PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

School board changes staff, cuts position

Many staff changes were made at a special meeting of the Peabody-Burns school board Thursday, including the decision to not refill the high school principal position after Tim Robertson resigned earlier this week. Robertson’s duties will be split between existing administrators Ray Savage and Ken Parry.

Spring cleanup begins Monday

Residents are encouraged to take advantage of Peabody’s spring cleanup week to get rid of items they no longer want. Cleanup week begins Monday and continues through May 17. “This is a service the city provides twice a year,” City Clerk Stephanie Ax said. “It is a chance for everyone to get rid of large bulky items or accumulations of things that are no longer needed.”

Consultant says county pay 9% below peers

Commissioners met with County Clerk Tina Spencer in closed session for 40 minutes Monday discussing possible changes in employees’ salary schedules. April 30 during a special payday meeting, Rebecca Crowder of the Austin Peters Group presented a market wage study reviewing all county positions for proper placement within the current pay plan. Overall, she said the county’s wages are nearly 9 percent behind those of its market peers.

Record breaking summer heat arrives early

Summerlike temperatures struck Kansas ahead of schedule this week, but that didn’t stop Forrest Kelsey from planting flowers in his yard Monday afternoon as temperatures surpassed 90 degrees. “Every now and then I take a break and come sit in the shade,” Kelsey said of his strategy for staying cool. “At 85, you take all the breaks you can get.”

Theft might be related to string in Chase County

Eileen and Skip Sieger are being more watchful after thieves broke into a shed less than 60 feet from their house in rural Marion last week. They were enjoying an evening at home when the break-in happened sometime after 8:30 p.m. Eileen said they never heard anything.

Bait shop hopes to fill void for reservoir

Four years ago, Rachael and Tony Naerebout considered filling the void within the county made by the closing of Canada Bait Shop. It wasn’t meant to be at the time, Rachael Naerebout said, but after she and Tony moved to their current house three-quarters of a mile west of Old Mill Rd. on 230th Rd., she felt it was meant to be.

Woman turns wool into figurines

Ruthann Dies of Lehigh had felted before, but nothing like this. After a quick Internet search, she began using wool from her family’s alpaca herd to create small animal figurines. “Once I got the technique, I went from there,” she said.

Andrew Brunner is one Tough Mudder

EBH engineer and weekend warrior Andrew Brunner didn’t know exactly what to expect as he approached the Tough Mudder starting line where a mass of about 5,200 participants gathered Saturday morning at Heartland Park in Topeka. “I was pretty nervous, my heart was racing as we walked down the stairs to the racetrack,” Brunner said. “I didn’t know if I was in good enough shape to do the running and I had been reading articles online about getting shocked.”

Michelle Mosiman receives teacher of the year award

Former Peabody resident Michelle Mosiman, was honored April 29 and named Teacher of the Year by Butcher-Greene Elementary School in the Grandview school district in Missouri. Mosiman has spent eight years in the Grandview District, four at Butcher-Greene where she serves as instructional coach for the school’s teachers and staff.

Outdoor shooting clinic planned

Guests at Marion Wildlife Area at Marion Reservoir on May 31 can participate in free trap, air rifle, and archery shooting for a chance to enhance their shooting and safety skills. An instructor will teach safe and responsible shooting techniques.

Chingawassa buttons on sale

Buttons for Chingawassa Days are on sale through May 31 for $25. They will be $35 at the gate. Chingawassa Days begins June 6 in Central Park in Marion with a community barbecue at 5:30 p.m., a beer garden, and an ice cream social.

Granddaughter, grandmother team up

Shirley Carlson has worked at Hilltop Manor, a housing complex in Marion, for 23 years. Her granddaughter, Carla Tharp, has helped her in the office since she was a freshman in high school.

Goessel garage sales are June 7

City wide garage sales for Goessel have been scheduled for June 7. Contact the city office at (620) 367-8111 or e-mail goescity@mtelco.net by June 5 to have a sale listed on a city map.

Roberta Kyle

Roberta L. Kyle, 48, died Sunday in Hutchinson. She was born Oct. 22, 1965. She is survived by her parents, Twila Lackey and Jerry Partridge; a son, Brian Partridge; two sisters, Virginia Wilson and Angela Todd; two brothers, Warren and Joe Partridge; and nieces, nephews, and grandchildren.

IN MEMORIAM:

Accidents reported

County Jail arrests and bookings

Deeds recorded

Emergency dispatches

Marriage licenses issued

Offenses reported

Police incident reports

Traffic division cases

Ag census report shows same farm acres, fewer farms

The United States Department of Agriculture recently released the final 2012 Census of Agriculture. The number of farms in Kansas during 2012 was 61,773, down 6 percent from the 2007 census.

Wheat heads out, short and stressed

On Friday, Keith Jost of Hillsboro was expecting his wheat to head out in the next week or two. Hot weather on Sunday sent the plants into high gear as heads rapidly emerged from their stalks. After a wheat quality tour across the state April 28 to Thursday by farmers, millers, and agriculture experts, the Kansas wheat crop is expected to yield 18 percent lower than in 2013.

County wheat tour is May 15

Farmers and experts from Kansas State University Research and Extension will tour local wheat crops May 15. The event, sponsored by Cooperative Grain and Supply and Marion County Research and Extension, will feature breakfast at 7 a.m. at the fertilizer plant in Hillsboro before heading on a plot tour at 8 a.m.

Burns resident 1st to purchase auto steering swather

Fans of the green and yellow tractor variety can purchase many types of equipment with integrated auto steer. Auto steer uses GPS to steer a tractor, combine, or other machinery across the field guaranteeing accuracy and efficiency.

