eFreePress 03.26.15 - Blue Rapids Free Press
Transcription
eFreePress 03.26.15 - Blue Rapids Free Press
An Award Winning Weekly Newspaper Vol. 6 Number 36 Valley Heights State Track Champions & State 5th Place Team Start 2015 Season The Valley Heights Girls and Boys Track and Field Track Teams pose with their Coaches after the Kansas State Track & Field Meet in Wichita last year. The Girls took 1st in State and the Boys came in 5th. Last Year the Girls were 2nd and the Boys 3rd. The Girls pictued are Shelby Vermetten (L), Brandi Jo Roepke and Sidney Blackburn. The two man Boys Team members are: Elijah Smith (L) and Derek Trimble. Coaches are: Lew Whitson, Adam Schreiner and Head Coach Tony Trimble. Thursday, March 26, 2015 Nurse Practitioner Joins Community Memorial Healthcare Becky Heuer, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) will join the medical staff at Community Memorial Health-care (CMH), effective March 30, 2015 .Heuer will work in the emergency department and medical clinics (Blue Rapids Medical Clinic, Community Physicians Clinic, and Marysville Clinic) .All clinics are owned and operated by CMH. Heuer graduated from Marysville High School in Marysville, KS. She receivedher Bachelor of Science Nursing degree from the University of Kansas in Kansas City, KS. Heuer received her Master of Nursing degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE. She became board certified as an ARNP in 2014. Heuer previously worked for KSTAT Urgent Care Clinic in Manhattan, KS where she served as an ARNP. Prior to her employment with KSTAT, Heuer worked 10 years in intensive care at the University Becky Heuer of Kansas School of Medicine and Bryan Health as a registered nurse (RN). Heuer and her husband Dustin have a two year old son Easton. They live in Marysville. "I'm excited to join a great group of healthcare providers,”said Heuer. “I look forward to caring for patients and families in my hometown community Kansas advances plan to allow concealed carry without permit TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A proposal to allow Kansas residents 21 or older to carry concealed firearms without a state permit has received first-round approval in the state House. The House expected to take another, final vote Wednesday on a bill ending the permit requirement. The Senate approved the measure last month, and House members made only one technical change. Supporters contend gun owners are responsible and shouldn’t have to ask the government’s permission to carry concealed. A person seeking a permit must undergo eight hours of firearms training. The bill’s opponents say the state still should require some training. But the Republican-dominated Legislature has strong gunrights majorities in both chambers. Kansas lawmakers debate emissions, presidential primaries The 2015 Boys and Girls Track Teams kick off the season. Pictured (L to R): Ilexus Rose (so), Shea Manley (fr), Jacob Schuh (fr), Hannah Steenson (jr), Adrian Pishney (so), Hunter Stevenson (so), and Taylor Doner, (jr). By Maddy Hargrave Valley Heights High School The Valley Heights Track Team kicked off their track season on Monday, March 23. Thirty-one members make up the 2015 High School Track Team. “This is my first year of doing track since my freshman year. I’m a little bit nervous but am excited to see what will come of this year,” Hannah Steenson, jr. The Valley Heights Track Team looks to have great success as they did last year with the girls claiming the State Championship and the boys following up with a 5th place finish in 2014. The season starts off with a home track meet on April 7th. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas would stop scheduling a presidential primary once every four years under a bill advancing Tuesday in the Legislature, as members tackled a crowded agenda. The Senate gave first-round approval to a bill repealing a law requiring the state to schedule a presidential primary, and it expected to take a final vote Wednesday. The state has canceled each primary since 1992, usually because of the anticipated cost, but lawmakers have kept the law scheduling the elections on the books. House members advanced a bill directing the state Department of Health and Environment to develop a plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants but requiring the Legislature’s energy committees to approve it. It’s a response to a federal rule requiring states to develop stricter emissions standards by 2016. Student success key part of new Kansas school funding plan TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas would tie part of its spending on public schools to how well their students do after high school under a new education funding plan reviewed Tuesday by a legislative committee. The Senate Education Committee had a hearing on a plan drafted by Chairman Steve Abrams, an Arkansas City Republican. He said his goal is to ensure that schools are educating students well enough so that they can enter careers that at least allow them to be part of the middle class. GOP leaders said Abrams’ proposal is a starting point for discussions about creating a new formula over the next two years. Abrams’ proposal would create a new school funding formula that would be tested on six school districts during the 2015-16 school year before being expanded to all 286 districts over the following two years. About 15 percent of the state’s funds would be distributed based on how many high school students in each district enroll in higher education, receive an occupational certification, join the military or get a job paying at least $14 an hour within two years of graduating. The Republican-dominated Legislature passed a bill this month that would scrap the state’s existing, per-student funding formula and give districts “block grants” based on their current aid. GOP Gov. Sam Brownback is expected to sign the measure, but the new system for distributing more than $4 billion in aid annually would remain in place for only two years, while lawmakers draft a new formula. Several superintendents in the pilot school districts said they’re excited by the idea of creating incentives to have students succeed. The state’s soon-to-be-jettisoned formula was designed to ensure that each district’s costs are covered, so that the state fulfills a duty under the Kansas Constitution to provide a suitable education to every child. “This framework is powerful. It’s a radical change in school funding,” said Mark Crawford, superintendent in Hugoton, one of the six pilot districts. “This could be monumental for the state of Kansas if we can get it right.” Besides Hugoton, the pilot districts would be Concordia; Marysville; McPherson; Kansas City, Kansas, and Blue Valley, in Johnson County. “What I’m most excited about is that the conversations are centered around student success,” said Concordia Superintendent Bev Mortimer. But the plan also drew plenty of criticism, including from Dave Trabert, the president of the Kansas Policy Institute, a small-government, free-market think tank that’s influential with GOP conservatives. Trabert said there’s no sense that the levels of funding set by the bill are tied to research of what’s adequate for schools to properly educate students. He also said the state shouldn’t wait until a student has graduated to determine whether he or she is successful. “If they’re not progressing as needed in the third grade and the fourth grade and so forth, their success will be limited,” Trabert said. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat who serves on the committee, also predicted that the plan would lead to big increases in local property taxes. The state allows local school districts to levy property taxes to supplement their state funds but caps the amount they can raise at about $2,340 per student. Abrams’ plan would eliminate the cap on local property taxes. “This is too heavily laden with property taxes,” Hensley said. The Blue Rapids Library addition has been enclosed and now Appletech of Manhattan is working on the inside. (Photo by Deb Barrington) Thursday, March 26, 2015 Blue Rapids Free Press Pancake Feed Obituaries Sunday, March 29th 11 a.m - 2 p.m. Oketo City Hall, Oketo, Ks Free Will Offering Requested Robert F.“Bob”Jackson Robert F. “Bob” Jackson, age 67, of Blue Rapids, passed away at his home on Saturday, March 21, 2015. Bob was born November 28, 1947, at Marysville, to Sherman W. and Verna M. (Schmitz) Jackson. He married Patsy J. Townsdin on August 5, 1975, in Miami, Oklahoma. He had worked for Titan Trailer’s for many years. Bob loved the outdoors, going hunting and fishing, he also loved being with his family and friends. He enjoyed working and the comradery of his fellow employees. Rita Schneider Rita Schneider, 92, Beattie, died Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at her home. Visitation is Sunday, March 22, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Axtell-Landreth Funeral Home, Axtell. Rosary service is 7 p.m., Sunday, at St. Malachy Catholic Church, Beattie. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m., Monday, March 23 at St. Malachy. