video tape shoplifting at The Liquorbox. While attempting to locate him, officers discovered he was part of a police pursuit in Great Bend.
According to Barton County Undersheriff Larry Holliday, Taylor was leaving the Walmart parking lot when Great Bend police officers attempted to stop him in connection with a separate possible theft. However, he refused to stop and a pursuit through three counties, with seven law enforcement agencies assisting, began.
Great Bend police officers were chasing the Chevrolet passenger car that Taylor was driving when Barton County sheriff officers took over the chase just before it entered Stafford County on Hwy 281. Great Bend officers were called off at that time.
Taylor was able to outrun law enforcement through Stafford County and into Pratt County. Spike strips were used in an attempt to stop the vehicle however, he continued driving on the rims after his tires were flattened. The pursuit came to an end in Pratt when he encountered a stopped train in his path.
Law enforcement officials believe Taylor was trying to miss hitting the stopped train when he struck a telephone pole. He was taken into custody by Stafford County sheriff's officers and booked into the Pratt County jail on DUI charges.
As of Wednesday afternoon charges pending against Taylor in Great Bend include; theft, felony flee and elude and reckless driving. Hoisington police also filed a case with the Barton County attorney and are expecting charges of theft to be filed against Taylor for the earlier incident.
Agencies that assisted Great Bend Police Department in the pursuit and capture of the individual include; Barton County Sheriff Officers, Stafford County Sheriff Officers, St. John Police, Macksville Police, Pratt County Sheriff Officers, Pratt City Police and the Kansas Highway Patrol.

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BENEFIT CONCERT - The Kory Brunson Band presented a benefit concert for Kans for Kids Fighting Cancer Foundation on Jan. 12. Eight-year-old Dade Cannon, Great Bend, is currently undergoing treatment for leukemia (ALL) and was given a drumstick during the concert by Kory Brunson. Pictured is Dade with Brunson, kneeling, surrounded by members of the band. (courtesy photo)

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Wednesday morning Fire at Calp’s Fur and Root

By Tina Rose The Wednesday morning fire at Calp's Fur and Root located at 561 S. Main St. is believed to have been started by a wood heating stove. Shortly after 8 a.m., an employee of the business reported a fire in a back room of the building that is used to dry out furs. The room was heated with a wood burning stove and it is believed that the stove became too hot, causing the stove pipe to heat up and ignite some tar that had dripped down. This in turn, ignited wood in the roof. "It is a double roof and there is one and a half feet in between them. That is where the fire was," said Calvin Calp, owner and operator of the business.

The products that were being dried in the room were removed before any damage occurred to them. It is still estimated that the roof sustained $5,000 worth of damage before firefighters were able to contain the flames.
"We are going to start repairs tomorrow and that room will be operational by the weekend," said Calp. However, business continued as usual at the shop on Wednesday because none of the rest of the building was affected.
"It is just a little inconvenience is all," said Calp. "Just one of them things. The way I look at it, somebody else always has it worse than I do. It's a part of life."
Emergency departments that responded to the scene include Hoisington Volunteer Fire Department, Hoisington EMS, Barton County Sheriff's department and Hoisington Police Department

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John Settle, owner of the Hoisington Dispatch is shown presenting the Citizen of the Year award to Patty Horton. See page 8 for more information. (Photo by Karen Van Brimmer)

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Updated 1/13/12

Horton selected Citizen of the Year

Along with her personal pursuits and the boards that she is an active member of, Horton also co-chairs many events in the community including the Wetlanders Festival, Ladies Night Out, Labor Day Committee and participates in activities for the annual Christmas lighting....

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Hoisington Land Bank has first meeting

By Tina Rose
Hoisington Land Bank board members met Monday night for their first formal meeting. Created in June 2010, the land bank is a separate governmental entity which can be used to facilitate the acquisition and disposal of real property. The land bank is governed by a board of trustees comprised of the city's governing body. During the meeting, officers were elected. The results of the election were; Clayton Williamson, chairperson; Brian Wilborn, vice-chairperson; Chris Smith, treasurer and Donita Crutcher, board secretary.
Board members discussed budget issues. No funds were budgeted for the land in the 2010 year. A total of $15,000 was allowed in the 2011 budget but was not spent.
A real estate transfer agreement between Wyoming V, LLC and the city was discussed. The board agreed to accept the transfer agreement and waive the 2011 taxes. The property owned by Wyoming V, LLC is being donated to the land bank for the use of housing development opportunities. The property is located in the northwest part of town and is formerly known as the Hoisington Mobile Home Park. Because the property was donated to the board they will be unable to ...

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GREETINGS - United States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was in Djibouti (jih-BOOT-ee), Africa for just a few hours on Dec. 13. He visited with Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh to reinforce the fact that Djibouti is a key US ally. He also wanted to visit with US Troops during the holiday season. About 500 service members were chosen to visit with him that morning. He took the time to personally talk to every one for a little bit. Pictured with Secretary Panetta is Hoisington native SFC Jon Depiesse. Depiesse is a member of the Kansas National Guard and is currently assigned to B Battery 1-161 Field Artillery. The 161 Field Artillery unit is currently stationed at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti and is expected to return home some time late February or early March. Other Hoisington natives stationed at Camp Lemonnier include SSG Justin Piland and SPC Nathan Esfeld. (courtesy photo)

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Council discusses more blighted properties

By Tina Rose
Hoisington City Council members continue to address blighted properties throughout the city limits. All of the properties listed on Monday night's agenda, 223 E. First, 469 W. Second, and 264 W. Railroad have been on the council's agenda before.
According to reports given by Hoisington's Code Enforcement Officer Don Doerschlag, no improvements can be seen at the 469 W. Second St. address other than vines being removed from the back of the garage. Violations cited at the property have been an ongoing issue since May 2008 with several extensions granted to the property owners. Council members accepted a bid of $7,000 to raze the house and garage at that location if the necessary repairs were not made in the next 30 days.
Doerschlag also reported on a garage located at 223 E. First St. The garage leans and is in danger of damaging power pole guide wires should it collapse. Council members accepted a bid of $900 from Abe Prosser to raze the structure if necessary repairs are not made in 30 days.
Council members approved Resolution 01-2012 that sets a time and place for a hearing to determine if the house located at 264 W. Railroad Avenue is unsafe or dangerous. After a citation was issued in May of 2011, the roof of the structure has only gotten worse and no repairs have been made, Doerschlag said.
Also on Monday night's agenda was the discussion on...

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Board of Education meeting

By Tina Rose
USD 431 Board of Education met in regular session Monday evening and began the meeting with a video presentation on Smart Boards and how they are being used at the high school. The Promethean boards, 4x6 feet square computer touch screens that are located in the front of the classroom like a chalkboard, can be accessed by the teacher and students alike with the use of clickers. This allows for electronic interaction in a classroom setting. Hoisington High School has six classrooms with these boards in use.
USD 431 Superintendent Bill Lowry gave an update on legislative issues. He reminded everyone that the State of the State Address would take place Wednesday evening. Some of the issues he was concerned with included the Governor's plan to move education away from state funding and more towards local funding.
Other items of business:
A joint meeting with the Hoisington Recreation Commission will take place during the Feb. 6 board meeting.
Exemplary Awards presentation for students will be at 5:30 p.m., Jan. 21 during the Winter Jam at the Activity Center. Lowry invited all board members to be present and help with the presentation of the medals and certificates.
A request for use of the school bus was approved. It will be used to transport Special Olympic athletes to Buhler on Jan. 28. They will reimburse the district for fuel and driver cost.
The Booster Club will be serving a pulled pork dinner Saturday, Jan. 21 between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The board met in two executive sessions to discuss non-elected personnel and the protection of their rights. No action was taken after the sessions.
All board members were present. The next schedule USD 431 Board of Education meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., Feb. 6 at the district office.

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Updated 1/5/12

(Top left to right) Local union steward Bob Lowe, Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell, Hoisington Mayor Clayton Williamson and local union steward Gary Smith display the plaque that will be attached to the donation, during the presentation of the picnic table to the city. Seated at the table they donated, city workers that participated in the Wednesday afternoon presentation include (left row, front to back) Ray Byers, John Bradley, and Bob Lowe, (right row, front to back) Gary Smith, Tom Polzin, Barney Kruse, Cliff Strickland. (photo by Tina Rose)

City worker’s union donates table By Tina Rose Partnering with the City of Hoisington since 1942, IBEW Local 304 gave something back to the city that is one of its oldest contracts.

During an short presentation Wednesday, local union stewards, Gary D. Smith, Robert Lowe and other union members, along with IBEW's assistant business manager, Gene Sicard presented the City with a picnic table that will be utilized at PRIDE Park and the Friendship House. Accepting the presentation for the city was Mayor Clayton Williamson and City Manager Jonathan Mitchell.
“It is with great pleasure that the members of IBEW Local 304 dedicate this picnic table to the citizens of the City of Hoisington,” stated Sicard in a prepared statement. “Our partnership has been strong with this city since 1942 and we hope to continue for years to come.
“Union member's wages throughout the state of Kansas were selflessly shared to make this possible,” he continued. “The members of IBEW Local 304 from the City of Hoisington wanted to show their community that, together, we can continue to make Hoisington the best it can be.”
Funds from the Waste Tire Grant program were used to pay half of the cost of the table.
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Vehicle accident claims the life of Claflin woman

By Tina Rose
A Claflin woman died Dec. 28 from injuries sustained in an early morning accident. Emergency personnel responded at 3:30 a.m. to the scene of a two-vehicle accident that claimed the life of Rachael D. Stueder, 20, of Claflin.
Stueder was traveling northeast on Highway 156 near milepost 140 when the vehicle she was driving, a 2008 Pontiac PC, went left of center into oncoming traffic and struck the second of two trailers being pulled by a 2006 Volvo tractor trailer. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the tractor trailer, Robin L. Taylor, 51, of Wichita, reported to sheriff's officers that he noticed the car go left of center and he swerved to avoid a head on crash but due to pulling two trailers, the swing of the last trailer did not make it off the roadway, according to sheriff's reports.
A passenger in Stueder's vehicle, Sarah J. Hickel, 20, of Claflin, was transported to a nearby hospital. It was unknown if she was wearing her seat belt. The drivers of both vehicles were wearing their seat belts.
Stueder's obituary can be read on page two of this Hoisington Dispatch edition.

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City Council

By Tina Rose
On Tuesday, Dec. 27, the Hoisington City Council agreed to move forward in discussions with Rottinghouse, the largest Subway franchisee in the country to open a Subway franchise in Hoisington. The company, which already owns more than 350 locations including all the Subways in Kansas, submitted a proposal to utilize the city owned building located at 169 S. Main St.
In the proposal, Rottinghouse asked that the roof on the building be fixed and clear of all pigeons. The company also would like the city to consider creating a Community Improvement District (CID) at the location.
According the Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell, it would be four to eight months before the restaurant got started on renovations to the building.
The proposal stated that the restaurant would be open seven days a week from 7 a.m or 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. each day. However, Mitchell was unsure as to the number of employees the new business would be hiring.
Mitchell informed council members that two other potential businesses had expressed an interest in the location, including one “old-school diner”, he said. However, neither of them had submitted proposals as expected, he told the council.
Also discussed during the Dec. 27 meeting was ...

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City workers started modifications on water lines along Main Street in front of the future Kinscher's Mule Barn Wednesday afternoon. Water service to the business will be provided through the smaller building's water service lines because the larger building's service shut off valve was damaged and beyond repair. The repairs are expected to take no more than a few days. (photo by Tina Rose)

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Benefit concert planned for Kans for Kids

Kory Brunson Band

By Tina Rose
Kans for Kids Fighting Cancer is the planned beneficiary of a concert being put on by the Kory Brunson Band.
The band, led by Great Bend native Kory Brunson, will be performing at the Crest Theatre Saturday with all monies collected from the ticket sales going to benefit the Kans for Kids organization.
Brunson, who lived a short time during his childhood in Great Bend wanted to do a homecoming benefit concert. While researching local charities to help he discovered the Kans for Kids website.
Inspired by the cause, Brunson knew this was the organization the band would want to help.
"I've got two kids of my own, it's a no brainer," said Brunson. "The idea of how it began, kids collecting cans to get the money is really cool and something I want to be a part of."
The modern country rock band, as Brunson describes it, does several benefit concerts a year. They have had two chart landing hits; "We Know You Are Out There" and "Girls Night Out."
The Kans For Kids Fighting Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization that assists families in Barton County with children who have been diagnosed with cancer.
More information on the concert and the Kans For Kids Fighting Cancer Foundation can be found at www.kans4kidsfoundation.org.

