Gazette readers found plenty to talk about in 2008 over coffee or around the water cooler. Some topics were good news; others were tragic and even divisive. Still, even the topics that were hotly debated showed that Emporians and area residents cared about their town and what happens in it and to it.
Here, then, is a look back at the top stories chosen by Gazette staff with input from our online readers.
Somali Farewell
After efforts by the city, various agencies and individuals to bridge the differences with a group of refugees from Somalia, the closing of the slaughter division at Tyson rendered the arguments irrelevant. A get-together was held on February 16 to say farewell to the former Tyson employees who would be leaving town to find work elsewhere. This group included the estimated 400 Somali refugees who had been working at the plant.
The Somalis began arriving in Emporia early in 2006, and while there was a good deal of acceptance by members of the community, there was a considerable amount of resistance as well. Many locals were wary of the immigrants, and raised concerns about a variety of issues, including the cost to Emporia of becoming a resettlement site, the competition for employment opportunities, driving difficulties and health issues, after incidents of latent tuberculosis were found to be present in the immigrant population.
The controversy over the refugees came to a head in November, 2007 at a town hall meeting in the Little Theater. A standing-room only crowd of people showed up to have their concerns addressed by a panel of health officials and representatives of varying companies and agencies.
The audience also included people who were there to plead for tolerance and acceptance. “Let us walk as one,” said one Somali man in an address to the crowd.
Zoo birds
On the night of June 21, three juveniles broke into the David Traylor Zoo, vandalized the property and killed a pair of black swans and a pair of cereopsis geese.
In late July, three youths, Angel Rodriguez, 13, and Andrew Rodriguez and Hernan Hernandez, both 11, were taken into custody and accused of the crimes. The Rodriguez boys pleaded no contest to four counts of cruelty to animals and one count of criminal damage to property with loss less that $1,000. Hernandez pleaded no contest to four counts of cruelty to animals and one count of trespass.
On Nov. 15, the zoo introduced two newly acquired pairs of geese and swans to replace those killed in the incident.
Jones Foundation Tuition Vouchers
A program to benefit students from Lyon, Coffee and Osage counties was so successful in its first year the Jones Foundation board of trustees decided to expand it.
The Jones Foundation Tuition Voucher program was set up for area students who had decided to attend either Emporia State University or Flint Hills Technical College, and originally was to provide each student $500 for the fall semester and an additional $500 for the spring.
Last fall, a total of 190 students benefited from the vouchers — 154 at ESU and 36 at the technical college.
In November, the foundation trustees announced the program’s expansion to cover all four years of a student’s education. According to board member Jeff Longbine, the expanded program meets the foundation’s goal of making education affordable for local students.
“It encourages students from the three counties to seek higher education in our local community,” Longbine said. “It also strengthens ESU and Flint Hills Technical College by adding enrollment to those institutions.”
Smoking ban
On Dec. 3, after months of discussion, the Emporia City Commission passed an ordinance that prohibits smoking in all indoor places used by the public, including bars and restaurants.
The effort was put in motion in July, when the group Clean Air Emporia announced its intention to propose a smoking ban ordinance to the commission. In response, a group called Emporians Open for Business was formed by business owners and community members who opposed the ban.
The ban was passed 3-2, with Commissioners Jim Kessler, Bobbie Agler and Julie Johnson voting in favor, and Commissioners Jeff Longbine and Kevin Nelson voting against.
The ban goes into effect in March 2009. Emporians Open for Business are actively circulating a petition to force a referendum on the issue, but that vote cannot happen until April.
Retail development
Efforts are still underway to bring a Lowe’s to Emporia.
The issue first came up in August, when development company D.J. Christie began the steps to rezone the property northeast of 24th Avenue and Industrial Road from a residential area to a commercial development site to allow for a large anchor store, with outpads for restaurants and smaller retailers.
A September public hearing on the rezoning request drew a large and vocal crowd. Many attendants at that meeting opposed the development, stating that while it is good to attract new businesses, the location was wrong.
At its Oct. 15 meeting, the Emporia City Commission approved the rezoning request.
A final redevelopment plan has been submitted by the developer, and a public hearing on that plan will be held on Feb. 4.
Granada Theatre reopens
On Oct. 3, 79 years to the day after its original dedication, the Granada Theatre reopened its doors.
The rededication came after years spent raising money and restoring the historic building. In all, almost $3 million was raised for the restoration project.
