Each Friday, The Gazette salutes those who make Emporia and the surrounding area a better place to live and work. Give these folks a pat on the back ...
NEWMAN HOSPITAL, which learned last week that it has fewer infections after surgery than the national average.
• Sigma Tau Gamma and Chi Omega, who held a charity basketball tournament last weekend to support the United Way.
• All the participants in the Flinthills Mall’s “Festival of Trees” last weekend to raise money for worthy causes.
• Everyone who remembered to take care during last week’s snow and ice. Pam Kvas of Newman’s emergency room said the hospital saw few ice-related falls this time.
• Participants in the Plumb Place art show, who raised $300 for the building’s renovation and $200 for art scholarships.
• The members of this year’s All-Area volleyball team for a fun season: Kylie Haag and Megan Cole of Olpe, Stephanie Goetz of Lyndon, Caley Onek of Flinthills, Jessica Muckenthaler of Emporia, player of the year Lacey Breech of Flinthills and coach of the year Marilyn Stueve of Olpe.
• The students of Emporia State University, who are helping lobby the governor to provide more money for deferred maintenance projects at ESU.
• Logan Avenue Elementary School for its “Kindness Counts” program, where the students raise money to buy hats and gloves for children in need. The program is supported by a grant from the Emporia Public Schools Foundation.
• Logan Avenue students Cyrus Beam, Marcos Diaz, DeVawn Mitchell, Charles Ramirez and Dylan Schlote, who started a “Do Something” club to make a difference. The five are presently holding a toy drive.
• Girl Scouts Hannah Stair, Jenika Wheeler and Laura and Jennifer Knickerbocker, who will be starting a program next year to bring the city’s fourth-graders together in order to prevent future fifth-grade anxiety.
• All the people who are working to help restore the Chase County Courthouse. If you haven’t seen it yet, now is the time — the courthouse is lit up for the Christmas season.