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Beattie. Rita was born on March 11, 1923 at Axtell to Alexander and Lillie May (Haynes) McDonnell. She graduated from Baileyville High School. After graduation, Rita went to NYA School in Marysville for office training and went to work as a secretary at Ft. Riley. On November 6, 1943, she was united in marriage to Rex J. Schneider in Axtell. They farmed north of Beattie. Rita worked as a star route mail carrier, had a cake business known as Rita’s Cakes, 2A Survivors include his wife Patsy, five children; Buck of Jackson (Chelsea) Frankfort, Brett Jackson of Blue Rapids, Travis Crum of Salina, Samantha Jackson of Blue Rapids and Jamie (Craig) Easterberg of Clay Center and nine grandchildren. Cremation is planned with private services at a later date. Services arranged by Funeral Terry-Christie Home, Waterville, Kansas. Condolences may be left on line at www.terrychristiefuneralhome.com and she also worked at the Beattie school. She enjoyed gardening, raising flowers, sewing and cooking. Member of St. Malachy’s Ladies Guild. Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, Rex in 1974; sisters, Dorothy Haug, Nola Mathewson; and brothers, Keith McDonnell and Kenneth McDonnell. Survivors include her chilSchmidt, Patricia dren Lawrence, Robert (Carlene) Schneider, Beattie, Marge Zidek and fiancé Rick Provost, Blue Rapids, Michael (Peggy) Summerfield, Schneider, Peggy (Barry) Buessing, Axtell, Charles (Theresa) Schneider, Summerfield; and fifteen grandchildren and twenty-nine great-grandchildren. A memorial fund is established in her name and the family will designate at a later time. Contributions may be sent in care of Axtell-Landreth Funeral Home, Axtell. and Billie Donley; three grandchildren, Jeremy Milner and wife Kylie, Johnathon Milner and Max Doss; and three greatgrandchildren, Carlee Milner, Weston Milner and Brantley Hill. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, John Meeks; and siblings, Evon Chandler, Pat Milliken and Bobbie Olena Donley. A memorial fund has been established to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Contributions may be sent in care of Kinsley Mortuary. Gavin Harris and Mason Stinchcomb. Rosetta was preceded in death by her parents, an infant son, Terry R. Jacobson and a sister, Dianna Figge. Viewing will begin at noon on Friday at Terry-Christie Funeral Home in Waterville with Rosetta’s family receiving guests from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Funeral services will be at 2:00 pm, Saturday, March 21, 2015, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Waterville, with Reverend Susan Bantz officiating. The organist is Lois Andersen. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Waterville. Casket Bearers are Darrell Schlabach, Ron Schlabach, Keith Figge, Doug Jacobson, Travis Quigley and Trey Koeneke. Honorary Bearers are Max Martin, Dennis Koeneke, Don Jacobson, Lavern Figge, Don Martin and Luin Berger Memorials are suggested to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, they may be sent in care of the funeral home at PO Box 61, Waterville, Kansas 66548. Services arranged by TerryChristie Funeral Home, Waterville, Kansas. Condolences may be left on line at www.terrychristiefuneralhome.com Auctioned on Sat, April 11 – Blue Rapids (200 Genesee): 1 bedroom home w/ newer 28x42ft finished shop on corner lot. Auctioned on Sat, April 18 – Waterville (411 W. Commercial): Modern 2 bedroom home w/ att. Garage on west edge of town. We specialize in John Deere but will work on about anything! Wendland Ag Repair Josh Wendland 785-944-2312 Lucy M. Meeks Lucy M. Meeks, 75, of Marysville, KS, died Sunday, March 22, 2015 at Cambridge Place in Marysville. Visitation will be Monday from 5 to 9 p.m. at Kinsley Mortuary in Marysville. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, March 24 at Kinsley Mortuary. Pastor Dale Lewis will officiate. Burial will be in the Marysville City Cemetery. Lucy was born December 2, 1939 at Egypt, Arkansas. Survivors include her daughters, Sherry Dale, Hawkley, TX, Nora Dale Ellis and husband Brian, Magnolia, TX, and Joyce Milner and husband Jeff, Marysville; siblings, Anita Hill, Mildred Tucker, Rosalie Russo Rosetta M. Jacobson Rosetta M. Jacobson, age 76, of Clay Center, formerly of Waterville, passed away on Wednesday, March 18, 2015, at Mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan. Rosetta was born January 19, 1939, at Herkimer to Herbert H. and Helen E. (Rettig) Koeneke. She attended Hanover High School. On October 28, 1956, she married Ronald C. “Ron” Jacobson at the Lutheran Church in Hanover. After they married Ron and Rosetta farmed west of Waterville for 26 years. Later they owned and operated the Kansas Lumber and Hardware store in Abilene where she was the bookkeeper. She loved her grandchildren, her garden and to cook. She also enjoyed games (especially pinochle and scrabble), crocheting, and being the family historian. Rosetta was a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Waterville where she taught Bible School to the younger children for several years, the Bremen EHU at Bremen, and was an active 4-H Leader with the Bremen Hustlers 4-H Club for over 10 years. Survivors include her husband Ron, six children; Michael C. (Reta) Jacobson of Shawnee, Oklahoma, Marilyn M. (Tim) White of Enumclaw, Washington, Roger E. (Jeanne) Jacobson of Axtell, Gregory A. (Kathy) Jacobson of Ruskin, Florida, Halley (Jerry) Smart of Shawnee, Kansas and James D. (Tara) Jacobson of Wichita, a brother Dennis Koeneke of Marysville, fourteen grandchildren; Mika (Jay) Doornbas, Janie Jacobson, Bridgette Cox, Brett Cox, Rhonda Jacobson, Jake Jacobson, Hunter Smart, Hayden Smart, Seadon Smart, Austin Jacobson, Kylie Jacobson, Zachary Jacobson, Amber Barger-Oberle and Andrea Barger, four great grandchildren; Bradley Doornbas, Betsy Doornbas, Blue Rapids Needs A Brake Vote For Jon A. Brake For Mayor of Blue Rapids Mervin Earl Nord Mervin Earl Nord, 86, of Marysville, KS, died March 23, 2014 at Community Memorial Healthcare in Marysville surrounded by family. Visitation is Sunday, March 29, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Kinsley Mortuary in Marysville. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, March 30, at the United Methodist Church in Marysville. Rev. Dale Lewis will officiate. Mervin was born February 16, 1929 at Frankfort, KS, to Olaf Oscar and Esther (Larson) Nord. He attended Fostoria High School and graduated in 1948. In 1951, he was united in marriage to Marjorie Pauley. She survives of the home in Marysville. Mervin served in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953, serv- ing a period of that time in Germany. Following his service to his country, Merv and Marge moved to Marysville and raised three daughters. He managed the Marysville ASCS office until his retirement in 1984, which included being the only Kansas bee inspector. He drove a school bus for the Marysville school system and the activity bus. He served eight years on the school board and was a referee and umpire for local basketball, football and baseball games. He was proud to referee many EastWest Shrine football games. Merv enjoyed hours of fishing, golfing, hunting, boating, and spending time on his farm. He coached softball, taught hunters safety and mentored young people. Merv had many fishing and hunting buddies. He loved animals and was a recipient of Help Wanted Route 77 Stores in Blue Rapids and Waterville are in need of help for nights and weekends. Pick up applications at either store or call 785363-2641 the Kansas Wildlife Award. He was rarely seen in his pickup without being accompanied by his favorite hunting dog. Mervin was a member of the Shriner’s, a Selective Service Board Member, a Conservationist, American Legion Commander, a Kiwanis member, a Mason and a member of the United Methodist Church. He enjoyed going to coffee in the mornings and visiting with his friends. Preceding him in death were his parents; brothers, Carl, Leonard, Harold, William Nord; and sisters, Caroline Nord and Eva Foshee. Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Marjorie; three daughters, Debra Nord and husband, William Harrod, Phyllis Clark and husband Dane, Joni Garcia and husband Rick; three grandchildren, Jenni Schell, Betsey (Clark) Potts and husband Charlie, Brendon Clark and wife Tabatha; four great grandchildren, Elijah, Isaiah, Esther Potts and Noah Clark. The family suggest memorial contributions be made to the Shriner’s Children Hospital. Contributions may be sent in care of Kinsley Mortuary. • Experience: More than 40years attending and reporting City Council Meetings; County Commission Meetings and School Board Meetings. Jon A. Brake My Goals For The City of Blue Rapids: • “The population of Blue Rapids has dropped below 1,000. I want to see the population restored and maintained above 1,000.” • “Taxes and Water Rates can be lowered. The City Reserves are above recommended figures.” • Business: “I want to see our local businesses prosper. We need to keep the business we have.” • Housing: “I do not want the number of houses to decline. The City needs a plan of action to upgrade houses and stop demolition.” • 4-years on the Blue Rapids City Council. • Born and raised in Blue Rapids. • More than 40-years in Newspapers as Reporter, Photographer; Advertising Manager, Managing Editor of both Weekly and Daily Newspapers. • 23-years as Publisher and owner of the Manhattan Free Press and 6-years for the Blue Rapids Free Press Vote on Tuesday April 7th for Jon A. Brake for Mayor (Linda Brake, Treasurer) Thursday, March 26, 2015 Blue Rapids Free Press 3A “IF TOMORROW WASN”T PROMISED… By Cassidy Coggins Valley Heights High School …what would you give for today?” Elijah James Smith lives his life by this quote. Elijah, born to Kelly and Eddie Smith on October 31, 1996 has accomplished many things in his high school career. Elijah lives in Blue Rapids, Kansas with his parents and two other siblings Kayla Smith, and Ava Smith. He has been involved in football for four years, basketball four years, and track four years. He has also participated in many clubs, the All School Play for one year, Library Assistant one year, Peer Tutor two years, Art one year, Band three years, and VH Club four years. Elijah has also been football captain one year and basketball captain two years. Elijah has received many awards a few of them being that he has won State Track in three different events, and placed second at Junior Olympics. His dream is to become a physical therapist and have his own family, he is planning to attend Butler Community College compete in track and field and major in kinesiology. “My parents have influenced me the most by always pushing me to do my best.” Radioactive by Imagine Dragons is a song that Elijah says best describes him. As we leave high school we make new memories but a memory that Elijah says he will never forget is when Seth McKay shot a layup and then ran into the bleachers. “I am different than other people because I can play video games all day and not eat or drink anything.” Elijah will also not admit to people that he is scared of heights and falling, saying that is something that most people don’t know about him. When he leaves Valley Heights he would like people to remember him by his athletic achievements and his character in and outside of sports. Elijah James Smith Nebraska senator compares police to ISIS, says he’d shoot a By Deena Winter Watchdog LINCOLN, Neb. – A black Nebraska state senator compared American police to Islamic terrorists and suggested he’d shoot a cop if only he had a weapon. State Sen. Ernie Chambers said during a legislative hearing on gun bills Friday that you don’t have to go halfway around the world to find an ISIS mentality. It can be found in America because police terrorize blacks every day. He was referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, which has beheaded journalists and brutally executed Westerners and others. “My ISIS is the police,” Chambers said, adding police can get away with shooting people if they “think” they’re going to do something — like pull a weapon. “The police are licensed to kill us — children, old people,” he said. Nebraska’s longest serv- ing senator, Chambers represents north Omaha, a high-crime area where racial tension simmers and sometimes erupts after encounters with police. In March 2013, for example, police threw a man to the ground and pummeled him while 32 police officers stormed a home across the street, in response to a parking complaint. Four police officers were fired amid allegations of excessive force, evidence tampering and a police cover-up. “I wouldn’t go to Syria, I wouldn’t go to Iraq, I wouldn’t go to Afghanistan, I wouldn’t go to Yemen, I wouldn’t go to Tunisia, I wouldn’t go to Lebanon, I wouldn’t go to Jordan, I would do it right here,” Chambers said. “Nobody from ISIS ever terrorized us as a people as the police do daily.” Chambers then added fuel to the fire, saying if he had a gun, he would use it on Notice Effective AprillS, 2015,Twin Valley Developmental Services in Greenleaf will no longer be accepting aluminum cans or aluminum products for recycling at our Greenleaf shop only. The workshop in Beattie will still be accepting them. This does not affect the clothing and other items that we accept. Auction The Relay For Life Bachelor/ Bachelorette Auction for 2015 will be held March 28th at the Legion in Marysville. Anyone wishing to participate, please contact Tammy Claeys ar 785-927-0349 Admission is $5.00 Auction starts at 8 p.m. All proceeds go to Relay For Life. Everyone to be Auctioned please be there by 7;30 p.m. Clean up The City of Blue Rapids will have a citywide pickup for limbs and leaves beginning on/or about May 4th. All items to be picked up must be at the curb by 7 a.m. May 4th. The city will not return to any areas. Limbs must be parallel to the curb and leaves must be in bags. No branches larger than 6” in diameter will be picked up by the city. In addition, the vegetation dump will be open at no charge from April 27th through May 8th to encourage citizens to take their own limbs, leaves and garden vegetation to the site. It is important to remember the state allows ONLY limbs, leaves and garden vegetation at this site and the city can be fined if other items are left at the site. All other items must be hauled to the county landfill. Call 363-7736 with any questions. police, not his political opponents. “If I was going to carry a weapon, it wouldn’t be against you, it wouldn’t be against these people who come here that I might have a dispute with. Mine would be for the police,” he said. “And if I carried a gun I’d want to shoot him first and then ask questions later, like they say the cop ought to do.” During an interview Tuesday, Chambers, who is no stranger to fiery rhetoric and controversy, back-pedaled a bit. He said people in his community feel terrorized by police who can shoot them and are often cleared. He pointed to a recent case of an unarmed Omaha man shot twice in the back by a cop. “I don’t carry a weapon. I’ve never carried a weapon,” he said. “But if I were in the situation that some people are in … if you’re going to follow the rule available to cops, just shoot somebody and come up with an alibi.” However, he said he knows young people in his community look up to him and might take his comments literally. “I’m not advocating that anybody, especially anybody in my community, go out and shoot people,” Chambers said. Chambers said he was drawing a parallel between people being murdered by ISIS and American citizens killed by police who subsequently are cleared of criminal wrongdoing. “They’re encouraged and they’re given a free pass,” he said. “All you (police) have to say is you felt like you were in danger, then a citizen could say, ‘I will shoot first and ask questions later.’ ” He’s pushed local, state and federal officials to stop the flow of guns into his north Omaha community. If weapons were coming into “the white community,” he said, officials would jump on it. “As long as that happens, the violence will continue,” Chambers said of guns flooding north Omaha. Although Chambers regularly makes inflammatory statements, his most outrageous comments are rarely covered by Nebraska media — in part because he’s been making them for years. He’s seen by many as a lovable curmudgeon, iconic liberal and defender of the downtrodden. He is a 77year-old independent who has served 40 years in the Legislature and often talks about slavery, racial tension and Christian hypocrisy. His comments Friday were ignored by reporters covering the hearing, although the Capitol reporter working for the Associated Press produced a flattering weekend profile on sketches Chambers draws during hearings. Chambers’ diatribe was, however, drew the attention of KFOR talk radio host Coby Mach. “How does anybody get away with something like this?” Mach said Monday. “I’m appalled by that kind of statement. Senator Chambers seems to be wanting to incite violence.” Mach noted Chambers also has challenged his opponents to hit him in the mouth, has said we shouldn’t take care of military veterans and espoused that all whites are racist. His listeners also were shocked, calling in to debate whether journalists should report on his rants or ignore them. Others wondered whether Chambers should be investigated by the ATF or FBI and whether he’s a danger to others. Mach said he thinks other senators are afraid to challenge Chambers because they become his target. He suggested Chambers incites violence, noting that he recently said, “I’m not hard to find. I don’t have bodyguards. I park in the senator’s parking lot. So confront me and hit me in my mouth, or whatever you think you big enough to do.” Deb Collins, spokeswoman for the Nebraska State Patrol, offered a limited response to questions. “It would not be our place to provide comment, other than to say we do not consider there to be a security concern,” Collins said. Re-Elect Mike Minihan For City Council, Blue Rapids “Blue Rapids should poise it’s self as a clean, progressive city. We should spend the right money and support laws that are fair and just for all.” Vote on Tuesday April 7th for Mike Minihan PUBLISHED WEEKLY EVERY THURSDAY Blue Rapids Free Press Jon A. and Linda L. Brake, Publishers Deb Barrington, Managing Editor Mailing Address: P.O. Box 176, Blue Rapids, Ks 66411 E-Mail: [email protected] or [email protected] “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. Thomas Jefferson, 1787 785-363-7779 Thursday, March 26, 2015 Blue Rapids Free Press Skid Loader Service Jacobson’s To Celebrate 60th Anniversary Donald and Lola Jacobson, Vermillion, Kansas will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Saturday, April 4, 2015 with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Vermillion Grade School given by their children. The family request no gifts. Lola Mae Montague and Donald Frederick Jacobson were married Sunday, April 3, 1955 at 4:00 p.m. at the Evangelical United Church of Christ in Marysville, Kansas. They have 3 children: Larry, Vermillion, KS; Tressa Jacobson, Wamego, Kansas; Douglas and wife Arlene Jacobson, Havensville, Kansas. They have 3 grandchildren: Travis Quigley, Blaine, Kansas, Jake Quigley, Boston, Massachusetts, and Seth Brandon, Havensville, Kansas. If unable to attend reception, you may shower them with cards and send them to 3055 Valley Road, Vermillion, Kansas 66544. 4A Skid Loader Service in Blue Rapids and surrounding area. Tree cutting and pasture clearing, dirt work, yard clean up, and snow removal. No job too small. Call Jeff Pishny for estimates. 