The Granada originally opened in 1929 with a special ceremony that included a speech by William Allen White. Over the years, the theatre’s popularity faded, and the building fell into disrepair. It closed in 1981.
In 1985, the Granada was added to the National Register of Historic Places, but it was still in danger of being torn down. In the early 1990s, the Emporia Granada Theatre Alliance was formed with the goal of saving the building.
Work on the exterior of the building started in 2001. In December, 2003, the alliance’s fund-raising campaign was finished. Work on the theatre was originally scheduled for completion in 2006, but repeated delays forced the date to be pushed back.
Westar’s Emporia Energy Center goes online
In the spring of 2008, Westar’s Emporia Energy Center, located at Roads 200 and S, officially went online with its first phase. A ribbon cutting was held on June 11 to celebrate the opening of the center.
Three technicians and one plant manager operate the 600-megawatt peaking plant, which will is capable of bringing power to more than 400,000 homes. Phase two of construction is set to begin in 2009.
Westar Energy announced its plans in August 2006 to build the plant in Lyon County, which would cost $333 million.
Countywide sales tax
On Aug. 5, voters in Lyon County approved a county-wide 1 percent sales tax, which was set to begin collection on Oct. 1, 2008.
Despite overwhelming voter approval, the sales tax was negated by the state shortly after its passage by voters. Lyon County learned from the Department of Revenue that the tax could not be collected because it exceeds the one percent sales tax cap for the county. The county had two options to deal with the sales tax: re-voting the tax to stay within the one percent cap or ask for special legislation to gain permission to collect more than the one percent tax. Lyon County officials chose to go with the second option and hope a bill will push through at the start of the legislative session this year. The earliest the tax will be collected is April 1, 2009.
Tyson layoffs
On Jan. 25, workers at Tyson Fresh Meats received grim news when the company announced it would close the beef slaughter operation in Emporia. More than 1,500 jobs were lost as a result of the company’s decision. The closing of the plant’s slaughtering operation in Emporia was termed a restructuring move necessitated by the dwindling supply of beef cattle along with a shift in beef cattle production.
In the weeks and months following the cessation of the slaughter operations, the Emporia community rallied around workers to help them cope with the loss of jobs.
Peter Pan Park Playground
It takes a community to build a playground. Hundreds of volunteers built the Peter Pan Playground in May, finishing in five days. The concept that ultimately led to the dream of Peter Pan Playground was born 16 years ago when Mike and Denise Dorcey saw a similar project in Goodland. The dream became a reality when fundraisers were held and $150,000 was raised for the playground.
The playground opened on Sunday, May 4 after the five-day build which saw 330 volunteers on Wednesday, 432 on Thursday, 268 on Friday, 387 on Saturday and 161 on Sunday.
Conviction in Arndt killing
Theron Thomas Kent was sentenced in August to nearly three years in prison for killing Beau Arndt
Kent was convicted June 30 of involuntary manslaughter and two misdemeanors — criminal hunting and criminal discharge of a firearm. The charges stemmed from the Dec. 15, 2007, shooting death of Arndt. The 18-year-old was hidden in a blind while hunting geese with friends when Kent fired a single rifle shot into the field in northwest Lyon County. The shot hit Arndt.
The Arndt family filed a wrongful death suit against the 57-year-old Topeka man about an hour before his sentencing hearing. That case continues through the courts.
Attempted murder to battery
Dwight L. Swafford was charged with aggravated battery on Dec. 15 in Lyon County District Court.
Swafford originally was charged with intentional attempted second-degree murder after shooting and wounding his companion’s 29-year-old son, William M. Calvert, during an altercation in July at the home of Swafford and the victim’s mother.
The attempted murder charge was dismissed Dec. 15, the day Swafford’s trial was set to begin. Hearings in the case will continue in 2009.
hickory (anonymous) says...
what input from the on-line readers? your poll didn't work.
December 31, 2008 at 4:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Happy New Year, one and all. As news stories go, you will all like this very much.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWiXy5...
January 1, 2009 at 7:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
That video is classic!
Let's hope the msm gets that creative with the news. They've had it too easy for too long.
January 1, 2009 at 10:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MeToo (anonymous) says...
Thanks for this nice summary of the events in 2008. And thanks for making the Emporia news available online.
January 1, 2009 at 12:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )