What a Year
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Originally published 06:00 a.m., December 26, 2009
Updated 08:02 a.m., December 26, 2009
If there’s a theme for 2009 in Emporia, it could be “The Year of the Smoking Ban” or “The Year of Giving.”
Looking back through our files at the stories we covered, we continually came upon articles tracking the process of passing a citywide smoking ban. We also found numerous fundraisers planned to benefit Emporians and those with ties to the Emporia area who were facing catastrophic health or other economic issues.
Starting today, we’ll look back at the stories that filled our pages in 2009. The dates connected to them are the date of publication. We’ll conclude our walk down Memory Lane next Saturday, Jan. 2, as we enter 2010.
January
2 Demolition work resumed on the old University Inn, 1839 Merchant St. Oxbow Development Company planned to build a 49-unit “Grade A” apartment complex, primarily for Emporia State University students, on the site.
Lydia Rose Martin was the first baby born at Newman Hospital after midnight on Jan. 1. Parents are Kadie Watkins and Mick Allen Martin.
3 The Flying J truck stop and restaurants on West Highway 50 remained open and operating, after the national company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late December 2008.
5 David Bud Allan Lehnherr, 17, of Cottonwood Falls, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in Chase County District Court, in the death of Brittney Marie “Boo” Hajny on Aug. 14. The girl was a passenger in an SUV that overturned; Lehnherr was driving.
6 Steel girders rose quickly southeast of Emporia, where construction of the new Hill’s Pet Nutrition plan was in full swing.
7 Julia Stowe was introduced as the new chief nursing officer for Newman Regional Health.
8 Emporia firefighters prepared to begin installing 450 free smoke detectors for homeowners around the county. The detectors and the work costs were paid for through a $1,699 grant from the Kansas Department of Health’s fire-prevention project.
The City of Emporia lent $200,000 to Glendo Corp., which committed to create six new jobs and purchase a new piece of equipment.
County commissioners voted 2-1 not to raise their salaries. Bob Davis and Marshall Miller, who had not run for another term on the commission, voted in favor of the raise that would benefit their replacements, Teresa Walters and Rollie Martin. Commissioner Scott Briggs, who would have benefited, voted against the raise.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced that no health hazard existed to prevent construction of another Wendy’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers restaurant at Sixth Avenue and West Street. The site has stood vacant for months, while environment officials determined whether the ground had been polluted by a former gas station at the location.
Emporia school district first-year teachers Gina Langley and Tiffany Shogren won Horizon Awards from the Kansas Department of Education.
9 The home of Delbert and Ethel Swift of Americus burned to the ground, in the first of several serious house fires that plagued Americus residents this year.
10 With just two weeks left, only two candidates had filed for three open seats on the Emporia City Commission. Dari Delite moved its restaurant from its home on East 12th to a new location near 12th Avenue and Graphic Arts Road.
12 Emporia Police resurrected the old Neighborhood Watch program in an effort to make Emporia a safer place to live.
Kansas legislators faced a tough budget outlook as they returned for the 2009 session, with the state in a $186 million budget hole that was growing monthly.
Flint Hills Technical College announced a record enrollment for the spring semester, with a head count of 457 students.
14 The United Way of the Flint Hills celebrated a fundraising drive that brought in $553,000 of its $600,000 goal. The drive was up against a sluggish economy and layoffs at local businesses and plants.
Candidate filings for boards of education across the county were dribbling in at the Lyon County Clerk’s office.
15 A freeze in state funds prompted Resource Center for Independent Living employees to picket the local office of the Social and Rehabilitation Service here.
Bruce Vanderman of Madison pleaded no contest Wednesday to amended charges of vehicular homicide, a Class A misdemeanor, and battery, a Class D misdemeanor, in the death of Jerry L. Williams of Emporia. Williams died when Vanderman attempted to pass a semi-tractor trailer and collided head-on with Williams’ pickup truck.
16 RES Americas began to consider Lyon County and a small part of Osage County as a potential site for a 25,000-acre wind energy project.
Sara Shaw resigned as director of Camp Alexander and accepted a job at White Memorial camp near Council Grove.
19 Jade Gagskill and Jacob Torres were crowned EHS’s queen and king of winter sports during a game against Washburn Rural High School.
Bob Dole gave $150,000 to the Kansas Historical Society. A portion of the funds will benefit the William Allen White State Historic Site in Emporia.
20 Mary Helmer announced that she would not run for another term on the Emporia Board of Education because of personal and professional demands on her time. She left the door open, however, for a run in a future election.
22 School board member Mike Crouch had filed for re-election to the board, but the candidate slate remained short. Only two people, Crouch and Brent Windsor, had filed for three open seats.
Chamber of Commerce chairman of the board and Realtor Joel Phipps in a question-and-answer interview said that the Emporia economy was “steady and sound,” with a healthy number of homes for sale.
23 The new bridge on Graphic Arts Road over Interstate Highway 35 opened. The street had been closed since July 2007, when the project began.
26 Opponents of a ban on smoking in public places submitted petitions to force the issue to be voted on by Emporia residents.
