15 YEARS AGO

May 21, 2008

Twenty-nine bike riders took off Sunday from Grandview Park in Florence on the Tour de Florence bike ride.

The ride featured a 42-mile scenic route through the Flint Hills of eastern Marion County and western Chase County.

The Florence Labor Day committee sponsored the ride.

Betty Sanders will retire at the end of the school year after 20 years as a para-educator for Marion County Special Education Cooperative.

Monica Spachek and Jenevieve Corona, seventh graders at Marion Middle School, each had 10 inches cut off their hair May 13.

They plan to donate their hair to Locks of Loved, an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

Marion High School golf team took third place Monday at the 3A state golf tournament.

Team members are Jake Bredemeier, Ollie Gemfors, Luke Gordon, Lindsay Hett, Keith Jones, and Landon Leiker. Rex Ostmeyer is their coach.

Stan Williams of Marion is “biggest loser” since he has shed 97 pounds in a Marion County competition.

Williams lost 36% of his total body weight in the four-month program, netting a cash prize of $1,725.