785-562-7910 Donald and Lola Jacobson Vanished towns dot prairie in Kiowa County GREENSBURG, Kan. (AP) _ Traveling down a dirt path sandwiched between a wheat field and pasture, Ed Schoenberger abruptly motions to stop the car. ``You’re now in downtown Reeder,’’ he says as he steps out of the vehicle - facing the cold wind that whips across the wide-open prairie on this early March day. But all around him, there is nothing but farmland and grass. Reeder, once a bustling community where residents dreamed of a railroad, has disappeared. Underneath the ground, however, the memory of Reeder still exists. Reeder began in 1885 but only lasted a handful of years, with the post office closing in 1891. The railroad never came, and the community eventually died with its remains buried in shallow graves below the prairie grass. Schoenberger pulls out his metal detector and begins finding century-old trash - on this day largely sardine cans that settlers left behind. Reeder’s tale mirrors countless towns across Kansas, including several in Kiowa County. Schoenberger has been working to preserve those memories through his research and amateur archeology. Reeder, he said, once was part of Comanche County before the Kansas Legislature redrew the county lines. It had a newspaper - the Comanche Chief, which eventually was changed to the Kiowa Chief. There was a hotel and other businesses. ``They built Reeder on the anticipation of a north-south railroad, but it never happened,’’ he said. Reeder soon disappeared. In 1903, the Kansas House passed HB 221, an act vacating the townsite of Reeder, according to the Kansas House Journal. Schoenberger, a longtime Greensburg resident and past board member of the Kiowa County Historical Society, has been researching the county’s ghost towns for decades. In the margins of an old Kiowa County history book - which survived the May 2007 tornado that destroyed his home and much of the city - he scribbles his own notes of his findings, and corrects the inaccuracies. ``History belongs to the person who tells it,’’ he quips, noting that stories that are passed down from generation to generation change over time. However, if you dig deep enough, the truth often comes to the surface. Finding the truth, however, hasn’t always been easy. For instance, Janesville, the county’s first town, is located roughly two miles west of Greensburg. Janesville, however, has no official paper trail. The town was never platted and had such a brief life that Schoenberger has found few documents and newspaper articles, along with a case full of artifacts. A July 1884 issue of the Kinsley Graphic noted the happenings in town in its Janesville Jottings. It said that Andrew J. McWilliams was busy running a store, lumberyard and blacksmith shop. By August 1884, building in town, it seemed, was booming. ``Lumber is sold so rapidly in our yards here, that it is simply impossible to keep a good stock on hand,’’ the writer reported. And, by September, the town had a post office, The Hutchinson News ((http://bit.ly/1FQ17r6 ) reports. Janesville, however, would soon be just a memory. And some of the accounts of its ending stretch the truth, including one in history books and stated on the Kansas State Historical Society website: “When the town of Greensburg was being established, the townspeople attempted to have the post office moved from the nearby town of Janesville. Jacob Barney, who had established Janesville and was also the postmaster, refused to allow the post office to leave. One night several Greensburg men were playing cards and drinking with Barney in the Janesville Post Office. Late in the evening, Barney fell asleep. The Greensburg men hoisted the 9foot-by-12-foot building onto a sled, and with Barney inside, moved the building to Greensburg. Barney awoke the next morning in what was now Greensburg’s post office.’’ ``In these old stories there is always some truth,’’ Schoenberger said. Schoenberger said he found Janesville’s first postmaster was McWilliams, who had the daughter named Jane. Documents also show that Jacob Barney most likely participated in the relocation to Greensburg. Barney had a store in Janesville. Janesville consolidated with Greensburg in October 1884, according to a county document. It noted that that Greensburg acquired all the houses and buildings in Janesville, including the post office, and that McWilliams would remain postmaster. McWilliams didn’t take the job, however. Emma Conwell, did. The post office in Janesville was formally discontinued in January 1885 and moved to what postal officials called Greensburgh. The post office dropped the H in 1892. Whether Barney disagreed with the move, it’s long been buried with him, as Barney signed the document and was paid $5.52 for nails, rope and other items for the moving of Janesville. Schoenberger also said residents who agreed to move to Greensburg were paid for their expenses and received a free lot in Greensburg. For Schoenberger, one easy way to find townsites is from the trash settlers left behind. There was no trash Dumpster, after all, on the prairie. Pioneers often left their trash behind, said David Webb, assistant director of the Kansas Heritage Center in Dodge City. ``Canned food - sardines and fruit, some vegetables, that was pretty common,’’ Webb said. ``They didn’t have trash pickup so it all got dumped somewhere - state archaeologists say the outhouse sites are great - that’s where a lot of things got thrown.’’ The town site of Brenham was actually south and west of the present day elevator that travelers pass as they head west into Greensburg, Schoenberger said, noting he’s found several items in this location, including the town’s well. Brenham had a good well and people from all over came to get water from it. The town, formed in 1884, had several businesses, including a doctor. Brenham had a post office for 10 years, through 1894. Southern Plains Cooperative still operates the elevator, using it for food-grade milo. There were other towns as well, almost all of which have been reclaimed by the prairie or plowed over by farmers. Some, however, never really were more than a post office stop with maybe a store. That includes Nickel, which had a post office from 1886 to 1908; as well as Crescent in northwestern Kiowa County. Crescent’s post office operated from 1892 to 1905. If you like the Free Press please tell these Advertisers Farmers Service 125 South Colorado Waterville, KS 785-363-2581 Full Service Mechanic On Duty Services Provided: Gas, Oil Change, Complete Car Care, Car Wash, Licensed Gun Dealer, Interstate Batteries, Hydraulic Hoses, Roller Chains, Oils and Greases BUYING SCRAP IRON Firewood Competitive Pricing per ton for scrap iron. SMITTY’S 785-736-2964 Axtell, Kansas Call Don at 785-629-0028 Don’s Used Cars News 5 Blue Rapids Free Press - Thursday, March 26, 2015 The Conservative Side... Help Wanted The City of Blue Rapids is accepting applications for a summer laborer. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. Applications available at www.bluerapids.org or at city office. Application Help Wanted The City of Blue Rapids is accepting applications for lifeguards, pool manager and assistant manager. Applications available at www.bluerapids.org or at city office. Application deadline is Apr. 7, 2015. EOE. 785-363-7736. Photos & Videos Check out all of the Valley Heights Photos and Videos at bluerapidsfreepress.com Pansies & Violas Wichita Public Schools consider a free meal program The Wichita school district is looking to participate in a program that would provide all students with free breakfast and lunch, regardless of their parent’s income. Though a decision hasn’t been made if the district will be involved with the program, they say the goal is to hopefully feed everyone. According to Kansas Appleseed, a state anti-poverty nonprofit organization, about 20% of Kansas children are food insecure. That means they’re unsure where they’ll get their next meal. It’s the part of the day many students can’t wait for, lunch time. But for some, it’s a time they dread. “Sometimes they have food, sometimes they don’t. but they are always living with some doubt if they are going to have food at the end of the day,” said Benet Magnuson, Kansas Appleseed Executive Director. After pilot run of a program called Community Eligibility Provision (a piece of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act) in other states it’s being offered nationwide. Wichita is eligible because at least one school has 40 percent or more of students who qualify for free or reduced meals. “We recognize that not all our students are able to access a breakfast or a lunch ever day,” said Darren Muci, Wichita Public Schools Operations Division Director. This program aims to feed needy students but also reduce the stigma of filling out paperwork for the free or reduced meals. But Muci said they would still need to develop another form to identify poverty within the school. He said “we would still need in Kansas to have that other form completed so that we can identify funding for at-risk students.” The free or reduced meal applications not only help the school determine how much state funding it gets but families who qualify get reduced or waived fees for textbooks, enrollment, pay-to-play athletic fees and other services. The school district has the ability to pick and choose schools in most need of the program but Muci is afraid this could create labels. He said “you run the risk of having schools identified as ‘oh that’s free food school,’ potential for a stigma existing.” But those at Kansas Appleseed disagree. “This program isn’t about stigma. It’s about our community seizing this opportunity to really support our kids and supporting out schools,” Magnuson said. Other challenges the district faces with implementing this program, it could be costly on their part. The Wichita school district would have to pay the additional costs for schools with fewer than 62 percent of students who automatically qualify for free meals. “We would not receive a reimbursement from the federal government to cover all our operational expenses for nutritional services,” Muci said. Muci told KAKE News about 47 percent of the students in the Wichita district are “identified students” who qualify for free meals without the application. Those at Kansas Appleseed say a program like this would have lasting impacts. Magnuson said “kids that come to school without eating breakfast are much more likely to go visit the school nurse during the day or do worse on a standardized test.” But kids who have meals, “they’re more likely to show up to school on time, more likely to have good behavior, good grades, do well on tests.” The school district has not made any decision yet. The deadline to participate is June 30th for the 2014-2015 school year. Additional Blue Bell Creameries ice cream found with Listeria bacteria TOPEKA, Kan.