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Updated 12/30/11

Other highlights throughout the year include...

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FOCUS needs wrecks for renovation

By Mike Gilmore
“Give us your T-Birds, your Plymouths, your Hudson chassis yearning to brake free ...”
If it sounds like a “push, pull or drag” sale, it's better than that.
Hoisington's FOCUS (Fostering Our Community's Unique Strengths) organization is collecting unwanted vehicles in any condition as donations that will benefit an upgrade to the community's PRIDE park.
“We were talking over different fundraising projects, and we thought that this would be uniquely successful,” said Kris Brinlee, pastor of the Hoisington First United Methodist Church and one of the original five members of the group. FOCUS, an outgrowth of civic-minded individuals who were inspired by the leadership programs offered by the Kansas Leadership Center of Wichita, has nearly doubled in membership since its decision to make the PRIDE Park its community development project earlier this year, Brinlee said.
The group has already conducted two fundraisers toward the estimated $84,000 needed to refurbish the park. The idea to focus on the park, Brinlee added, was aided by the city's recent relocation of the Friendship House to the old scout house on 419 E. Third St. in Hoisington. “The city went to a lot of work to renovate the Friendship House, and we thought having the park nearby would be ideal,” Brinlee said. “Right now, it (the park) looks like something out of the 1950s, and we wanted to make it better, more appealing to the community.”
Working from a drafted site plan, the group wishes to add new ...

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Extended hospital stay expected for Morgenstern

The scene of Friday’s accident. Martin Morgenstern’s 2005 Cadillac DeVille as emergency personnel survey the scene. (photo by Jacque Isern)

An extended hospital stay is expected for a 97 year old Great Bend man who sustained neck injuries in an automobile accident Dec. 23.
According to a Barton County Sheriff's report, emergency personnel responded to the scene of the accident at 3:05 p.m. in the 400 block of South Main Street. The elderly man, Martin Morgenstern, was southbound when a northbound vehicle crossed left of center and struck his 2005 Cadillac DeVille.
Following an investigation, officials reported that the driver of the northbound vehicle, Danton M. Riedl, 20, of Hoisington, had fallen asleep.
Morgenstern was extricated from his vehicle and transported by Hoisington Emergency Medical Services to Clara Barton Hospital.
Friends of the family reported Tuesday afternoon that Morgenstern had sustained a broken neck in the accident and was expected to have an extended hospital stay while he healed from his injuries.

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Updated 12/23/11

Christmas home decorating contest winners announced

Third place winner is Todd and Robin Linsner at 1101 N Main. (photo by TIna Rose)

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Otis woman dies two others injured in Monday accident

By Tina Rose
An Otis woman died Monday afternoon and two others were transported to the hospital as the result of a two-vehicle accident.
Sharon L. Royer, 52, of Otis, was pronounced dead at the scene after losing control of the vehicle she was driving at approximately 3:26 p.m. on Kansas Highway 4 near County Road 280 in Rush County, according to a Rush County Sheriff's report.
The vehicle Royer was driving, a 2003 Chevrolet 2500HD pickup truck, had slid sideways in the road into oncoming traffic when it was struck on the passenger side by an eastbound 1998 Dodge Ram 1500, driven by John Moravek, 51, of Hays. Royer's truck came to a rest on the driver's side facing southeast in the north ditch and the other truck came to a rest in the westbound lane facing north.
Moravek and a passenger in his vehicle, Aaron Moravek, 23, of Hays were both transported from the scene to nearby hospitals.
The elder Moravek was at first transported to Rush County Memorial Hospital and later transferred to Hays Medical Center. The younger Moravek was transported to Hays Medical Center.
According to the report, weather conditions were snowy with 30-40 mile per hour winds and roadways were icy and snow packed.
Funeral arrangements for Royer are in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home in Hoisington.

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Gift Card a surprise

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Golden Belt gets winter blanket for Christmas

Mary June Little, 160 W. Fourth, had a surprise Monday evening when a tree weakened from the storm fell on her house. (photo by Karen Van Brimmer)

By Mike Gilmore
The weather at the beginning of the week was frightful, but is expected to be delightful for the Christmas weekend as the Golden Belt received its white blanket for the holiday.
Varying reports of between 2-5 inches of snow accompanied the winter storm that blew through Kansas on Monday and Tuesday, closing the interstate and leaving local roads and highways snow-packed and icy.
Law enforcement was kept busy with multiple motorists sliding from the roadways, and icy conditions were a contributing factor in a fatality accident Monday afternoon in Rush County. While the icy conditions made stopping at intersections difficult in town, no accidents were reported in the City of Hoisington earlier in the week.
Wind gusts between 30-40 mph were responsible for some minor tree damage.
Thursday was expected to bring flurries with little accumulation, but Friday, Saturday and Sunday were expected to be sunny with temperatures approaching the low 40s.

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Updated 12/16/11

Hoisington council tours city emergency departments

The improvement district will have an extra half cent sales tax added to purchases. The district will include the store fronts at 157 and 161 S. Main Street that will house the Kindscher's Mule Barn, in effect from April 1, 2012 to April 1, 2022.
In other business, City Code Enforcement Officer Don Doerschlag reported on updates to the blighted property located at 569 West Third St. After declaring the structure a dangerous, unsafe or unfit for habitation at a previous meeting, the property owners were given until Dec. 7 to commence repairs and clean up on the property. Doerschlag reported that no repairs or clean up had been made and that the residents of the home had vacated the property. The governing body granted permission for Doerschlag to begin seeking bids to have the structure razed.
Council also passed Ordinance No. 1463, concerning animal control, as ...

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KBI to investigate cause of BC jail inmate’s death

By Mike Gilmore
GREAT BEND – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is handling the investigation regarding a Hoisington resident who died early Saturday morning while awaiting trial in Barton County Jail, while local officials are providing few details about the incident.
A short press release issued Monday by the Barton County Sheriff's Office acknowledged the death of Shawn Ney, 33, who was awaiting trial next month on charges of murder. attempted murder, and aggravated burglary. The release, as stated, reads: “At approximately 1:09 a.m. on 12/10/2011 Shawn Ney was reported as being unresponsive in the Barton County Jail. Great Bend Ambulance responded to the call and found no pulse. Barton County Coroner's office was notified and responded. Kansas Bureau of Investigation was called in for the investigation.”
BCSO officials were declining detailed comment this week, referring questions to the KBI. Ney's body had been reported as sent to Kansas City for autopsy.
Ney, who would have been 34 this week, was facing a jury trial for the alleged July 10, 2010 shooting of his estranged wife, Sara Ney, who survived, and his brother-in-law, Steven Calderwood, who died of his injuries on July 13, 2010. He ...

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Injured drivers released from hospital

By Mike Gilmore
The drivers injured in a two-vehicle motor accident in Larned Friday have since been treated and released from Wichita hospitals, the hospitals reported Monday.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Sharla Alana Durrett, 47, Great Bend, was injured in an accident occurring approximately 9:55 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, when the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee she was driving was rear-ended by the vehicle driven by David J. Dinning, 41, of Larned. According to the KHP report, Durrett was stopped at the intersection of US Highway 156 and Corse Ave., when her vehicle was truck by Dinning driving a 1991 Chevrolet Silverado pickup.
The report stated that Dinning was transported from the scene by Life Watch to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. Durrett was transported to Pawnee Valley Community Hospital in Larned and then transferred to St. Francis by Life Watch.
According to a hospital spokesperson, Dinning was being prepared to be released Monday afternoon. Durrett was also reported released and was at home on Monday.
A report of a hit-and-run vehicle accident in the vicinity of Larned Middle School also occurring Friday evening was being investigated by the Larned Police Department.

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Town responds with generosity to can collection

“Everyone was so gracious. Someone at one of the homes where we went said, 'You know, I have had to go there a time or two myself (the Food Bank)! I am so glad I can give something back.' Some people, having seen the notices in the papers and on the Wilson State Bank, already had their gifts sacked up and waiting by the front door. There was enough non-perishable foodstuff to fill the backs of two SUVs. “We are truly proud of our town! We want to thank you for your generosity,” marveled Smith.
If anyone has food that we were unable to collect, we would be more than happy to come by and pick it up! They can call us at 620-792-1667or 620-617-8535.

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Two injury accidents, two miles apart, two different days

By Tina Rose
A Great Bend woman was injured Sunday afternoon in a one-vehicle accident. According to Kansas Highway Patrol online crash log reports, at approximately 2 p.m. Patricia M. Halseth, was traveling northbound on U.S. 281, near the 109 mile marker, when she passed another vehicle moving in the same direction. Halseth returned to the northbound lane and lost control of the vehicle. The 2007 Chevrolet passenger car she was driving slid sideways and entered the west ditch, rolling one and a half times before it came to a stop.
The 41-year-old was transported by ambulance to Clara Barton Hospital and was later released. Reports state that she was wearing her seat belt at the time of the accident.
Then at approximately 8 a.m. Monday morning, Mathew Cooley of Hoisington was transported by ambulance to Great Bend Regional after the vehicle he was a passenger in rolled in the west ditch of U.S. 281 at about the 111 mile marker.
According to Barton County Sheriff reports, Calvin Hinz, Hoisington, and two passengers, Cooley and Art Herren of Hoisington, were traveling northbound when Hinz reportedly fell asleep while driving. The report states that he woke up as he struck a mailbox. He then overcorrected, crossing the highway and entering the west ditch. The 2002 Ford Explorer he was driving struck a culvert, causing it to roll once completely.
Hinz and Herren were uninjured and all three men were wearing their seat belts.

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Updated 12/9/11

Stoskopf receives Agriculture Award

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Hoisington BOE accepts Johnson’s resignation

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RECOGNIZED - Mayor Clayton Wiliamson is shown presenting a service award to Judge Don Alvord recognizing him for 25 years of service just prior to the commencement of municipal court on Dec. 1. Judge Alvord has been with the City of Hoisington since March 1, 1986.

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K-2 gets use of new iPads

By Tina Rose
Students at Roosevelt Elementary have been enjoying the added benefit of having access to the use of 30 new iPads and several teachers were at Monday night's school board meeting to update board members on the process of incorporating them into the curriculum.
Teachers, Becky Andereck, Rhonda Boxberger and Della Boxberger explained to board members that the iPads were being used by kindergarten through second grade students for Multi-Tier System of Support (MTSS) and other educational applications. The MTSS is a new initiative by the state to help students become more proficient in reading and math.
"It is a great addition to the curriculum," said USD No. 431 Superintendent Bill Lowry Wednesday afternoon.
In other business, Ben Brewer was appointed as the school district representative to the Hoisington Recreation Commission Board. Brewer had finished out the term of Kurt Kohler and reapplied for the position.
Lowry reported to board members that Stephen Little, board president, had been elected as President of Schools for Quality Education at the Kansas Association of School Boards convention on Dec. 3. He will serve a term of one year.
Following an executive session, board members accepted the resignation of Coach Tina Johnson. See the article titled "Hoisington's BOE accepts Johnson's resignation" for more information on Coach Johnson and her resignation.
All board members were present except Pat Kephart. The next Board of Education meeting will be Jan. 9, 2012.
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CiCoff the Jester provides positive entertainment

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Updated 12/6/11

HPD narcotics search yields drugs, possible kidnap victim

By Mike Gilmore An unidentified female reportedly being held against her will was found by Hoisington police department officers during the execution of a search warrant of a Hoisington residence. According to a release by the department, the female was also being forced to use drugs. A department investigating officer said the female had been held for the past 10 days. No further information regarding the victim was released by the department.

The release also stated that Hoisington Police were executing a narcotics search warrant in the 200 block of West Broadway Street at approximately 11:42 a.m. and discovered a quantity of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia along with the female victim.
Residents of the address, Jacob Parks, 31 and Abby Naugle, 27 were arrested and booked into Barton County Jail pending charges of possession of methamphetamine possession of drug paraphernalia and aggravated kidapping. Aggravated kidnapping, a Level 1 Person felony, carries a sentence, if convicted, of a maximum 653 months or 54 and one-half years, with the Kansas Department of Corrections.
A third suspect, Walter Andrulis, 18, was also arrested at the residence and booked on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The case is being forwarded to the Barton County Attorney's office.
Dispatch reporter Tina Rose also contributed to this report.
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No further details released in Great Bend murder case

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Sunday morning injury accident

By Tina Rose
Hoisington Police officers were called out Sunday morning to the scene of an accident at the intersection of North Vine Street and West Fifth Street.
According to police reports, Krystal Wohlcke, Hoisington, was traveling northbound through the intersection when the vehicle she was driving, a beige 2007 Chevrolet Impala, was struck on the front passenger side by a maroon 2007 Chevrolet Equinox driven by Maggie Miller, Claflin. Both vehicles were rendered disabled and came to rest at the northwest corner of the intersection.
When police officers arrived, smoke was emitting from one of the vehicles and Hoisington's Volunteer Fire Department personnel were dispatched to the scene.
"There was no fire," said Hoisington Police Officer Paul Lovett in a telephone conversation Tuesday afternoon. "Smoke was coming from one of the airbags."
Miller, whose SUV sustained damage to the front end of the vehicle was transported to Clara Barton Hospital by Hoisington Ambulance Service.
No citations were issued.
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Council reconsiders unsafe property

The property was utilized for years by the City of Hoisington as part of the sewage plant and now is used as the shooting range for the city police officers and storage.
City Council members asked Jonathan Mitchell, Hoisington city manager, to revise the proposed lease to state $100 a month with the term of the lease lasting one year with the option to buy. The proposed revisions will be sent to the property owners for approval.
Another item that was discussed earlier in the year and again Monday night was the . . .

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Updated 11/24/11

Like Baseball and Apple Pie …Iconic Chevy Dealership Tested and True to Hometown Heritage

Volt Voyage – Gene Manweiler cuts the ribbon during a ceremony held at Manweiler Chevrolet on Nov. 17 in Hoisington. Joining him are Manweiler staff members, along with Great Bend Chamber Ambassadors. Pictured in the photo is the 2012 Chevrolet Volt, the first of its kind with two sources of electricity. The Volt has a battery and an onboard gas generator that produces electricity, allowing an additional 375 miles to be driven on one tank of gas. It’s listed sales price is $41,430. In comparison 83 years ago when Manweiler first opened, the Imperial Landau sedan topped the 1928 Chevrolet National AB line. It sold brand new for $715. (courtesy photo)

By Mike Dawes
Special to the Dispatch
Chevrolet celebrated its 100-year anniversary last month, and there was Manweiler Chevrolet celebrating its anniversary right alongside. Impressively, the Hoisington car Chevy dealership is only 17 years the junior of the only car maker it has ever represented.
F.B. Slade launched the business in November 1928, three blocks away from its current location at 271 S. Main St. Today, Manweiler Chevrolet is a fourth-generation, family-owned business. Slade is the great grandfather of current owner Gene Manweiler, who has worked at the dealership the past 35 years. The family legacy is expected to continue for the dealership.
“I have a daughter (Brooke) who will be coming back here in a couple of years,” said Manweiler. “She and her husband want to raise their family in Hoisington rather than in a metropolitan area. She is the fifth generation and she’ll eventually fill my shoes.”
Slade moved the business from its original location at 167 W. 1st St. to 204 N. Main. He sold the business in 1937 to his two son-in-laws, August Manweiler and Wayne Maupin, and the name of the business changed to Manweiler-Maupin Chevrolet Co. The tandem built a new building and moved to the current location in 1942. August purchased the business outright in 1953 and the business took on its current name. His son, Larry, became the dealer operator in 1965 and Larry's son, Gene, took over that role in 1988.
“Business has grown the past two years,” said Manweiler. Today, it carries approximately 80 units of new and used vehicles. Along with its selection of Chevy models for sale, it also offers a full service automotive repair department and a full service body shop. It even handles paintless dent repair.
With 19 employees, Manweiler is the largest . . .

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Reinhardt honored as Exemplary MS Principal

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Hoisington volleyball coach placed on administrative leave

By Mike Gilmore
HOISINGTON – A Hoisington teacher and coach has been placed on “indefinite administrative leave” as part of an ongoing investigation by the school.
USD 431 Superintendent Bill Lowry confirmed Monday that Hoisington physical education instructor and high school girls’ volleyball head coach Tina Johnson had been placed on “indefinite administrative leave” on Friday as the district conducts its investigation.
Johnson was not at the school Monday, and attempts to contact her by telephone at her home in Hoisington were unsuccessful as of press time.
Lowry did not give details as to the nature of the investigation, telling a reporter at the Hoisington Dispatch the investigation was a matter of district personnel, and that he had no additional comment.
Johnson, a longtime teacher and girls’ volleyball coach at HHS, was honored this fall as the 19th winningest coach in state history by the Kansas Volleyball Coaches Association. The team reached a milestone in school history by finishing runner-up at the Class 3A Kansas State volleyball tournament in Salina in October, finishing with a 39-6 overall record.
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Updated 11/18/11

City Employees Recognized for 25 years of Service

By Tina Rose
Hoisington City Council members recognized two city employees for 25 years of service during Monday night's council meeting.
The first recognition of the evening was Delbert Wagner, who has been employed by the City since Nov. 12, 1986. Wagner was presented with a certificate of appreciation and a mantle clock in appreciation for his 25 years of service.
"He continues to provide excellent service to our community and takes a tremendous amount of pride in his efforts to keep Bicentennial Park looking great," stated Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell in a letter to council members.
Recognized next was Randy Miller, electric distribution superintendent, who started his employment April 7, 1986. Miller was presented with a certificate of appreciation and a money clip for his 25 years of service.
"He is a well respected and knowledgeable department head and I am proud to have him as a member of our management team," said Mitchell.
Among the items of business handled that evening was . . .

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Hoisington named E-Community; awarded $75,000 tax credit

NetWork Kansas announced Nov. 14 that the Hoisington was selected as a 2011 Entrepreneurship (E-) Community and has been awarded $75,000 in tax credits, enabling the E-Community area to raise $100,000 to be loaned to local businesses.
Hoisington joins a group of 29 other E-Communities in the partnership, now in its fifth year.
The partnership emphasizes development of community resources. During its first four years, more than $4.7 million statewide has been raised, toward more than $33 million of investment in rural businesses across Kansas.
The E-Community partnership is based on two principles: 1.) In order for rural and distressed communities to survive, they must grow from within by fostering local leadership; and 2.) Organizations involved in community development need to empower businesses with the assets they need to succeed, including education, expertise, and economic resources.
The greater Hoisington area assembled a collaborative local leadership team to apply for consideration during the 2011 E-Community Competitive Round. City of Hoisington Manager Jonathan Mitchell will serve as the point person for the group, which includes: Stacey Bressler, Bill Lowry, Brad Tajchman, Irv Mitchell, Jeff Zoller, Kathy Bahe, Gene Mooney, Gene Manweiler, Brian Wilborn, Karmi Green, Clelia McCrory, and Curt Colson. The leadership team will determine the strategy and vision for the E-Community.
A separate financial review board will. . . .

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Person of interest arrested in Great Bend murder case

By Mike Gilmore
GREAT BEND – A third search warrant executed in connection with the shooting death of a 25-year-old Damon L Galyardt, Great Bend, has resulted in the arrest of a “person of interest” by the Barton County Sheriff's Department Wednesday.
The arrestee, whose name had not been released as of press time Wednesday, is currently being held in Barton County Jail on unrelated charges.
Officials are investigating the death of Galyardt, whose body was found Saturday alongside a road southwest of Great Bend Saturday morning, as a homicide, according to a BCSO release on Monday.
The release stated that a body later identified as Galyardt had been found on Southwest 60 Road and 30 Ave., as reported to Barton County Communications 8:47 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 12.
Galyardt is believed to have been involved in a separate incident in Rice County earlier that same morning, from information obtained from both the Lyons Police Department and the KBI.
According to reports, a male believed to be Galyardt and an as-yet-unidentified female attempted to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at the corner of Main St. and Highway 14 in Lyons at approximately 4:05 a.m.
The report stated that the attendant on duty observed the couple as they reportedly pulled out “a stack” of $20 bills while attempting to make a purchase. Noticing that the bill received was counterfeit, the attendant then wrote down the vehicle's tag number as the couple left, and called in a report to the Lyons Police Department. Minutes later, the couple returned to buy something to drink. While the attendant stalled for time, a Lyons police officer arrived on the scene.
The female was approached by the officer after leaving the store, as the male, waiting in a pickup truck, fled on foot. The female then made her escape on. . .

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Medicare changes would affect critical access hospitals

By Mike Gilmore
Many rural Kansas hospital administrators are waiting with trepidation as a Congressional “super committee” considers $1.2 trillion in federal budget cuts that include several Medicare-related rule changes.
Among the proposals that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction must consider by Nov. 23 include a possible removal of the “critical access” designation that allows rural hospitals to be reimbursed at 101 percent of costs for Medicare patients. Loss of the designation would affect some 1,300 hospitals across the country – 83 in Kansas alone.
But while he shares the concern of many of his rural contemporaries in Kansas, Clara Barton Hospital President/CEO Curt Colson does not share the . . .

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A ribbon cutting was held at the Christian Outreach Ministry at 100 North Main Street.
Ron Whitt is shown cutting the ribbon along with Chamber Ambasadors.

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Updated 11/11/11

Veterans Day reflection: A letter home from the Pacific

6 August 1945
Uncensored
Dear Parents,
For the first time in almost two years I am able to write without the censor looking over my shoulder, and I feel that I may be able to write a better letter for it.
In so many ways a man broadens his intellect while in this service and particularly aboard a unit in combat, or in combat zones at least. For example, the censorship is a minute experience of a restricted press or written word as exists in many countries. People are not allowed either in public press or private correspondence to express the truth as they may see it. Our censorship wasn't that strict or well regulated, but it did become a yoke when any attempt to express the very personal was considered. Multiplying in any fold the discomforts I experienced from this I can grasp the mind of a people forever restricted in this manner. It is no folly to fight for such freedoms nor is it empty words to declare then (the freedom) priceless. Suppression of the truth, as I can now more clearly see it, is the greatest evil of the totalitarian governments that we have finally subdued. By this method they create their own following and poison the. . .

The U.S.S. Cepheus, as she floats on duty in the Pacific following WWII. The ship, manned chiefly by Coast Guard officers, ferried supplies and assistance to occupation forces in and near Japan during the final year of WWII and shortly afterward. (courtesy photo)

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New Members Inducted to National Honor Society

Pictured are new members: back row: Chris Jonas, Anthony Broeder, Kade Cook, Jacob Durrett, Cayton Janousek, Cody Richter, and Olivia Lowry. Front row: Mykela Riedl, Shannon Lacey, Matraca Ochs, Sydnie Bilbrey, and Taryn Radenberg.

On October 23 at 3 p.m. in the afternoon the Hoisington Chapter of the National Honor Society inducted twelve new members. Current NHS members, sponsor London Reif, and HHS principal Meg Wilson presided over the ceremony. New inductees heard current elected officers read the definitions and expectations of the four characteristics of NHS. Each new inductee lit a candle, signed the membership book, accepted their membership certificate, and gave a short speech. At the conclusion of the ceremony a reception was given for all NHS members and their families.
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United Way needed

Why do we need the Hoisington United Way when there is the United Way of Central Kansas? The United Way of Central Kansas does not and can not include all the agencies in Hoisington that are supported by our local United Way. There are 14 agencies that receive a check direct from the Hoisington United Way. The local agencies receiving funds are the Hoisington Food Bank, the Hoisington Historical Society, Kids Wrestling, Toys for Tots, the DARE program, and the Clara Barton Hospital Auxiliary.
Monies sent to the Salvation Army are returned to our community to help those in need. Monies sent to the Commission on Aging are returned by being spent to operate the trolley and setting up for the Friendship Meals. And monies sent to Elder Care are used to employ in-house caregivers for the elderly and infirm also here in Hoisington.
Monies sent to CASA are used to fund Court Appointed Special Advocates for children throughout a several county area. Monies sent to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are used to provide training and services to scout troops throughout our area. And funds sent to USO are used to serve our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and wherever they may be stationed.
The goal for 2011 is $18,000 with a deadline of December 1. Presently the fund is $3,200 short of its goal.
Please show your support for those agencies by sending your generous donation to Karen Van Brimmer, 552 W. 5th Street, Hoisington, KS 67544.
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Repairs are effected to a transformer by city crews following a power outage caused by two crossed primary electric lines Friday. Power was interrupted for approximately two hours Friday afternoon, and the fire department was called to the Hoisington Activity Center in the vicinity of the accident. (photo by Karen Van Brimmer)

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The Hoisington Chamber of Commerce held a Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Thursday, Nov. 3rd for The Body Shoppe Spa & Boutique after the Chamber Coffee. We welcome Owner Heather Bitter and her staff to the Hoisington Business Community. The Body Shoppe Spa & Boutique is a full service Day Spa & Boutique. (courrtesy photo)

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Updated 11/4/11

Hoisington Food Bank Preparing for Busy Season

By Tina Rose With Halloween now marked off on this year's calendar and Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, volunteers at the Hoisington Food Bank are gearing up for their busiest time of the year. Last Christmas season, the food bank assisted the Ministerial Alliance in providing food baskets to more than 65 families of Hoisington and northern Barton County. "We do expect an increase this year," said Jan Morgenstern, Hoisington Food Bank board member.

Begun 25 years ago by concerned citizens and members of local churches, the food bank serves those who need an added bit of assistance filling the kitchen cabinets during financial difficulties.
The rising cost of living, unemployment issues, lost jobs or being in-between jobs can create a difficult situation for people to provide even the basic necessities from time to time and they need that extra little boost to get back on their feet.
"A large portion (of the people they serve) just come in once or twice to be served," she said.
While the food bank used to see more elderly persons for assistance, Morgenstern stated that the number of families coming in has increased over the last couple of years.
Last month, the food bank provided assistance to 46 families in the area.
Operating completely on donations, the food bank has never turned anyone away.
"We did deplete our supplies after the tornado," said Morgenstern. As recommended by the Salvation Army, the food bank served everyone in the community that asked for assistance at the time. But the volunteers had the pantry completely stocked within a year's time and hasn't ran low since.
"People have always come through for us," she said. "We trust in God to provide."
"We do not receive anything from the Kansas Food Bank out of Wichita," she said. The food bank relies on the generosity of area residents and businesses. Each year several food drives are held by local organizations to assist in the mission. The Boy Scouts sponsor a door-to-door food drive each fall, the US Postal Service allows people to donate non-perishable food items by placing a bag near the mail box on a specified delivery day in May, and local schools collect items to be donated. Cash donations are received from organizations such as the Hoisington United Way.
This weekend, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be in Hoisington conducting a door-to-door drive. For more details on this drive, see the Food Drive story and page 12 of this issue.
Relying solely on donations, the Hoisington Food Bank received harsh news when it was announced earlier that they would not be receiving funds from FEMA for the 2012 year.
"It's gonna hit us next year," said Morgenstern. "We are hoping that people will continue to support us."
Persons interested in donating to the service or needing assistance more information can be received by calling the Hoisington Community Food Bank at 653- 2119.
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Don’t Take Blood For Granted

Blood is something most of us take for granted. We assume blood will be at the hospital when we need it. If it isn’t, the consequences can be devastating.
The American Red Cross relies on the generosity of volunteer blood donors to provide hospital patients across Kansas with potentially life-saving blood. Blood is a perishable product, with a shelf-life of only 42 days, so it must be constantly replenished.
Red Cross is still recovering from a difficult summer, where collections hit a 12-year low. In just a few weeks, our staff from the Central Plains Region will be in your area collecting blood donations. I hope you will choose to give us an hour of your time and a pint of your blood. Even better, start a new tradition and invite a friend to join you!
The Hoisington Community Blood Drive will be held Monday, Nov. 7th, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Hoisington Activity Center - 1200 Susank. Make an appointment for this drive by calling 1-800 RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or make an appointment online at redcrossblood.org.
If you aren’t able to give at this drive, please go to this website, click on the box labeled “Make a Blood Donation Appointment” at the top of the home page and then you’ll be taken to a screen where you may enter your zip code to find another drive near your home or work.
Can’t donate blood? Don’t feel bad. Only 40 percent of people in the United States are able to donate. But, did you know you can help in other ways? Red Cross relies on volunteers to organize, promote and work at our community blood drives. If you are interested in volunteering, please call me at 316-239-8807.
When you support the Red Cross with your generous gift of blood or by volunteering your time, you support your community, state and country.
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Rocket Winner! Congratulations to Toni Schneweis of Hoisington for winning $10 of ‘Easy Money’ for reading her name in the Rocket. (photo by Tina Rose)

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updated 10/28/11

LEADERSHIP LUNCHEON - Each nine weeks Hoisington Middle School faculty and staff choose students who have shown leadership throughout our school.  This can include being respectful to adults and students, improving in grades, being helpful in and out of the classroom and just showing leadership qualities.  To promote these qualities, students participate in a Leadership Luncheon.  The chosen students leave campus to eat with the principal, counselor, and a teacher. Pictured front row:  Katherine Warnken, Riley Brungardt, Maleigha Schmidt, Xavier Robinson, Nate Larkin.  Back row:  Mackenzie Wright, Joanna Lockwood, Ben Schneider, AJ Moshier, David Boese, Passion Martinez, Sean Urban, Justin Umphrey, Aurora Ingram, Kirk Reisner, Jack Williams. (Courtesy photo) 
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Demolition begins on St. John School

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New city councilman appointed for Ward 4

By Tina Rose
The Hoisington City Council on Monday appointed Brian Wilborn to fill the vacant Ward 4 position during a brief regular meeting.
The seat, formerly occupied by Don Gordon, had been vacant since City Manager Jonathan Mitchell received Gordon's written letter of resignation Aug. 30. Wilborn was appointed to fill the remainder of Gordon's term, which expires in April.
Four individuals had submitted letters of interest to fill the vacancy. City council members interviewed the candidates during Monday nights meeting before voting in favor of Wilborn.
Others interviewed that evening were Shannon Stephens and Gary Shook. Hoisington resident Ike Penry had submitted a letter of interest but later sent word to city officials that he was no longer interested and would not be at Monday night's meeting for the interviews.
Following the vote, council members encouraged all interested parties to keep in mind that the position was up for election in April and encouraged them to consider placing their names on the ballot.
Other business during the meeting included the passing of Resolution No. 14-2011, which determines that. . .

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Chamber News and Upcoming Events

The Hoisington Chamber of Commerce Promotion Committee presents the Annual Shop Hoisington Chimney Hop.
The annual promotion will begin October 28 in conjunction with Hoisington Main Streets “Ladies Night Out.” Shop Hoisington Chimney Hop registration forms can be picked up at the Hoisington Main Street Welcome Center on Friday, Oct. 28, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Forms can also be found at participating retail businesses.
Shop at the businesses listed on the registration form and have each of the ten 'shops' stamped by the business for the entry to be eligible. Mail or bring the completed entry to the Hoisington Chamber of Commerce, 123 N Main, Hoisington, KS 67544. Hoisington Chamber of Commerce gift certificates will be awarded. First prize, $100 in gift certificates, second prize, $75 in gift certificates and third prize, $50 in gift certificates. Drawing will take place on Thursday, Dec. 9. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age to enter.
In conjunction with Hoisington Main Street Inc., the Chamber has scheduled the Second Annual Christmas Gala for Nov. 15 beginning at 7 p.m. Local businesses are sponsoring and decorating Christmas wreaths and centerpieces that will be auctioned off during the gala. Proceeds from the auction will go to benefit the on-going Hoisington Christmas Lighting project and other enhancement projects. The public is encouraged to attend.
The Annual Christmas lighting is scheduled to take place Nov. 25. Santa will be arriving at 5:45 p.m. that evening to visit with children. Hot cocoa, home made cookies and an old fashioned hayrack ride will be available.
Available from the Chamber Office for the holiday season is commemorative Christmas ornaments. The ornaments feature the historical Hoisington High Shool and are trimmed in 22 Karat gold. They can be purchased at the Hoisington Chamber of Commerce or the Hoisington Library.
The Chamber reminds residents to shop local. Dollars spent in locally owned businesses have three times the impact in the community as dollars spent at national chains. When shopping local, individuals simultaneously create jobs, fund more city services through sales tax, invest in neighborhood improvement and promote community development.
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Updated 10/21/11

Trying to get Hoisington’s Pole Art back up

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Ladies Night Out Oct. 28

Nine weeks. That’s all we have until the holidays. To help you get ready for the season, Hoisington Main Street, Inc. is hosting the third annual Ladies Night Out October 28 in downtown Hoisington. The shops and booths will be open late for you from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Ladies Night Out is an opportunity for women in Hoisington and the surrounding area to get a feel for what Hoisington has to offer. Great gifts, decorations, accessories, clothing and makeup, and meal ideas can be found locally. Don’t cross Hoisington off your shopping list just yet – see what we have in store for you.
Downtown businesses will stay open late to show you their holiday products, offer special deals, provide refreshments and sign passports. A passport is your ticket into the drawing for door prizes. Pick up a passport from the HMSI Welcome Center and go to each participating business; they will stamp your passport. When you return to the Welcome Center, you’ll be entered into the drawing for door prizes! The Welcome Center is also hosting booths for local businesses without storefronts.
The evening will also be a chance for residents to check out the new full-service salon opening downtown – The Body Shoppe. The Body Shoppe will be holding part of their grand opening during Ladies Night Out. . . .

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Students in Mrs. Rhonda Boxberger's 2nd grade class enjoy STAR Bars for having the most parents attend the last Hoisington Elementary Parents Association Meeting.  The parents organization is rewarding an elementary class at each month's meeting.
Pictured left to right are Evan Foltz, Levi Shuey, Chase Maier, Matthew McMahon, Trevan Brown, and Brent Bachar. 

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New Restaurant Coming Soon

By Tina Rose
The old restaurant building that sits across from the Hoisington City offices will soon have a new purpose.
Mi Tierra, a mexican restaurant, will be opening in that location in the next two months.
The Hoisington location will be the fifth restaurant the chain has opened. The other restaurants are located in Parsons, Independence, Hutchinson and Lyons.
Hours for the Hoisington location have not been set at this time, but the other locations are open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. through the weekdays and 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on the weekend.
Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell stated, during a phone conversation Tuesday afternoon, that he recently had the opportunity to visit the Independence location and felt that the service, food and facilities were quite good.
The biggest portion of the menu will be traditional mexican style dishes but also available will be hamburgers and other American style foods, especially on the kids' menu.
Owners of the restaurant are still unsure as to rather they will serve alcohol at this location or not.

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Community Health Fair held

Clara Barton Hospital and Clinic held a Community Harvest of Wellness Health Fair Oct. 15 at the Activity Center in Hoisington. Free screenings were available along with exhibitors and hospital departments on hand to offer demonstrations and information. See more photos on page 7. (Photos by Karen Van Brimmer)

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Updated 10/14/11

Dangerous dwelling resolution to be drafted

A resolution regarding unsafe structures is being prepared by the Hoisington city council for this address at 567 W. Third Street in Hoisington. (photo by Tina Rose)

By Tina Rose
City Council members unanimously agreed at Monday's council meeting that the allegations voiced last meeting by Hoisington residents concerning dog complaints not being addressed, were not supported by facts. Mitchell informed council members that the City Dog Catcher, Becky Maresch had visited with the residents at the address and checked on the care of the dogs as well as condition of the yard. No violations were found. Several council members stated that they personally had driven passed the particular address in which the complaints were made on and seen no violations.
By consensus, the governing body agreed to leave the current number of animals allowed per household to remain at six dogs, six cats or any combination thereof totaling eight. An agreement was made to clean up the wording of the current ordinance, leaving the same number of animals allowed. It is the intent of the council to continue enforcing the current ordinance.
Also decided on that evening was to move forward with declaring the house located at 567 W. Third Street an unsafe and dangerous structure.
City Code Enforcer, Don Doerschlag reported to council members that since first contacting the home owner on May 6 of this year, very little had been done to fix the violations that were stated. Pictures displayed to council members during the meeting show structural deficiencies including roof damage, a partial collapsed front porch, no wood on the bottom of the front porch, siding with holes in it and a broken window on the east side.
"The only progress that has been made is one car in the back yard with no tags they had removed and very little trash off the front porch has been picked up. Nothing out of the back yard," said Doerschlag.
Attempts by city officials to help the residents apply for USDA funding to assist in repairs or building a new home as well as filling out an application for Cardinal Apartments were not accepted by the property owner.
A motion to draft a resolution declaring the home an unsafe and dangerous structure was approved unanimously. The resolution will give the homeowners 30 days to fix the violations or have the structure razed. It is expected to be passed at the next meeting.
The governing body also decided to . . .

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New Face at Clara Barton

Contacted about the open position at Clara Barton Clinic, Montoya said it was the position that she felt had the most to offer. Specifically the job and what she would be doing compared to the other jobs she interviewed for.
“Coming out of P.A. School, I wanted to do something, either family practice or E.R. or both,” she said. “I interviewed for other positions, like orthopedic surgery. Not what I wanted to do.”
Montoya likes to stay active and even though she doesn't have a lot of free time, she still finds time to run and workout.
“I like to travel and play guitar,” she said. “I taught myself that (to play guitar) during P.A. school.”
Being a KSU Alumni, she still returns to the Manhattan area to watch the football games, spend time with her friends and long time boyfriend.
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School Board agrees on Safe Routes to School Grant

By Tina Rose During the October 3 USD No. 431 School Board meeting, board members agreed to pay for half of the Safe Routes to School Grant engineering fee. The City of Hoisington will be paying for half as well. The total expense for the engineer will be $25,000. Next on the agenda was a report given by USD No. 431 Superintendent Bill Lowry. He informed board members of his plan to update one of the district’s transportation vehicles.

Board members agreed to trade in the district’s 2001 Chevrolet Suburban with an additional $9,900 payment for a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban. Authorization was also given to Lowry to solicit bids to replace Bus No. 12.
Also approved during the meeting was the addition of Brad Tajchman and Joan Schmidt to the USD No. 431 Education Foundation board of trustees.
Lowry reported that the board training session with Kansas Association of School Board (KASB) was set for Monday, October 17. He also reported that board members, Steven Little, Don Fisher and himself would be attending the KASB Summit meeting Wednesday at Dodge City.
Other meetings and trainings scheduled for attendance by board members include the School Finance Meeting in Topeka. Lowry and board member Deb Stephen will be attending.
He also reported that the KASB Convention is set for December 2 thru 4 at Overland Park. Board members were advised to inform the . . .

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Putting PRIDE back in Pride Park

By Kris Brinlee
Pride Park on the east side of Hoisington is in dire need of a makeover. People have shared with me that the park has been pretty much what it looks like now for decades. Over the past few years the old scout house has developed into the Friendship Meals house – where five days a week a good meal is cooked and available at noon for the elderly of our community. The building and the parking lot have been improved. Now it’s time to tackle improving the rest of the park.
On Sunday, October 23 between 11 am. & 2 pm
there will be a Pig Roast Dinner served at Pride Park at the Friendship Meals house. Picnic tables will be set up for seating but we will also have seating inside the FM house. Free will donations for the meal will be used to makeover Pride Park into a modern, visitor friendly park.
The City Council of Hoisington was presented the idea for the Pride Park makeover at their last meeting. The Council accepted the project with open arms and has asked Jonathan Mitchell the city manager to work with this group on the project. Funds for the Pride Park makeover will be raised through donations from Hoisington citizens and grant moneys from whatever organizations are willing to help.
Improving the community is the goal of the Hoisington Leadership and Faith committee who is spear heading this project. It is a group of concerned citizen that started out in the Hoisington United Methodist Church but anyone interested in community improvements is invited to join the group. The Pride Park makeover project will take some time and hard work to collect the approximately 80 to 100 thousand dollars for the renovation and we need everyone’s help to make it possible. Then plans are to look around and tackle other projects that will make our town a great place to live.
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Updated 10/7/11

Fall Fun Fest benefits local foundation

Of course the most popular events continued to be the draft horse drawn wagon rides, the pony cart rides and Casey the Clown.
"We try to add at least some new games every year, to keep it fun for the kids," she said.
The event started six years ago on Kylee Kasselman's eighth birthday and has grown to include more than 50 volunteers.
"It has really has become the whole community doing it," she said.  "That is what makes it more fun every year." 
Plans are already being discussed for next year's event.
See related story from Kans For Kids Fighting Cancer Foundation on page 4.

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HMS participates in Anti-Bullying Week

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Postal Services Changes

By Tina Rose
In an effort to curb expenses, the U. S. Postal Service (USPS) on Sept. 17 consolidated some of their operations resulting in a closure of the postmarking operation for outgoing mail in Hutchinson, the distribution center that processed the outgoing mail for the Hoisington area,
Outgoing mail from Hoisington now goes through the Wichita center which resulted in a service standard change that went into effect in conjunction with the consolidation.
All mail sent from zip codes that start with 675 will only see minor changes according to a USPS spokesman. One of the changes affects first class mail being mailed to the Colby or Hays areas. These two areas will not receive mail overnight from the 675 areas any longer. First class mail going to this area will now take two days to reach its destination.
However, mail from the 675 zip code areas will only take one day to reach the Topeka and Independence area.
“There was no change in service standards for 99 percent of the mail,” said USPS spokesman, Brian Sperry.
When asked if there were a higher than usual number of complaints about mail taking longer to reach its destination than it previously did, Hoisington Postmaster, Rebecca Espinosa explained that an adjustment period would be seen as everyone learns the new process.
“Here locally I haven't had a lot (of complaints). I have had just a few,” she said.
“It's a major transportation switch and overhaul of how everything is handled,” she said. “Wichita is taking on a lot of other offices that it didn't have before. I think once they get their routine down of what's coming in and how to sort it and where it needs to go any problems will just kind of work itself out.”

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ATV Rodeo - Justin Ludwig as he jumps the last ramp in the obstacle course during Hoisington's Second Annual ATV Rodeo that took place Saturday. The event offered many opportunities for participants to compete in including an obstacle course, barrel races, polls and capture the flag. Winning competitors in the children's division received trophies as well as ice cream treats. The adult category winners received cash prizes. Proceeds from the gate went to Kans for Kids and proceeds from the concession sales went to Hoisington Main Street Inc. (photo by TIna Rose)

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“It’s Go Time” wristbands offer support to Noah

Rubber wristbands are all the rage right now with almost every cause imaginable having their own color and saying to catch your attention. There’s one all around Hoisington High School right now that has caught fire and is definitely attracting the attention of the entire student body. The band reads, BACK THE BEAR...NOAH SAYS, “IT”S GO TIME!” and is green with orange letters. The Noah is Noah Woodcock, son of Tim and Amy Woodcock. The reason these colorful wristbands are popping up everywhere is in support of Noah. Noah is having back surgery on November 21st to insert growth rods to help straighten out his spine. He suffers from cerebral palsy due to a genetic condition called X-linked hydrocephalus.

This condition, which has affected his entire body since birth, has also led to severe scoliosis of his spine. The curvature has gotten to the point where major organs could start to be affected, so surgery became a necessity.
That is where the Hoisington High School FCCLA came in. Karla Reisner, head of the high school’s FCCLA chapter, approached the Woodcocks about doing a fundraiser to help defray some of the cost of the surgery. The first project involved selling Kool-Aid to students.
While this was going on, some of the students thought it would be cool to make a wristband for Noah to get the word out.
“I approached Tim and Amy about taking the project to the next level and together we came up with a design that we thought Noah would like,” Reisner said. The “BEAR” goes back to Noah’s younger days when everyone called him “Noah Bear.” The saying “IT”S GO TIME!” is one of Noah’s favorite sayings as he takes on each new opportunity in his life.
The wristbands are in and have been selling well with over 100 already purchased by high school students and faculty. “We plan to have them available for Friday night’s game as well,” Reisner added.
The Woodcocks are so grateful for all the support. “It’s the first time anyone has done anything like this before,” said Amy. “It’s a great feeling to know that so many people care about Noah and our family.”

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Updated 9/30/11

Vandals cause extensive damage at the old Methodist Church cemetery

REST IN PEACE. Vandals did extensive damage to the old Methodist cemetery northeast of Hoisington this past weekend. Church members said at least 34 tombstones were knocked over. Some were broken and may be beyond repair.

The broken stone of Leah Wahley. The little girl was born in 1902 and died in 1905. She laid in rest for 106 years until last weekend. She died three days after Christmas.

Church members reported that at least 34 tomb stones were knocked over. Some were broken and may be beyond repair. While the damage was only reported Saturday evening, neighbors say the stones have been knocked down since the Thursday before Labor Day.
Vandalism is not a stranger at the little plot as several stones were tipped about five years ago. Also, a farm hand was using the cemetery as a short cut in getting a combine to the adjoining field. In the early 1950’s vandals struck and at least one of the stones ended up in the front yard of the high school principal.
History of the cemetery is sketchy, but it was first plotted as the Wilson Cemetery. Apparently through the years ownership of the actual land changed and it came into the possession of Abraham Boger. He later turned the care over to his son Marcus who deeded the land to the church, according to Lloyd Boger of Great Bend.
The apparent first recorded burial was that of James Cummins. He was buried May 31, 1879. Other burials include an 11 year-old boy, “accidently killed by a playmate” in 1884 and of a 10 year-old boy, “dragged to death by his colt” in 1889.
Wednesday evening volunteers from Superior Essex, Hoisington United Methodist Church members, aided with a crew and boom truck donated by Bell Memorials of Great Bend and Beloit along with First United Methodist church members met to start the clean-up and repair.
Jim Bell, owner of Bell Memorial estimated that the repairs needed and work done to the stones would cost between $10,000 and $20,000.

John Yanda, Mike Klepper, and Brent Curtiss volunteered some of their time to help resetting a tombstone Wednesday afternoon. (photo by Karen Van Brimmer)

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Cardinal Royal Court

Left to right: Crownbearer Alek Brack, King Brannon Donovan, Queen Mallory Flagor, Crownbearer Ashlynn Steinert. (courtesy photo)

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Council considers dog ordinance

By Tina Rose
"We have a dog problem that is loose in this town," said Hoisington resident Barbara Polzin in her opening comments to the Hoisington City Council members during Monday night's meeting.
Quoting Ordinance No. 1434 section 2-123A, that was adopted Nov. 23, 2009: No person or household shall own or harbor more than six dogs of six months of age or older, or more than one litter of pups or more than six cats more than six months of age or more than one litter of kittens or more than the total of eight dogs or cats older than six months of age in any combination, or engaged in a commercial business of breeding, buying, selling, trading, training, boarding cats or dogs or both cats and dogs without having obtained a kennel license from the city clerk, Polzin and the half dozen neighbors that accompanied her to the meeting feel that this ordinance is not being enforced and is in need of a change.
Claiming that a nearby neighbor has kept as . . .