Canola helps wheat production as rotater crop

Those driving down Sunflower Rd. near 140th Rd. will see two fields of yellow flowers. To the naked eye it merely looks like a stand of brightly colored weeds, but those that look closer can see those weeds are actually planted in rows. Duane Kirkpatrick has been planting canola for four years in crop rotation preceding wheat. He said it is a growing trend among farmers in southern Kansas and Oklahoma. According to the U.S. Canola Association, there are 1.5 million acres of canola grown in the U.S., mostly in the upper Midwest.

May is Beef Month in Kansas

Kansas is home to more than 5.5 million cattle on farms, ranches, and in feedyards, making it one of the largest producers of beef, with an estimated revenue of more than $7 billion statewide. In recognition of that, Gov. Sam Brownback has designated May as Beef Month. Information about beef’s nutritional qualities, as well as recipes and other information, can be found online at www.kansasbeef.org and www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com.

KSU panel discusses global food challenges

Feeding 7 billion people around the world is difficult enough, but in the next 30 to 40 years the world’s population is expected to grow by another 2 billion. The challenges posed by that were the topic of discussion during a panel of experts Monday at Kansas State University. “(The world’s farmers) will have to produce as much food in the next 40 years as we’ve produced in the history of our planet,” approximately 10,000 years of human existence, said John Floros, dean of the Kansas State University College of Agriculture.

Observations from the big Gypsy sale

Most of you know that the Married Daughter also is the proprietor of the Flint Hills Gypsies emporium downtown. I generally keep mum about the merchandise she carries except on rare occasion when something jumps out at me and makes me think, “Oh my, what would her grandmother say?” From time to time, there is a certain edge to some of the inventory that makes me wonder if I messed up years ago with the talk about what is appropriate and what is not. However, I try and pull myself back to my own growing up years and the music, clothing, and ideas we had back in the 1960s and 1970s that already rocked the world of that grandmother about whose innocence I am now concerned. I know change happens. I try to accept what young adults believe and enjoy, but sometimes it is almost out of reach.

Days of Yore

Officer James Philpott of the Peabody Police Department completed basic training at Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center at Hutchinson. LaVonne Ammeter worked in the canteen Thursday for the bloodmobile at the Methodist Church in Peabody with Mildred Buller, Paralee Bloomer, Marge Gray, and Gwen Gaines.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:

Tabor musicians to perform with orchestra members

The Tabor College Concert Choir and Concerto Bella Voce are teaming up to perform John Rutter’s Rutter’s “Requiem” is a 40-minute work for chorus, orchestra, and a soprano solo. The orchestra is comprised of members of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, which will provide a professional combination with the choir.

County seniors socialize

Peabody Achievers give project reports

Peabody Achievers 4-H Club met Sunday in the Peabody-Burns Elementary School music room. President Brandon Entz called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. and junior secretary Morgan Gaines called the roll. Last month’s minutes were read and approved. Treasurer Anna Lubbers gave the financial report.

Cemetery board will meet May 15

The board of directors of Prairie Lawn Cemetery will meet at 7:30 p.m. May 15 in the Peabody City Building. This will be a regular board meeting.

Blood donations sought in May

There will be an opportunity to donate blood from 2:15 to 6:30 p.m. May 19 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Marion. To make an appointment or for more information, call (800) 733-2767 or visit http://www.redcrossblood.org.

Free development screening is May 19

A free screening for children birth through 5-years-old will be May 19 at the Hillsboro United Methodist Church. Appointments will be available from 12:30 to 3 p.m.

Community Barbecue is Thursday

Residents of Goessel can enjoy a barbecue pork dinner and concert from the high school music department Thursday. Dinner will be from 5 to 6:45 p.m. and the concert will begin at 7 p.m.

BURNS:

HOPE IN THE HEARTLAND:

WONSEVU:

Daugherty named KCAC most valuable male athlete

Many athletes achieved season and personal bests, set school records and met national track and field meet qualifications for Tabor College this weekend at the conference championship at Bethel College. Junior Garrett Daugherty was named the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference most valuable athlete after scoring the most points in the meet. He anchored the winning 4x800-meter relay team, won the 1,500-meter run, placed second in the 800, ran the second leg of the school record-breaking 4x100-meter relay team, and anchored the 4x400-relay team. Both the latter relay teams placed second.

Bluejays dominate all-conference awards lists

After winning the regular season conference title, the accolades keep coming for Tabor College baseball players. In the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, head coach Mark Standiford was named coach of the year; outfielder Kirk Rocha, player of the year; Jacob Webb, co-pitcher of the year; and infielder Colton Flax, freshman of the year.

Track athletes continue to improve

The Peabody-Burns track and field team was the smallest school competing at the James Thomas Invitational Friday in Hillsboro, struggling to score points. Despite both teams’ disadvantages, coach Brian Lightner said the boys and girls gained experience and set several personal records in the process.

Students to graduate from Pittsburg State

Two Hillsboro and one Peabody resident will graduate from Pittsburg State University this semester. Gradates are Justin Wodke with a bachelor of applied science and Creigh Thomas Bell with a masters in science of Hillsboro and Traylee Michele Woodruff of Peabody with a bachelor of science in nursing.

Several Bible school sessions offered in Goessel

Children 4 years old by Sept. 1 through current 6th graders are eligible to attend vacation Bible school in Goessel. Two sessions will be held, 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. June 2-6 at Tabor Mennonite Church from, and from 9 a.m. to noon at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church.

Goessel graduation is Saturday

Goessel High School will have commencement at 7 p.m. Saturday in the high school gym. Fifteen seniors will graduate this year. Social studies teacher and senior class sponsor Wes Schmidt-Tieszen will speak at the ceremony. Rehearsal will be 8 a.m. May 9.

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