—The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Department of Agriculture have been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry to further investigate Listeria bacteria found in Blue Bell Creameries ice cream. Listeria has been found in another Blue Bell ice cream product. KDHE with assistance from KDA collected environmental samples from the kitchen area of the hospital affected by the listeriosis outbreak and collected containers from remaining Blue Bell ice cream products in the hospital. The hospital fully cooperated with the investigation. None of the environmental samples from the kitchen tested positive for Listeria. However, one sample taken from an unopened Blue Bell 3ounce single serving ice cream cup tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes bacteria at the Kansas Department of Agriculture Laboratory. That product was made at the Blue Bell Creameries facility in Broken Arrow, Okla., which was not part of the initial listeriosis investigation. Blue Bell has recalled the following 3-ounce ice cream cups with pull tab lids: • Ice Cream Cup Chocolate: No UPC - SKU #453 • Ice Cream Cup Strawberry: No UPC - SKU #452 • Ice Cream Cup Vanilla: No UPC – SKU #451 Blue Bell has reported that the cups recalled are only distributed to institutional settings, meaning hospitals, nursing homes and schools and are not sold in retail locations. More information about the specific products recalled can be found on the Blue Bell website: http://cdn.bluebell.com/BB_wi thdrawal. Potatoes and onion sets at Blue Rapids Greenhouse! 805 Pomeroy 363-7300 Elect Philip Hanson For City Council, Blue Rapids The one for the people not against the people Vote on Tuesday April 7th for Philip Hanson for City Council If you like the Free Press please tell these Advertisers 785-629-0050 Kenneth.Sells @fbfs.com 1019 Broadway, P.O. Box 267 Marysville, Ks 66508-0267 Kenneth L. Sells, Agent Registered Repersentative/Securities & Services offered through EqullTrust Marketing Services, LLC. 5400 University Ave, West Des Moines, Ia 50266, 877860 Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 8:00 – 5:00 Wednesday 8:00 – 6:30 Friday 8:00 – 12:00 Thursday, March 26, 2015 Blue Rapids Free Press 6 Marshall County Commission Minutes March 16, 2015 The Board of Marshall County Commissioners met in regular adjourned session with Robert S. Connell, Chairman; Thomas K. Holle and Charles R. Loiseau members and Sonya L. Stohs, County Clerk present. The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. The Board opened the meeting with the flag salute. The minutes and agenda were approved as presented upon a motion by Thomas K. Holle seconded by Charles R. Loiseau. Unanimous. Sheriff Daniel A. Hargrave met with the Board to present the following bids for financing the 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe patrol vehicle in the amount of $31,703.90. United Bank and Trust, Marysville, KS – 2.59% First National Bank of Frankfort, Frankfort, KS – 3.89% State Bank of Blue Rapids, Blue Rapids, KS – 2.00% Charles R. Loiseau moved, seconded by Robert S. Connell to approve the financing bid in the amount of 2% for the 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe patrol vehicle in the amount of #31,703.90. Unanimous. Center Township Officers Stan Reed, Matt Bergmann, and Greg Strunk; Fire District #3 representatives John Rueger and Gary Bergmann met with the Board to start the process of consolidating Center Township into Fire District #3 through redistricting. Charles R. Loiseau moved, seconded by Thomas K. Holle to approve moving the process forward to consolidate Center Township into Fire District #3 through redistricting. Unanimous. Mike Wilson, Marysville met with the Board to discuss a fence issue in Section 26 of Logan Township . Public Works Administrator Mike Craig and Public Works Coordinating Supervisor Larry Polson met with the Board. Public Works Administrator Mike Craig presented the following bid for assorted bridge planks: Midwest Service and Sales, Schuyler, NE assorted bridge planks- $18,878.40 Thomas K. Holle moved, seconded by Charles R. Loiseau to approve the following purchase orders. Unanimous. Foley Industries, Park City, KS for fuel systems error code problem $509.11-Road & Bridge fund-P.O. # 107984 Midwest Service & Sales, Schuyler, NE for assorted bridge planks $18,878.40-Road & Bridge fund-P.O. # 107991 Mike’s OK Tire, Marysville, KS for tires $520.00-Road & Bridge fund-P.O. # 107990 Public Works Administrator Mike Craig recommended a step raise for Parker Price, Marysville from Laborer at $14.45 an hour to Operator I at $14.95 an hour effective April 1, 2015. Thomas K. Holle moved, seconded by Robert S. Connell to approve a step raise for Parker Price, Marysville from Laborer at $14.45 an hour to Operator I at $14.95 an hour effective April 1, 2015. Unanimous. Public Works Administrator Mike Craig asked the Board for Free Dump Days to be April 18, 25, and May 2, 2015 at the Marshall County Landfill. Robert S. Connell moved, seconded by Thomas K. Holle to approve Free Dump Days to be April 18, 25, and May 2, 2015 at the Marshall County Landfill. Unanimous. Bill Clark, Blue Rapids met with the Board to discuss the brush situation in Wells Township, Section 31 on 14th Road. The Board will contact Wells Township to discuss how they want to clean up this section of road. County Attorney Laura Johnson-McNish met with the Board. Charles R. Loiseau moved, seconded by Robert S. Connell to go into executive session for twenty minutes at 10:24 a.m. to discuss matters of attorney client privilege with County Attorney Laura JohnsonMcNish, Public Works Administrator Mike Craig and Public Works Coordinating Supervisor Larry Polson and County Clerk Sonya L. Stohs present. Unanimous. Greg Strunk, Home met with the Board. Mary Ann Heinen, Blue Rapids met with the Board to ask for a six month extension on their Neighborhood Revitalization application as of March 24, 2015. Thomas K. Holle moved, seconded by Charles R. Loiseau to approve the six month extension on the Neighborhood Revitalization application for Dewaine and Mary Ann Heinen, Blue Rapids as of March 24, 2015. Unanimous. County Appraiser Janet Duever met with the Board to discuss a Neighborhood Revitalization application. Thomas K. Holle moved, seconded by Charles R. Loiseau to approve the foll0wing purchaseorders. Unanimous. Lee Chevrolet, Frankfort, KS for radiator replacement, oil and spark plug change $832.89-General (Sheriff) fund-P.O. # 4779 Glaxo Smith Kline, Atlanta, GA for private vaccine $3,165.30-Health fund-P.O. # 4810 Novartis Vaccines, Philadelphia, PA for private vaccine $4,106.00-Health fund-P.O. # 4811 O’Keefe Law Firm, Seneca, KS for court appointed attorney $1,779.36-General (District Court) fund-P.O. # 4828 Pfizer, Inc., Boston, MA for private vaccine $7,449.34-Health fund-P.O. # 4809 Thomas K. Holle moved, seconded by Robert S. Connell to approve the vouchers, as presented, and issue manual warrants from the respective funds. Unanimous. Robert S. Connell moved, seconded by Thomas K. Holle to adjourn at 11:55 a.m. p.m. Unanimous. The next scheduled meeting will be Monday, March 23, 2015 starting at 9:00 a.m. The Board went to look at a grader ditch on 15th and Navajo Road after lunch. No decisions were made. faces, such as metal polishes and granite cleaners, or your personal preferences, such as wipes and special purpose sprays. Don’t forget to check your supply of vacuum cleaner bags and trash bags. Make a plan Have lunch preplanned, or maybe even delivered so your helpers don’t lose momentum; and make it fun. Hide some favorite treats in places needing to be cleaned. Playing lively music keeps everyone’s energy up. Pair up with a friend. If you live alone or family members can’t help, find a likeminded friend and clean together, your house in the morning, his/hers in the afternoon. If needed, schedule a second day. Call in the professionals. If your budget allows, you don’t have to do every bit of cleaning yourself. Someone else can come in and wash the windows, buff the floors, shampoo the carpets, clean the upholstery, or even do the majority of the cleaning after you’ve removed the clutter. For Sale Onion Plants/ Seed Potatoes Blue Rapids Mercantile 401 East 5th Blue Rapids, Ks. 785-363-7900 Parker Seed D.O. 785-747-8098 Todd 