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Vacant Council Seat/Volunteer Group discussed

By Tina Rose
What does a city council do when one of its members resigns? That is what Hoisington City Council was asking themselves Monday night during the regularly scheduled meeting. What are the options available to fill Ward No. 4's vacant council seat? The vacancy was created by the recent resignation of Don Gordon. The term ends in April.
Council members agreed that the best course of action was to allow community members to submit letters of interest for the position. Letters of interest will be accepted through October 6. Interested parties must be registered with the County Clerk in that ward.
In other business handled during the meeting, council members unanimously passed Resolution No. 12-2011, deeming 171 S. Main Street, commonly known as "The Office", to be a dangerous, unsafe or unfit structure due to roofing that is pealed off, mortar that is missing on the western facade of the building and also a nuisance violation because of pigeons. The property owners were not present.
Resolution No. 13-2011 was also passed unanimously by the governing body. The resolution sets a hearing to determine if the garage located at 223 East First Street is a dangerous, unsafe or unfit structure. City Code Enforcement Officer Don Doerschlag told council members that he had made several unsuccessful attempts to speak with the property owners face to face but was unable to find anyone home. He is concerned about the leaning structure falling and damaging nearby power pole guide wires.
Other items of business passed was the Kindscher Community Improvement District project. This project will raise the tax on retail items sold in that area to 8.3%. The district only includes the future Kindscher Mule Barn that is expected to open in March 2012.
Also decided upon during the meeting was spending $6,000 to $8,000 in repairs needed to the 1986 pump truck utilized by the Hoisington Volunteer Fire Department; spending up to $20,000 to purchase a 1999 International dump truck; seeking bids contracting Devine Masonry at the expense of $12,250 to complete repairs and additions at 161 S. Main. Also, hiring consultant RMA Engineering for the Safe Routes To School project, the city will partner with USD No. 431 and split the $250,000 expense.
Additional repairs and improvements to the water treatment plant approved include; $10,952.13 in electrical work on well houses No. 4 and 6, also replacing the pump starter on well No. 6; $2,300 on jar testing equipment, and seeking bids for a new PLC System.
Also discussed was the City's approval for a volunteer group led by Kris Brinlee, Hoisington resident, to begin raising funds to start improvements at Pride Park. The group plans to raise funds to construct new equipment at the park including new play ground equipment, picnic shelters and a barbecue grill. The total cost of the improvements were estimated at $80,000.
In closing, Mayor Clayton Williamson appointed Barbara Nuss to the Library Board of Directors. Nuss will replace Ann Axman who resigned after beginning a full time job.
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Updated 9/23/11

Witt to retire after 21 years in Hoisington

Dan Witt, M.D. (right) stands with Edmond Habash, P.A. (left)  Habash will continue to work Mondays and Wednesdays at the Central Kansas Urology office in Hoisington following Dr. Witt’s retirement Nov. 1. (courtesy photo)

By Tina Rose
Dan Witt, D.O., retired. That is what he will be, come Nov. 1.
After serving the Hoisington area for 21 years, the urologist is hanging up his stethescope and looking forward to spending more time taking his wildlife and scenes of nature pictures, hunting, fishing and enjoying life in general.
“I don’t have any real big agenda,” he said. “I’ll spend a lot of my time doing the photography for The Wetlands Education Center and The Friends of Cheyenne Bottoms, the organizations that I admire.”
Drawn to Hoisington in 1990 after working in Kansas City for 17 years, Witt commented that Cheyenne Bottoms, one of his favorite places to photogragh wildlife, played a large part in his decision to locate here.
“Cheyenne Bottoms
makes this the best place in the world, in my opinion,” he said.
So, why did he stay here for 21 years?
“The quality of the people at that hospital,” he said.
“The anesthesiologist, the recovery room and holding area nurses, the surgery nurses, the scrub techs, the floor nurses - the people at that hospital were so absolutely tremendous,” he said.
“Everybody did everything together that they could to make it the very best for every patient. It made it fun to do.”
Born and raised in Groom, Texas., Witt grew up in a small town where his father practiced medicine.
“I admired my old man,” he said.
“I had the smartest, best father that anybody could have,” he said. “I knew when I was five years old I would be a doctor. I didn’t know what kind, but I knew I would do that.”
That is just what he has done. Dedicating a total of 38 years to practicing medicine, with the last 21 serving the Hoisington community.
He styles himself “adequate or more than adequate” as a physician.
And what made him so special to the people of this area?
“I tried my dead-level best to. . . .

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Fall Homecoming candidates for Friday’s game vs. Ulysses include, front row: Morgan Ward, Mallory Flagor, Belle Brickley, Stephanie Stephens, Becca Harmon. Back row: Dylan Bell, Brannon Donovan, Derrick Kaiser, Luke Rios, Matt Stacey. (courtesy photo)
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From left, Brad Tajchman, First Kansas Bank Executive Vice-president, Gene Manweiler, HMSI President and Traci Schneider, board member, display the $25,000 grant check received from FHLBank of Topeka through its Joint Opportunities for Building Success program. First Kansas helped secure the grant for HMSI from the JOBS program. The grant will be used by the Hoisington Main Street’s Revolving Loan Fund to enhance job creation and preservation by stimulating private investment in Hoisington’s Main Street District. The Topeka bank serves more than 870 member financial institutions in four states, including Kansas. (courtesy photo)
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Quade named CEO of Smoky Hills Television

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Cowboys relax, unwind at nearby Camps

By Mike Gilmore
RICE COUNTY – The mood was relaxed, tranquil, as the hands gathered around under the pole tent to fill their plates after a day’s work.
A short distance away, the object of their daily focus gathered around a steel water tank for a short drink and rest.
A mixture of the old and the new – modern pickups and trailers parked next to wooden covered and open work wagons, setting up camp for the final leg, some 50 miles from their northern destination after three weeks on the trail.
Mike Clover, trail boss, sat in the shade of the modern work trailer that accompanied himself, his drovers and some 400 head of Texas Longhorn cattle up the historic Ellsworth-Cox Cattle Trail in re-enactment of the drive made while the state of Kansas was still a teenager.
Between mouthfuls of barbecued beef and roasted corn – the Sunday evening fare – he recounted the trip and the proceedings of the past three days, as the 2011 Great American Cattle Drive passed through Ellinwood on the way from the Kansas-Oklahoma border to Ellsworth.
Over the weekend, the drive stopped at four “cow camps” near Ellinwood, beginning with a stopover in northern Stafford County and ending with the campsite just inside the Rice County line.
“This is the downhill run,” said Clover, as the drive moves north through Rice County across Cow Creek, Plum Creek and the Ox Hide and the Smoky Hill River during the next five days. “Fifty miles more to go.”
Residents of nearby Ellinwood mixed with a . . . .

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Updated 9/20/11

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Hoisington Council discusses electric rates

By Tina Rose
Following nearly a record number of 100-plus degree days, city council members once again are fielding questions concerning the cost of the rolling average on electric bills for Hoisington customers.
The issue was brought to Monday’s regular meeting of the Hoisington City Council.
“There has got to be other alternatives to this rate you are paying (to Mid Kansas),” said Hoisington resident Chris Price, during public comment at the meeting.
The governing body unanimously agreed that all that could be done to keep the utility expense as low as possible was being done.
“When we signed this contract in 2008, I believe this was the best option at the time,” said Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell.
The contract with Mid Kansas was signed September 2008, and gave the city a long term power supply. The city was coming off of a 20 year deal with Aquila and was buying power at a very low rate as a result of the length of time the contract covered.
“That’s a rate we will never see again,” said Mitchell.
“As far as I know from other contracts that are out there, ours is not far off from them,” he said.
“And with the other environmental reforms coming down through EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) I don’t see those rates getting any cheaper. It’s not a popular answer, but that is what I feel like is the accurate answer.”
When questioned about using the Hoisington Power Plant full time instead of purchasing power elsewhere, Mitchell explained. “The rolling average is what we pay for power, it varies from six to seven cents as a pretty fair range. For us to generate our own power, it is at least 50 percent higher than that.”
He explained that the benefit of having the power plant was that if Hoisington has a shortage of power or if the power goes out, the city can bring the plant back online. If Mid Kansas needs more base load, they call Hoisington to generate, for which the city receives a credit for that is passed on to the customers.
“It is approximately . . .

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Hoisington receives SRTS grant

By Mike Gilmore
Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell announced Wednesday that he had received notification from Becky Pepper, Kansas Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the Kansas Department of Transportation, that the city’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) application has been approved for the maximum funding amount.
Pending federal funding availability, the project in Hoisington has received $250,000.
An agreement between KDOT and the city is being drafted for local signature.

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Lucky’s Re-opens

By Tina Rose
Following what was believed to be a permanent closure in March, Lucky's Convenience Shop, located at the northeast corner of the intersection at Main Street and Third Street, officially re-opened their doors for business on Sept. 1.
Citing high utility bills and pending changes at the corporate level, manager, Tracy Bates, stated that the closure came as surprise even to her.
While all operations are not up and going at this time, Bates stated that gasoline and other items usually carried at the store will soon be available.
One thing that will not be returning will be the lunch menus. Previously, the store offered lunch specials but has no plans to offer them.
“We will be offering breakfast,” she said. “I can sell biscuits and gravy all day long here,” she said.
The shop, being run by Bates, will be hiring as many as four part-time employees in the next few weeks.
“I come in and open the stores up, get it running, train the employees and then move on,” she said.
At this time, the location is open during the hours of 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday thru Friday, with plans to extend the days and hours as business allows.

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Clara Barton Foundation hosted a Pink Glove Dance, for breast cancer awareness Thursday, Sept. 8. Hospital employees and community members alike participated in the event, wearing pink hospital gloves and forming a human Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon. (photo by Tina Rose)

Clara Barton Wellness Fair Oct. 15

As fall approaches, so is the Community Harvest of Wellness Fair.
Clara Barton Hospital and Clinics, along with community partners and sponsors, will offer this event scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 15 as a way to provide health and wellness information, raise awareness of health care resources available locally and to offer free health and blood screenings.
Community Harvest of Wellness Fair runs from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Hoisington Activity Center, 1200 Susank Road. Low cost blood draws will be offered from 6:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. All screenings and exhibit information is free and will be offered from 7:00 a.m to 11:00 a.m.
Three healthy education seminars will be presented by local doctors. 
Dr. Robin Durrett will present on breast cancer at 8 a.m., Dr. John Fan on osteoporosis and vitamin deficiency at 9 a.m. and Dr. Joshua Durham on Lending a Healthy Hand at 10 a.m. Also staff from Hoisington Activity Center will offer free aerobic exercise demonstrations in the exercise room every half-hour and weight equipment demonstrations in the wellness room on the hour during the fair. A Taekwondo demonstration will also be available on the gym floor. .

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Search warrant leads to arrest

One suspect arrested and charges are pending on a second following an executed search warrant on Sept. 6, according to the Hoisington Police Department.
Police officers searched a residence in the 600 block of E. Third. During the search, police officers found methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Two shotguns were also located during the search.
Larry Garman, 62, was arrested and booked into Barton County Jail for possession of meth, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, no tax stamp and felon in possession of a firearm. Bond was set at $25,000.
The Barton County Attorney’s office has received the case for prosecution and charges.