785-562-6687 Come to Parker Seed for your Asgrow and Dekalb needs. HOME NOTES... HOME NOTES – Susan A. Latta - CEA Marshall County Extension Agent and then once spring cleaning is done, decide how to dispose of them. Did you ever think about how the spring-cleaning ritual developed? Before the advent of electricity, homes were heated with coal, oil, and/or wood and lit by gas or candlelight. Soot and grime were the natural companions of winter. Once spring arrived, the doors were thrown open, and everything was aired out, cleaned out, swept out and scrubbed out. Although today’s centrally heated homes don’t collect the intensity of dirt, somehow the winter dingies seem to creep inside. Some recommendations to get you started are: Clear It Out Start by getting rid of the things needlessly filling up your home. Donate it. Items in good condition but no longer fit your lifestyle can be donated to a charity. We have several opportunities to donate here in Marshall County many nonprofit organizations have sales and Habitat for Humanity and Twin Valley Development Centers have thrift shops where items can be donated and then resold to benefit their cause. Inventory Your Supplies Before you start cleaning, make sure you have all the necessary supplies on-hand. The basics should include: All-purpose spray cleaner (for small, washable areas) All purpose powder or liquid cleaner (for large washable surfaces like floors and walls) Abrasive cleanser (to remove heavy amounts of soil in small areas) Non-abrasive cleanser (for gentle cleaning on easily scratched surfaces including porcelain sinks and ceramic tile.) Chlorine bleach (an effective disinfectant, particularly where mold and mildew are present) Glass cleaner Recycle It. Even with the availability of reading online versions, some people still prefer the paper versions. Gather up any newspapers and those magazines no one has ever quite gotten around to reading. Put the papers in a pile and start recycling. Recycling drop off days are available all over Marshall County, and curb side or 24/7 recycling is also available in Marysville. Sell It. Garage sales or consignment sales are a great way to get rid of items in excellent condition but you no longer need. Collect those items in one spot Furniture-dusting product (such as a spray and a clean cloth, or a microfiber cloth, mitt or duster) Toilet bowl cleaner You may also need to add cleaners specific to your sur- Decide on your cleaning style. Some people find it more effective to clean one room at a time. Others prefer to group tasks such as cleaning windows in several rooms at once or leaving all the vacuuming until the end. Prioritize. If one room at a time is your style, decide on the order. Generally, it’s best to do the rooms needing the most work or gets the most traffic first. That way, if your cleaning plans get derailed, you can still be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Consider the big stuff. Do the curtains need to be laundered? What about comforters, blankets, bed skirts, slipcovers, and shower curtains? Are your area rugs and draperies due for professional cleaning? Once these items are removed from the room and on their way to getting cleaned, it will be easier to tackle the rest of the space. Recruit Help It’s not necessary to do everything yourself. Enlist family members. Establish a spring cleaning day. Start early. Assign tasks according to age and ability. If you like the Free Press please tell these Advertisers SALES AND SERVICE OF ALL MAKES T-shirts Sweatshirts Hoodies Jackets Coats Hats Bags Koozies Banners Pens Lots More Mineral Buy 9 get 1 Free 1920 Center St, Marysville, KS 785-562-5000 Thursday, March 26, 2015 Blue Rapids Free Press Kansas woman marks 60 years as pioneer for female attorneys SALINA, Kan. (AP) _ When Connie Achterberg started practicing law more than 60 years, there were very few women attorneys. While attending the University of Kansas in the early 1950s, Connie Achterberg often would pass a group of underclassmen sitting on the stoop of the campus law school building. As attractive female students would walk by, the boys would wolf whistle and make suggestive comments. When young Achterberg walked toward the building, however, they kept their mouths shut and greeted her with respect. ``They let me go through without exhibiting such behavior,’’ she said. ``I didn’t feel put-upon by the boys there. They treated me well.’’ The respect was well-earned. At that time, Achterberg was only one of three women enrolled in her class at the University of Kansas School of Law. This was during a period when most women became homemakers instead of professionals, and the law profession was primarily a boy’s club. Yet Achterberg was able to turn her devotion to the law into a career spanning more than 60 years, first as an attorney for the Kansas Highway Commission and then since 1959 in private practice in Salina. When Achterberg first moved to Salina to open a law office, there were no other female attorneys. Now, she said, Salina has at least 20. Achterberg’s own law firm, Achterberg, Angell & Craft, has three: herself, Samantha Angell and Catherine Craft. ``Having an all-female law firm makes me very happy,’’ Achterberg said. At age 85, Achterberg no longer has to work, but she continues to come to the office at 110 S. Seventh nearly every day and some Saturdays, where she helps clients with estate planning, probate matters and business, tax and real estate laws. ``I still work a full day,’’ she said. ``I like doing this, and I don’t know what else I would do with my days. You can only sit home and read so much.’’ Achterberg believes she provides a valuable service for clients during an often stressful and emotional time of their lives. ``By the nature of the work I do, I do a lot of work with older people,’’ she said. ``By this time, I’ve worked with multiple generations. They can trust me, or they wouldn’t be here.’’ During her long career, Achterberg has won numerous awards for her contributions to the legal profession. She was the first recipient of the Kansas Bar Association’s Professionalism Award and received its Distinguished Service Award. She also was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Alumna Award from the University of Kansas School of Law. Achterberg was born in Grand Island, Neb., and grew up on a farm near Lincoln, Kan. She developed an early interest in the law from her father, who farmed and worked for Northern Natural Gas, where he wrote contracts and purchased land for pipelines. ``That perked my interest in the law, but I hadn’t really settled on it,’’ Achterberg said. ``There weren’t many female lawyers around at that time.’’ Achterberg graduated from Northwestern University in 1950 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. In 1953, she earned a law degree at KU. After graduation, Achterberg was hired as an attorney by the Kansas Highway Commission. During the formative years of the Interstate highway system championed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Achterberg spent four years traveling throughout the state trying cases on behalf of the commission. Although Achterberg said she loved that job, after four years she wanted to settle in one place and open a general practice, the Salina Journal (http://bit.ly/1FQ1ulJ ) reports. ``I settled in Salina because it was close to home, and the highway commission told me if I came here, they would send some local cases for me to work on,’’ Achterberg said. Achterberg opened her first law office in Salina just across the street from her present office at 110 S. Seventh. She rented an upstairs space from Salinan Bob Frederick, who owned an abstract company downstairs. For the first few years of her practice, securing new clients was not easy, especially for a female attorney. When Achterberg joined the American Association of University Women, she said it helped jump-start her career. ``Many of these women were from western Kansas, and a number of them wanted to go to a woman lawyer,’’ Achterberg said. ``They helped me a lot in those days. People usually went to male lawyers, so it would have been hard to get started otherwise.’’ Achterberg tried courtappointed criminal cases but didn’t like that area of the law. Her specialty became estate law, where she helped children with their parents’ estates and ``did a few tax returns when tax season was around.’’ ``I felt it was a useful service, and I liked to do it,’’ she said. Achterberg said she got along well with the male lawyers in town _ in fact, she ended up marrying one: C.L. Clark, of the law firm Clark, Mize & Linville, in 1972. Clark died in 2004. The couple had no children. After about 20 years on her own, Achterberg professionally partnered with another local attorney, Pat Neustrom, to found the firm Achterberg & Neustrom. Neustrom said he and Achterberg were partners for 28 years and still co-own the building together. Neustrom now has his own firm, Neustrom & Associates. Neustrom said Achterberg is a true pioneer for women attorneys in the state. ``She is a good lawyer, with high character,’’ Neustrom said. ``She creates relationships with her clients and takes care of them. There’s about 2,000 people she sends Christmas cards to that she remembers.’’ During her long career, Achterberg was Saline County Counselor from 1973 to 1988 and was appointed to the Board of Governors for the Kansas University Law Society from 1994 to 1997. She is a member of the Saline/Ottawa County Bar Association, Kansas Bar Association and Kansas Bar Foundation. From 1992 to 1994, she served on the Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Committee. Achterberg’s office has been in three different locations in the same South Seventh building, the last at the far north end of the building. ``There’s no place else we can go except the parking lot,’’ she said. Angell was hired by Achterberg in early 2000, soon after Angell graduated from Washburn University, in Topeka. When Angell became a full partner in early 2005, the firm’s name was changed to Achterberg & Angell. Craft was added as a partner in 2014. ``I had known a little bit about Connie through a retired Kansas Supreme Court justice, Harold Herd, who was a professor at Washburn,’’ Angell said. ``He told me I couldn’t find a better mentor than Connie.’’ Angell said Achterberg has been a role model for her and other female _ and male _ attorneys through the years. ``In the 15 years I’ve worked with her, I’ve never heard her say a disparaging thing about anyone,’’ Angell said. ``Whether it’s a client, a judge or another attorney, she never takes anything personally.’’ Angell said she admires Achterberg for being the lone female attorney in Salina until attorney Karen Black moved to town a few years after Achterberg. ``She paved the way for the rest of us, but not in a way that was loud or obnoxious,’’ Angell said. ``She came here, did her job and mentored other female attorneys. She made it easier for all of us.’’ While Achterberg realizes she’s been practicing law for more than 60 years, she doesn’t feel any need to retire. ``It seems almost like yesterday that I started,’’ she said. ``I’m called a female pioneer in law in the state, but I didn’t think of myself as that at the time. I was just doing a job.’’ Pines have several disease and insect problems. One of them is pine wilt disease. It kills the entire tree quickly. Pine wilt is caused by the pinewood nematode, a microscopic worm. The nematode is spread by the pine sawyer beetle. The nematode feeds and multiplies in the tree’s resin canals, causing wilting and death in several weeks to several months. The nematode and beetles spend the winter in the infected tree. In spring, the beetles emerge starting around GENEALOGY WORKSHOP The Arthur Barrett Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution is sponsoring a genealogy workshop on April 11, 2015 from 9:30 – 3:30 p.m. at the Marysville City Hall; 209 N 8th St. The workshop is open to the public. Please call for a reservation as there is limited seating. For reservations call 913-310-0095 or E-mail: [email protected]. Use Arthur Barrett in the subject line. May 1, carrying nematodes to new trees and continuing the cycle of infection. The disease is common in the eastern half of the state, and it is spreading west around 10 miles per year. There have been pockets of infection in the western part of the state. In Kansas, new pine wilt infections are most visible from August to December. Trees wilt and die in a short period of time, from several weeks to a few months. In the first stages, the needles turn grey or green, then yellow and brown. The discoloration sometimes occurs branch by branch, sometimes all at once. With pine wilt, eventually the whole tree dies, within a few months. The brown needles stay on the tree Beattie High School Alumni Banquet May 2, 2015 Beattie Community Center Social Hour 6:00 - Dinner 7:00 pm Reservations by April 27th to: Lynn Holthaus 785-353-2296 or [email protected] Thank You The Family of Robert “Bob” Jackson would like to thank the waterville Ambulance Department, Dr Haefele , Ryan Woodyard, and Clayton Reed. To all who send food, flowers, monetary gifts, and for the visits, your love and support is truly a blessing. Patsy, Buck, Brett, Sammi, Jamie, Travis LAND AUCTION 1:00 PM, Saturday, April 11, 2015 At the farm, 1121 Zenith Road, Blue Rapids, Kansas Breaking the Pine Wilt Cycle Anastasia L. Johnson County Extension Agent 7 for up to a year after the tree has died. Another key symptom is reduced resin. On a healthy tree, sticky resin bleeds from the site of a wound. In contrast, if a tree has pine wilt, the resin is often reduced or absent, and branches become dry or brittle. With other diseases (tip blight, needle blight) only parts of the tree turn brown. With pine wilt, the whole tree is brown and dead. If a tree has pine wilt, the tree should be cut down by April 1 to make sure there is time to destroy the wood by May 1, when the beetles start to some out. Cut the tree to the ground—don’t leave a stump. Chip or burn the wood immediately to destroy the beetles and nematodes. Don’t keep pine wood around for firewood. From the Blue Rapids Elevator go east, then southeast on the gravel road 3½ miles to the intersection of 11th and Zenith Roads. TRACT I: The NE ¼ SW ¼ & the S ½ SW ¼ less 15 acres in the southeast corner, 2-5-7, Marshall County, Kansas This farm, 103 acres, more or less, consists of approximately 94 acres cropland with the balance being waterways. The cropland is Muir, Morrill, and Wymore soils. The 2014 taxes were $1,151.56. TRACT 2: The N ½ NE ¼ & the NE ¼ NW ¼ & the North 165’ of the SE ¼ NE ¼, 10-5-7, Marshall County, Kansas This farm, 120 acres, more or less, consists of approximately 31 acres cropland, 84 acres pasture, and the balance being waterways and timber. The cropland is gently to moderately sloping Tully and Wymore soils. The 2014 taxes were $459.38. TRACT 3: 76 acres, more or less, in the NW ¼ 11-5-7, Marshall County, Kansas This farm, 76 acres, more or less, consists of approximately 55 acres cropland, with the balance being pasture and farmstead. The cropland is Ladysmith and Wymore soils. The farmstead area includes a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom ranch style home with an unfinished basement and attached garage. There is a large shop building, large pole shed, barn, and corrals. The 2014 taxes were $1,500.82. To see the house, call for an appointment or come to the Open House on Saturday evening, March 28th from 6:00–7:30. TRACT 4: The E ½ NW ¼ SW ¼ NW ¼ 12-5-7, Marshall County, Kansas This farm, 5 acres, more or less, is all nearly level Ladysmith soil. The 2014 taxes were $48.97. Terms: Ten (10) percent down, the balance due on or before May 11, 2015. Possession given at closing except on that land that is planted to wheat; possession on the wheat ground will be after the 2015 wheat harvest or August 1, 2015 whichever is sooner. The BETTY JO STRADER Estate William O’Keefe, Administrator Also selling trucks, machinery, shop tools, well drilling equipment starting at 9:00 AM. Auction by: Raymond Bott Realty & Auction Washington, Kansas 785-325-2734, 747-8017, or 7476888 www.BottRealtyAuction.com Professional Real Estate and Auction Service. Thursday, March 26, 2015 Blue Rapids Free Press 8 Classified Continued Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas Ingredients 1 can (18.5 oz) Progresso™ Traditional Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Soup 1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso™ hot or mild enchilada sauce 2 cups shredded cooked chicken 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz) 10 corn tortillas (6 inches) 2 medium green onions, thinly sliced! 8293 Educational MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES NEEDED! Become a Medical Office Assistant! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Online training can get you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & PC/Internet needed! 1-888-589-9683 H e a l t h / M e d i c a l Services/Supplies Got Knee Pain? Back Pain? Shoulder Pain? Get a painrelieving brace -little or NO cost to you. Medicare Patients Call Health Hotline Now! 1800-824-2041 Help Wanted/Truck Driver Butler Transport Your Partner In Excellence. CDL Class A Drivers Needed. Sign on Bonus. All miles paid. 1800-528-7825 or www.butlertransport.com Help Wanted/Truck Driver Convoy Systems is hiring Class A drivers to run from Kansas City to the west coast. Home Weekly! Great Benefits! www.convoysystems.com 1800-926-6869 ext. 303 Help Wanted/Truck Driver Drivers - No experience? Some or LOTS of experience? Let’s Talk! No matter what stage in your career, its time, call Central Refrigerated Home (888) 670-0392 www.CentralTruckDrivingJobs .com Misc. ALL STEEL! Great deals on Sentinel buildings! Specifically engineered for you. Highest quality. Value priced. Expert guidance start to finish. Sentinel Building Systems. 800-327-0790. www.sentinelbuildings.com. Directions 1 Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, stir together soup and enchilada sauce. Spread 1 cup soup mixture in ungreased 11x7inch baking dish. 2 In large bowl, mix 1 cup soup mixture with chicken and 1 cup of the cheese; reserve remaining soup mixture. On microwavable plate, stack tortillas and cover with paper towel; heat on High 1 minute to soften. Place 1/4 cup chicken mixture along middle of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam sides down in baking dish with sauce. 3 Pour remaining soup mixture over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Sprinkle green onions on top. Bake about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly around edges. Classifieds... Answers on page 4 KCAN’s Week of March 22 Business Opportunity CONTRACT SALESPERSON Selling aerial photography of farms on commission basis. $4,225.00 first month guarantee. $1,500-$3,000 weekly proven earnings. Travel required. More info msphotosd.com or 877/882-3566 Educational MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES NEEDED! Become a Medical Office Assistant! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Online training can get you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & PC/Internet needed! 