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Updated 8/12/11

Semi overturns Friday morning

A semi loaded with hay overturned Friday morning on South bound Hwy 281/Hwy 4 coming around the curve into Hoisington. Photos by Susan Shank

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HCDC finds prospect for Duckwall’s building

By Mike Gilmore
An announcement by the Hoisington Community Development Corporation of a prospective business to fill the vacant Duckwall’s building ended a busy regular meeting of the Hoisington City Council on Monday.
After three scheduled public hearings and a progress report on unsafe structures in the community on the council’s agenda, the HCDC delivered its good news.
Hoisington Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stacey Bressler, as secretary of the HCDC, introduced President Leon Steiner, Brad Teichman and herself, noting that the organization has been diligently working to fill the business space at 157 S. Main St. since the Duckwall’s main office announced it was closing the Hoisington store along with 43 others in Kansas in late November, 2010.
“Since then, we have met and visited with several prospects to fill the Duckwall’s building, and we have come across one that has really stood out,” Bressler said, noting that the HCDC has been working with the Chamber, Hoisington Main Street and the City of Hoisington on the project. “We have been working with this prospect since March of this year.”
Steiner said the HCDC, as leaseholder for the building, secured a signature last week, after touring the community with the prospect last April.
The prospect, which was unnamed due to continued final negotiations, is to begin moving in after a Nov. 1 acquisition date, with an opening date of March 1, 2012, Steiner said.
Steiner said that the prospect had been in business at its present location for seven years, generating about. . . .

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City crews were busy Wednesday morning cleaning up after the storm that brought strong winds, rain and some hail to central Kansas late Tuesday evening. While storm spotters were kept watchful, no funnel clouds reached the Hoisington area, although tornado activity was reported in Rush County near Timken. (photo by Susan Shank

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Stosses don’t clown around with Labor Day

Ed and Darlene Stoss pose with this year’s load of bicycles they tool to the prison in Ellsworth. After they are refurbished the completed rides come back to Hoisington to be given away by Santa Clause in the annual Labor Day celebration. (photo by Karen Van Brimmer)

By Tina Rose
Ed and Darlene Stoss aren’t clowning around when it comes to the Labor Day Clown Committee.
Not when it comes to getting all the donations and toys that the clowns will be handing out during the annual Labor Day Parade.
For more than three years they have collected bicycles that are in need of repairs. Once a year, they take these bicycles to the Ellsworth Prison to be refurbished by the prisoners in their bicycle repair shop. The prison then donates the bicycles to charitable organizations to give away following disasters.
But the couple doesn’t walk away empty-handed.
This year after hauling more than 80 complete bicycles and lots of l bicycle parts to the prison, they brought back 10 repaired bicycles with them. Those bicycles will be given away by Santa Claus during this year’s Labor Day parade. Santa will chose 10 lucky recipients at random as he makes his way through the parade route.
So for some unsuspecting children, Christmas will come in September this year.
The clown committee not only is dealing the bicycles to Santa, but pallets of toys as well.
The funds are collected through fundraisers.
“The Wildlife and Parks has donated 450 coloring books,” said Darlene. “We have stuffed toys and games.”
The committee was expecting a shipment of toys as the newspaper went to press Wednesday afternoon.
“We are supposed to get three pallets, that is 60 boxes of toys today,” said Darlene.
The Clown Committee holds two annual fundraisers to raise funds for the giveaways. In November it has its annual Hobo Dinner and then in March a steak dinner.
For more information on donating a bicycle to the cause or volunteering for the clown committee call Darlene at 653- 7667.
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B&B Metal finishes Farmer’s Memorial

The nearly completed metal art pieces that will be the focal point of the Farmers’ Memorial located at 10th Street and K-96 in Great Bend. The art piece was designed and created by Bruce and Brent Bitter of B&B Metal Arts of Hoisington. (photo by Karen Van Brimmer)

By Tina Rose
B&B Metal Arts has completed work on the Farmers’ Memorial art piece, a metal artwork of a farmer plowing with a team of draft horses.
The larger-than-life piece will be displayed at the intersection of 10th St. and K-96 in Great Bend.
The Farmers’ Memorial, a vision of Ray Shultz, who wanted to honor farmers and their families should be completed the last week of August or first week in September.
“Our (early) reputation wasn’t as a wild shoot-’em-up county, we were a farming county and Ray wanted to honor that,” said Bob Parish, chairman of the committee in charge of the project.
“It is to honor the area farmers, not just Great Bend farmers,” said Parish.
The extremely hot temperatures have slowed the project down and as soon as temperatures begin to cool down, the final stages of constructing the site will resume.
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Scammers targeting Kans for Kids

By Tina Rose
Scam artists are out in force, as reported by a local benefit foundation.
The latest scheme that has hit Barton County is a man posing as a representative from Kans for Kids Fighting Cancer Foundation seeking “donations,.” reports the foundation’s executive director, Debbie Reif.
Reif said she had heard from two individuals who received calls recently from the fake solicitor.
“We got a call from a woman in Great Bend that has received multiple calls over the last couple of weeks,” said Reif.
According to Reif, the caller, identifying himself as a representative of the foundation, asked for donations. The unidentified . . .

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Updated 8/5/11

July goes down as state’s fifth hottest

The Hoisington City Pool was a popular respite during the month of July, as city officials reported record attendance numbers to go with the recurd temperatures during the month. Of course, the water still remains as a source of refreshment, even though the temperatures are dipping to a “chilly” mid-90s this week. (photo by Mike Gilmore)

By Mike Gilmore
The month of July, ironically, was “hotter than a firecracker” in Kansas, and while area temperatures appear to be dropping through the first week of August, the heat and lack of moisture in the past 31 days has taken its toll.
According to statistics from national and state weather data sources, the month of July has gone into the books as the fifth hottest on record, with an average statewide temperature of 84.7 degrees, combining both the daily highs and lows.
“That’s 5.8 degrees higher than usual,” said Mary Knapp, who serves as the state’s climatologist at the Kansas Weather Data Library based at Kansas State University. “July rainfall across the state averaged 1.84 inches, which was just 55 percent of normal.”
Locally, Hoisington recorded just five days in which the high temperature did not pass the century mark. That includes a streak between July 14-28, of 100-plus readings, with 109 degrees on July 15 surpassed at . . . .

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Hoisington man dies in accident

A Hoisington man died Wednesday of injuries sustained in a two-vehicle collision that occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. four miles south of Hoisington on Highway 281 near the Barton Hills turn-off.
According to the Barton County Sheriff’s Office report, Tyler J. Wilson, 19, was driving northbound in a 1993 Acura Integra, when the vehicle went left of center and collided with the southbound 2010 Ford F250 pickup driven by Roger D. Friedly, 63, of Hoisington.
Wilson was transported to Clara Barton Hospital by ambulance and was pronounced dead due to injuries received in the accident. Friedly was transported to Great Bend Regional Hospital with minor injuries, was treated and released, the report said. The accident is under investigation by the BCSO.
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USD 431 BOE approves budget; handbooks

By Mike Gilmore
The Hoisington USD 431 Board of Education at its regular meeting Monday approved the proposed 2011-12 budget as well as approved handbooks and other items in preparation for the upcoming start of school.
Superintendent Bill Lowry, in his report to the board, noted that enrollment begins Aug. 9 at the Hoisington Activity Center.
He also invited the board to attend the Chamber of Commerce Staff Breakfast Aug. 22 at 7:30 a.m. at the Activity Center. The board also will be sponsoring a Board/Staff picnic Aug. 22, at the Activity Center at 6:30 p.m.
The budget, as published and approved, is set at 58.066 mills, a decrease from 58.100 last year.
The board approved K&K Insurance group as the carrier for student accident insurance at a cost of $6,858.
The board also approved the Center for Counseling contract for the year at $29,160. The board tabled action on a property insurance bid to receive more information for consideration at the next meeting.
The bus driver, substitute teacher, classified staff and certified staff handbooks for the school year were approved.
Lowry reviewed the KASB policy recommendations with the board as first reading, with approval set at the next meeting Sept. 6.
Out-of-district requests from Eric and Rebecca Anderson, Phyllis Doze, Alisha Lamatsch and Charleen Hekele were approved by the board.
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Hoisington EMS seeks volunteers

By Tina Rose
With volunteer numbers already lower than usual, Hoisington Ambulance Service is hosting a local Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class.
“When school starts that is when the schedule gets hard to fill,” said Andrew Cook, ambulance service assistant director.
“Some will be finishing school when December, January comes and will be moving away.”
Normally, interested volunteers take their training at Barton County Community College. However, the lower numbers of volunteers at this time has prompted the emergency service to offer the course in Hoisington at a lower cost to try and help get those numbers back.
“They can also sign a contract with the City of Hoisington to get their tuition paid,” said Shelly Maze, director of the service. “And they will be reimbursed for the expenses of their testing.”
The volunteer contract with the city to have the tuition includes a commitment to volunteering to work four to six shifts a month for a year. Each shift is 12 hours long.
The 19-week class costs $300 for the tuition, $100 for the text book and $220 in testing fees.
Daytime coverage seems to be the more problem areas that we have,” she said. “With people working during the day at their regular jobs.
“During the night we don’t have to much problem with coverage.”
The class will begin Aug. 10 and run through December 14 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. An informational meeting has been scheduled for 7p.m. Aug. 10 at the Ambulance Service, located at 202 E. Broadway. More information can be obtained by calling Maze at 653-4150.
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This trio was only one of the many acts during the Summer Rec.’s variety show. Other acts that night included a young performer singing “I’m a little tea pot”. (Photo by Karen Van Brimmer)

Summer Rec performs ‘Lion’

The children attending the Hoisington Summer Recreation Program entertained an audience of nearly 100 people on July 28 with a play titled, “The Lion Who Wouldn’t”.
The six-act play, depicting a lion who wasn’t so sure he wanted to work in circus any more, was performed by 11 children from the program.
Lion One, played by Johnelle Moshier, left the circus to try and fulfill dreams he had of being a baseball player, teacher, priate and detective. When all was said and done, he comes to the realization that he was always meant to be a circus lion. The play was directed by Ashley McHenry and Donna Craven.
Spending one hour a day for most of the summer practicing for the play, the children also performed in a variety show following the play. Acts in the show included a skit, a vocal trio, and piano recital.
The evening of entertainment was wrapped up with performance by the Trash Can Band featuring Logan Riedel on the drum set.
The Trash Can Band was directed by Drew Reisner and Kayla Reisner.
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Updated 7/29/11

City discusses sidewalk policy

By Mike Gilmore
A visit from state officials last week reviewing a proposed safe route to school attendance centers has prompted the City of Hoisington to take a look at its current sidewalk network policy.
The Hoisington City Council directed City Manager Jonathan Mitchell at Monday’s regular meeting to draw up a revision of the city’s current sidewalk policy for discussion at its next regular meeting.
No official action was taken at Monday’s meeting, in which the council discussed several items under old business that included a report of the city’s water softening system; new business that included the city’s proposed participation in the E-Community Partnership program and several non-agenda items introduced by councilmen.
Regarding the city’s sidewalk policy, Mitchell asked the council to provide direction on an update of several portions of the city code, including a more defined policy structure for sidewalk replacement.
Under the current code, property owners that remove a portion of existing sidewalk are not required to replace it, unless by city order, Mitchell said.
Mitchell noted that the city’s sidewalk network has gone further into disrepair since some portions have been replaced following the 2001 tornado, with some sections not continuous, in poor shape or missing entirely.
“Right now, Hoisington is not a walkable community,” Mitchell said.
Through the Safe Routes to Schools program, Mitchell said, the city would have approximately $250,000 maximum if awarded in grant funds, but those funds would be focused on direct routes in the proximity of the city’s schools and possibly connecting the Activity Center.
“The funds wouldn’t do the whole community, not even close,” Mitchell said.
As to sidewalk placement, Mitchell and the council discussed several curbside walkways which had been put in following the tornado, versus a . . .

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E-Community Fact Sheet

The City of Hoisington is applying to become designated as an E-Community.  When a community becomes designated as an E-Community, their donors help them to create a $125,000 in 75 percent Entrepreneurship Tax Credits. 
These funds will create a pool of approximately $150,000 that can be used to strengthen an existing business or help to start up a new business.  E-Community funding can help make a good business concept that doesn’t quite work on paper, become viable. 
Therefore, contributions to this fund will create jobs in the community.  At the same time, the donor will receive substantial tax benefits for their donation.  The donation must be at least $250 and is not to be paid until after the E-Community award status for . . .
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HMSI elects new board, officers

Hoisington Main Street Inc. board met July 22 to elect new board members and officers.
Elected to serve as the board officers were Gene Manweiler as president, Tracey Schneider as vice president, Mark Lovett as secretary and the Rev. Garry Dassow as treasurer.
New board members installed include; Jason Doty, Alisha Orebaugh, Paula Manweiler, Ron Smith and Dassow. Previous board members that will continue on the board are Mikah Ehler, Patty Horton and Michelle Moshier.
Board members and officers are elected to serve a one year term.