1-888-589-9683 Health/Medical Services /Supplies Got Knee Pain? Back Pain? Shoulder Pain? 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Less than perfect credit OK. 866858-6862 KCAN’s Week of March 15 Auctions Land Auction Thursday March 26th 360 acres +/Dickinson county offered in 5 tracts expired CRP and Pasture. 6 miles North of Chapman, Ks Ruckertauctions.com 785-565- If you like the Free Press please tell these Advertisers Jahnnie A Brake, CFP®, AAMS® Twin Valley Thrift Stores Financial Advisor . 2655 Southwest Wanamaker Road Suite B Topeka, KS 66614 785-271-7088 The Wearhouse 107 Commercial Waterville, KS (785) 363-2490 Blue Valley Senior Living 710 Western Ave. Blue Rapids, Ks 66411 785-363-7777 “We have a warm friendly home like environment that you feel when you enter the door.” UNLOAD YOUR UNWANTED ITEMS, WE’LL PICK THEM UP! Drop off your items at any one of these divisions of Twin Valley Developmental Services nearest to you Wildcat Thrift Next 2 New 507 Williams Beattie, KS (785) 353-2347 107 W. North Hanover, KS (785) 337-2629 Jill L. Gray, D.D.S., P.A. Family Dentistry 107 South 8th Street Marysville, Ks 66508 Office: (785 562-5323 Cell: (785 556-1487 Thursday, March 26, 2015 Blue Rapids Free Press 9 Help Wanted Route 77 Stores in Blue Rapids and Waterville are in need of help for nights and weekends. Pick up applications at either store or call 785363-2641 If you like the Free Press please tell these Advertisers Blue Rapids Mercantile Come Visit Us! Harmony Hills Jams-n-Jellies Peanut Brittle all year long! Affordable Furniture Pieces, Collectibles, Rada Cutlery, etc. Gift Certificates Available 401 East 5th Street (US 77) Blue Rapids, Kansas 66411 785-363-7900 Mon-Sat 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Terry-Christie Funeral Home 308 West Walnut, Waterville 785-363-2627 “A Personal Approach to Service at a Very Personal Time.” www.terrychristiefuneralhome.com Thursday, March 26, 2015 Blue Rapids Free Press 10 Sweet Sixteen Tournament Bracket 2015 Kansas Season Ends With WSU, 78-65 OMAHA, Neb. — In the end, the Shockers simply didn’t miss. No. 2 Kansas got its 17 points from Perry Ellis in the ultra-hyped matchup against his hometown team and even got an additional 17 off the bench from Devonte’ Graham. Yet, No. 7 seed Wichita State had every answer – the biggest being a 60 percent secondhalf shooting performance, to end the Jayhawks’ season in the third round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday afternoon inside CenturyLink Center omaha. More than 22 years spanned the distance between meetings for Kansas (27-9, 13-5 Big 12) and Wichita State (30-4, 17-1 MVC), adding to an already amped atmosphere. For the second-straight game, KU was squaring off against a conference champion after facing New Mexico State on Friday. It also marked consecutive efforts against a highly-experienced roster. Freshman Devonte’ Graham had a career-best three threes and five steals.Every Shocker, with the exception of junior point guard Fred VanVleet, in the starting lineup on Sunday had four years of collegiate basketball to their credit. It showed. What the team lacked in depth and size, it made up for with veteran gamesmanship. Every one of them scored in double figures, led by a game-high 19 points from senior guard Tekele Cotton. VanVleet followed with 17 points, redshirt juniors Ron Baker and Evan Wessel each tallied 12 and senior Darius Carter poste 10 points. Together, the veteran crew scored all but eight of WSU’s 78 points and Overland Park man bitten by shark in Hawaii returns home Ken Grasing, 58, said it was supposed to be a relaxing trip. The family was taking the vacation to celebrate one of their son's high school graduations. "I just saw a dark gray cloud, and I didn't know what it was. The cloud was getting bigger, and eventually I could see it was a shark. I said, 'Oh no! This is a shark. This is a shark attack,'" he said. But the relaxing trip turned into a near death experience for Grasing when he encountered a tiger shark while snorkeling at Hapuna Bay off the Big Island. It all happened Wednesday as the doctor, who currently works at Kansas City VA Medical Center, and his two sons had just finished a snorkeling excursion near a reef. They had noticed some sea turtles swimming rapidly through the water. Grasing said he was standing in about four to five feet of water when the tiger shark suddenly made a bee line for him and bit his left forearm. "I had heard that you should hit the shark in the face, but it's very difficult to hit the shark in the face because there's a lot of teeth that are sharp and it's moving fast and it's happening very quickly, but I did hit it in the side of the head," He said hitting the shark was like hitting a wall. Grasing suffered deep cuts to his left forearm and a gash on his left thigh. He was flown to the Queen's Medical Center for surgery to repair nine tendons, one nerve and a muscle. helped the Shockers hit 16 of their 27 attempts from the floor in the final 20 minutes (25-for-51). Thus, turning a physical, but close, first half into a WSU-dominated second period. KU outdid WSU on the glass (38-32) and at the free throw line, but couldn’t match the Shockers’ hot hand. KU finished the game shooting 35.1 percent (20-for-57) for the game, its lowest performance since the Temple game (32.1 percent). Ellis posted his NCAA Tournamentbest total with 17 points, including a 9-for-10 mark at the free throw line. All but six of those points came after a jarring blow to the nose, an elbow late in the first half that sent him to the lockerroom bloodied before returning with a packed nose. He and sophomore forward Landen Lucas led the rebound effort with eight and 10, respectively. Playing in his first NCAA Tournament, Graham tied his careerhigh with 29 minutes. He used the time to chalk up 17 points, which included a career-best three threepointers. He led the Jayhawks with three assists and five steals – the most by a Jayhawk since Andrew Wiggins a year ago at West Virginia. His mentor, sophomore point guard Frank Mason III, was the only other Jayhawk in double figures with 16. Mason, too, hit three threes but was plagued with five turnovers. By the first media timeout, Kansas’ foul calls quadrupled Wichita State’s made baskets (4-to-1) – setting the stage for the knock-down, drag-out as predicted. Eight minutes in, Wichita State already benefitted from the- bonus. Scoring was labored. Foul calls took its toll on the Jayhawk defensive aggression, while the Shocker defenders forced turnovers by clogging the lane. Both Ellis and junior forward Jamari Traylor responded with jump shots, giving Kansas the slight edge at the midway mark, 14-12. Moments later, Mason added to it. His second trey of the game pushed KU’s lead to five as the Shockers struggled through a 1-for-6 shooting slump coupled with a stretch of four turnovers in three minutes. In its second-round victory against Indiana, WSU set a program record in NCAA Tournament play with just seven turnovers. On Sunday, the Shockers tied that number by the end of the first half. Not 90 seconds after Ellis left the floor with a bloody nose, Wessel drained a three-pointer to cut an eightpoint Kansas lead to five, 24-19. Starting the run that Kansas would never recover. A three from Baker capped a 7-0 run to cut KU’s lead to one and prompt a timeout. Out of the pause, Ellis chipped in a pair of free throws, but a field goal was the real need. The Jayhawks missed sevenstraight as halftime neared, and Wichita State had clearly broken out of its shooting lull. A three-point play from Cotton and an actual three by VanVleet boosted the Shockers in front at the break, 29-26. Mason hit a layup out of the gate, snapping the 13-2 run in which the Shockers ended the first half. Fivestraight points from Cotton in response and another three from Wessel, however, put WSU right back into a 10-2 scoring spree. Self signaled for the timeout, but it did not ignite the intended spark. Back-to-back turnovers resulted in consecutive layups for VanVleet and Baker, pushing the Shocker lead to double-figures, 41-30. With 15 minutes to play, three fouls on Mason and a double-digit deficit – the Jayhawks had no choice. Play or go home. Graham swiped a pass and took it down the floor to the hoop, getting fouled in the process. He made them both to get the lead under 10 – but Wichita State swung hard. A three from Wessel, another from Cotton. Yet, Ellis went hard to the basket, drew fouls and made them count. He nailed six in a row to prevent the Shockers’ hot hand from breaking it open. But Wessel responded his fourth three-pointer of the game to shove the Jayhawks down, 54-40. Kansas pressed on. Graham and Mason both hitting crucial threes. Unfortunately, the three-point shootout favored the Shockers. Zach Brown connected on his first three – WSU’s 10th – of the game, wiping out theireffort. Wichita State simply didn’t miss. Consecutive possessions watched Cotton and Darius Carter each make layups, soaring the Shockers’ secondhalf shooting percentage to 62 percent –and the lead to 69-57. With 2:40 to play, the floor general was whistled for his fifth. If a Kansas comeback was in the cards, the Jayhawks would have to do it without Mason. It wasn’t. KU’s season ended at the final buzzer, 78-65. If you like the Free Press please tell these Advertisers Blue Rapids Auto & Hardware NAPA Auto Parts Do It Best Hardware Hunting & Fishing Licenses Hydraulic Hoses • Saw Chains Corn Stoves • Ammunition Infrared Heaters 10 Public Square, Blue Rapids, Kansas 66411 785-363-7384