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‘Living the dream’ started in Hoisington for Funk

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Ever wonder who paints the flagpole?

Someone with a very unique job was in town Friday. Didn’t see him? Next time look a little higher. Warren Hinrichs is a flag pole painter. Every three years he comes to Hoisington to see about painting the flag pole at city hall. He travels the country with his dog, Stitch, as a companion, painting flag poles as he goes. Working mainly for city and county governments. He states that poles should be repainted every three years.

Each year he has certain routes that he follows, painting his way through his travels. Was it mentioned that he is 70 years old? He has been painting flag poles since he was 18 years old. He started right out of high school working with his father. Between the two of them, they have over a century of experience as steeplejacks. Hinrichs took over his father’s route in 1995. He has painted more than 4,000 flag poles in his 52 years of climbing. The current Hoisington City Office flag pole was erected in 1941 and is 74 feet high. It took roughly four to five hours in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees for Hinrichs to climb the pole, sanding and scraping his way to the top. While he was there, he replaced the ropes and then painted the pole on his way back down.

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Updated 7/22/11

No injuries in semi rollover

No injuries were reported in this rollover accident if a semi-trailer bearing hay eastbound on Kansas Highway 281/K-4 Monday morning west of Hoisington. (photo by Tom Van Brimmer)

By Tom Van Brimmer
Special to the Dispatch
Making hay while the sun shines was short-lived for a Texas truck driver Monday morning.
Jorge Moreno, 35, Diboll, Texas, was eastbound on Highway 281/K-4 when he failed to negotiate the first curve just west of Hoisington.
He apparently over-corrected and his semi-trailer truck rolled on to its right side. His load of baled hay was unloaded, knocking down several traffic control signs and snapping a utility pole.
Moreno’s truck was heavily damaged but the driver escaped injury.
Moreno had just loaded the truck on land farmed by Jerry Stoss, four miles west of town. Stoss said the load had not yet been weighed but that he estimated it to be in excess of 24 tons.
Stoss said the truck had been loaded around 9:30 a.m. and the accident occurred around 10 a.m.
Damage estimates were not yet available. The accident was investigated by the Kansas Highway Patrol assisted by the Barton County Sheriff’s office. The highway was limited to one lane for several hours as the accident scene was cleaned up.

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Red Cross to close GB office

The American Red Cross has announced that effective Sept. 2 it will be closing its Great Bend offices.
Services offered by the organization will still be available for the Great Bend area, but to obtain those services area residents will have to call the toll free number.
In a release dated July 18 from the Red Cross Midway-Kansas office in Wichita, the Great Bend closing will allow for fewer resources spent on administrative issues and to provide more time focusing on its lifesaving services.
The release also said that the Red Cross will still provide disaster response, teach health and safety courses such as CPR and first aid relay emergency communication to family in the military, as well as hold local blood drives. Volunteers will still be recruited and trained as well as serving as the local contact between Red Cross services and the people who need them.
To obtain more information on Red Cross services call 1-800-REDCROSS or visit www.redcross.org.

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Firefighters have marathon week

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Library to get free broadband

Nex-Tech announced earlier this week that they would be providing free internet broadband to the Hoisington Library and 34 other libraries in central and northwest Kansas.
Nex-Tech reported that the move was to ensure universal broadband accessibility.
“The Hoisington Public Library is very grateful for the free broadband and wireless internet access NexTech has provided,” said Hoisington Public Library Director Pat Brown.
Brown also explained that the free service had at one time been provided by Cox Communications, but that free sevice had been cancelled a year ago leaving the library to pay for internet access out of a limited budget.
“We consider the offering of internet access to our patrons to be an important component of the library’s mission,” said Brown.
In a prepared statement, Nex-Tech/Rural Telephone CEO/General Manager Larry Sevier said that the organization believes that providing free public-access Wi-Fi connections is critical to ensure that every individual - regardless of income - has access to these essential services.

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City eyeing NetWork Kansas tax credit program

By Mike Gilmore
A work group with its eye on entrepreneurship has been formed in Hoisington, with the hope that the community will join two dozen already across the state currently taking advantage of a tax credit program designed to boost local economic development.
On July 19, NetWork Kansas announced that it is seeking additional Kansas communities to participate in the fifth round of its innovative Entrepreneurship (E-Community) Partnership. NetWork Kansas was established in 2004 as a component of the Kansas Economic Growth Act of 2004 to advance small business growth as a priority across the state.
In Hoisington, the city is combining with community leaders and the USD 431 school district to form the work group, with the school district boundary as the benefit area.
Launched by NetWork Kansas in 2007, the E-Community Partnership has enabled a total of . . . .

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GB Chamber announces new farm expo

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Updated 7/15/11

Artist’s dreams, visions find the canvas

Artist Christina Lamoureau with her painting “In a child’s hands are dreams and visions”. The painting, along with many other paintings done by Lamoureau can be viewed at Hoisington Main Street Inc. until after Labor Day. (photo by Tina Rose)

By Tina Rose
She was influenced by a three year stay in France during the formative years, when one turns from a single- to double-digit age.
Chris Lamoureau knew from then on that art would always be a major part of her life.
“I went to a lot of museums, watched the barges going up and down the river,” she said.
According to Lamoureau, her time in France spurred a creative sense in her that continues to show in her art work today.
“It was beautiful, the barges flowing up and down the river,” she said. “All the sculptures and pieces at the museums.”
Dreams, imagination, life events...they all inspire any painting created by Lamoureau.
Layers of painting, playful creatures, creative lines flowing over abstract lines can be found in more than one piece of her work.
“It starts with something special to me in my life that has happened,” she said.
“Such as ink spilling in the studio. I was just showing my daughter something, and it got all over me,” she said.
“The ink spot marks its territory, it is permanent,” she said as she pointed out what appears to be an ink spot in one of her paintings titled “In a child’s hands are dreams and visions.”
Through her art, “normal situations become a story about the journey of learning,” she said.
“And a lot of times, I’m the one learning the most.”
Lamoureau, who has taught high school art for 25 years, emphasizes the horses found in many of her paintings. “When I was a little girl I liked to draw horses, all the time,” she said.
“Sometimes when people come in to see . . .

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Summer busy time for merging Central Plains

Students to get new Macs

CLAFLIN -- The new Central Plains High School recently received a shipment of 130 MacBooks and has been getting them ready for the start of the new school year.
The laptops, part of the districts new one-on-one program provides a laptop to each student for use with their school classwork,
Scott Mitchum, technology director at USD 112 Central Plains, said that the laptops will be issued to each student on a three-year lease, beginning their freshman year.
“If they come in as a freshman and tear it up they will have to deal with it for the next three years,” he said.
Special carrying cases will be issued along with the electronic equipment.
The district has switched its email programs over to Google’s G-Mail and will be using Google Docs, a popular online product that allows the users to create and share files online.
The use of the . . .

Scott Mitchum, Central Plains High School technology director, exhibits one of the new MacBook laptop computers that will be issued to all high school students at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year. Central Plains High School will be participating in a new one-on-one program that requires each student to have their own laptop. For more on USD 112’s school preparations, see page 8. (photo by Tina Rose)

New Oilers logo shows blend of cooperative school spirit

By Mike Gilmore
CLAFLIN – Whether it was intended or not, the new logo for the USD 112 Central Plains Oilers shows a combination of two teams into one.
The large, forest green “O” bears a strong resemblance to the monogram of Oregon University. And the silver derrick just might look like the one on a Houston Oilers football helmet.
But that is splitting a pretty thin hair. After all, it passed muster as the new school emblem out of a pretty large field.
Last fall, the student councils of both Quivira Heights and Claflin High Schools came together and decided on their team name, the Oilers, and the school colors, which were to be forest green, silver and black. The then-interim school board of USD 112 approved the selections at its November board meeting.
Just how to represent the two has been a longer process, but a productive . . .

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How to recognize, avoid heat exhaustion

MANHATTAN - In the summer,
abundant sunshine and warmer temperatures have a way of luring people outdoors and making them more active than usual.
Excessive heat and humidity can,
however, pose health risks and should be taken seriously, said Mike
Bradshaw, Kansas State University Research and Extension health and safety specialist.
“Our body’s cooling system can be compared to that of a vehicle’s,” Bradshaw said, “If our body isn’t cooling itself
properly, then it will eventually overheat causing moderate to severe illnesses and sometimes death.”
Heat exhaustion is a more mild form of heat-related illness and can sometimes take several days of exposure to high temperatures, or inadequate fluid intake to develop. People who are most prone to heat exhaustion are those with high blood pressure, those who work or exercise in high temperatures, the very young and the elderly, he said.
Young children are at risk because . . .

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Updated 7/8/11

Legion Riders give surprise sendoff

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Cardinal Pharmacy celebrates first year

Community members gathered at Cardinal Pharmacy June 30 in celebration of the business’s one year anniversary. The customer appreciation day included grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. The 100 plus degree temperatures that day didn’t deter many people from attending. (photo by Tina Rose)

By Tina Rose
Cardinal Pharmacy celebrated their one year of business anniversary June 30. As a thank you to the community, they celebrated by hosting the weekly Chamber Coffee and customer appreciation day complete with a lunch of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs.
“We couldn’t have done it without the support of the community,” said Rich Beiber, co-owner and pharmacist, during the coffee.
“We were excited to see so many people out to celebrate with us even though the temperature was 100-plus degrees,” said Marla Mooney, co-owner and pharmacist
After a year, business is doing more than they had originally expected.
“The support of the community and the gowth of the business surpassed anything we imagined,” said Mooney . “Not just Hoisington, the surrounding communities have supported us.”
“The volume (of business) that we have seen was just exceptional,” said Mooney.
“You see peaks during the cold and flu season, but we are still growing through the summer.”
“We are getting new patients all the time,” she said.
Mooney and her husband, Gene, have four children who have all adjusted well to their new home. “They love it here,” said Mooney.
“The school is fabulous. The district. The teachers. It’s amazing.”
In addition to the pharmacy, Gene Mooney has set up a T-shirt printing business that operates out of the same building. Cardinal T-shirts offers printing of any design with a new application technique. “The printer prints it right on to the T-shirt,” said Mooney.
Before the pharmacy opened for business officially on July 1, 2010, Hoisington had gone three years without a pharmacy.

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New face at the Hoisington Dispatch

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LD Contest entries due July 13

Entry deadline is July 13 for both the Labor Day Baby Contest and the Labor Day Princess contest.
Winners of both contests as named during the holiday weekend will receive a cash award of $100, a $100 savings bond and a contest memento.
Eligible babies must be 24 months or younger and parents must be residents of Barton County.
Princess candidates must be between 3-5 years of age and parents must reside in Barton County.
Judging for both contests will be Saturday, Sept. 3. The baby contest judging will be 9 a.m. and princess at 10:30 a.m. Tickets for each judging session are $2.
To register for either contest, contact the Hoisington Chamber of Commerce office at 123 N. Main or call (620) 653-4311.
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HFD makes midnight fire run

Hoisington volunteer firefighters responded to a report of a possible house fire located at 552 W. Fourth St. at 12:15 a.m. Sunday, July 3.
“Heavy smoke was coming out around the eaves when we arrived on the scene,” said Fire Chief Jim Sekavec.
The owner, Ed Merlau, was not at home at the time firefighters arrived. A quick serarch revealed that the smoke was coming from a closet between two bedrooms on the second story.
While most of the damage was contained to the closet area, the entire second floor sustained “lots of smoke and heat damage” according to Sekavec.
Officials believe that electrical wiring caused the fire, Sekavec said. “All indications suggest it was electrical,”he said.
Firefighters were on the scene until 3:10 a.m.
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