Emporia Middle School teacher Jeline Harclerode was named Emporia’s Master Teacher by the Emporia National Education Association.
27 A delegation of Emporians, led by Jesse Solis, were at the Kansas State House to present a Braille flag to the legislature.
Emporia was short on candidates for public office. Three incumbents registered for the three open seats on the Emporia City Commission and four candidates filed for three vacant seats on the board of education.
29 Jurors in a potential retrial of two people convicted of murder in the death of Emporian Mary Clark may have less evidence on which to base a verdict. Chief Judge Merlin Wheeler ruled that a substantial amount of evidence used in previous convictions of Marcy Carapezza and Jason Hughes had been tainted and could not be used at the retrial ordered by the Kansas Supreme Court. A consultant tells city officials of the potential for business if a Lowe’s store is built at the intersection of 24th Avenue and Industrial Road.
Signatures were validated on a petition to force a proposed smoking ban to a city-wide vote. Lyon County Clerk Tammy Vopat said the issue would be on the April 7 election ballot.
Newman Regional Health officials report a $1.5-million loss for 2008.
30 Former ESU registrar Jill Megredy made a first appearance in Lyon County District Court on charges that she had stolen $4,100 from an organization when she was treasurer of the group.
After months of study, the Law Enforcement Task Force determined that consolidating police and sheriff’s departments was not financially feasible.
February
3 More than 420 people were challenged to fight consolidation of the state’s Conservation Commission with the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Opponents of consolidation feared conservation districts would be eliminated if the legislature approved the plan.
4 The Hopkins Foundation pulled an estimated $30,000 in funding from Camp Alexander, saying that drops in the financial market had slashed the amount of money available for donations.
Emporia teachers Jeline Harclerode and Joni Black were nominated for Kansas Teacher of the Year in secondary and primary divisions, respectively, by the Emporia National Education Association.
A global search of the National Marrow Donor Program found only one compatible donor for former Emporian Lisa Spillman Mesa, 32, of Broken Arrow, Okla. Mesa was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia less than two months after the birth of her second child.
5 The Kansas House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow Lyon and Rawlins counties to exceed their one percent sales tax cap. Local voters had approved a sales tax increase in the Aug. 7, 2008, election. The Kansas Department of Revenue later notified the county that the tax would not be collectible without special legislation. City commissioners passed a resolution that put a smoking-ban ordinance on the ballot for the April 7 election.
6 An announcement came that Winter Furniture Store was to close on March 2, after 76 years in business. Owner Dick Winter, son of founder Ben Winter, blamed the sagging economy on the closing.
An interlocutory appeal was to be filed today in the cases of Marcy Carapezza and Jason Hughes, who had been granted retrials for their convictions in the murder of Emporian Mary Clark. Special prosecutor Rod Symmonds notified Chief Judge Merlin Wheeler of his intent to appeal Wheeler’s decision during that much of the evidence given in the pair’s earlier trials was tainted.
9 Don Capes was found dead inside his home, after fire almost destroyed the house in the 1000 block of Lincoln Street.
Former Emporian Debbie Staton Beebe, now 46, was to be a contestant on “Survivor: Tocantins the Brazilian Highlands” when the popular CBS television series started a new season in three days.
Interstate Bakeries Corp. emerged successfully from bankruptcy, with plans to begin emphasizing sales of Nature’s Pride products, a line that has no artificial colors or preservatives, no high fructose corn syrups and no trans fats.
10 Brian Pekarek, Emporia Middle School assistant principal, submitted his resignation, reportedly to acept a job as superintendent of schools in another district.
11 Bonds were set at $40,000 each for Mary Faith Carapezza and Jason Hughes as they wait to hear what will happen with their re-trials on charges connected with the murder of Emporian Mary Clark. Much of the evidence in their cases was declared tainted and cannot be used in re-trials. The ruling on the tainted evidence has been appealed, and Carapezza and Hughes remained in jail, unable to make their bonds.
12 The Emporia board of education voted to spend $36,028 to hire Custom Energy Solutions to conduct an energy audit of all of the district’s properties. The board wanted to see where energy was being wasted and how much money could be saved if energy-saving measures were implemented.
13 School Superintendent John Heim testified before the Kansas House of Representatives about the negative effects of school budget cuts that had been threatened after state revenue failed to meet projections.
The Kansas Senate had passed a bill to allow Lyon County an exemption from a 1 percent cap on its sales-tax authority. Local voters had approved the sales tax on Aug. 5, but the county was unable to institute the tax after the Kansas Department of Revenue warned commissioners the tax was illegal.
18 About 50 Kansas National Guard soldiers from the Emporia area were among 180 scheduled to go to Saudi Arabia on a three-week training mission with the Saudis.
The local 1 percent sales tax hit another snag en route to being able to collect additional tax monies for Lyon County. Because Kansas belongs to a compact that has “streamline tax,” the county will have to wait an additional 60 days before it can up the tax rate. The state requires that taxing entities give vendors 60 days’ notice before a tax can be implemented.
James A. Roberts purchased Natasha’s Billiards and Lounge for $180,000 for the real estate and $25,000 for the inventory in the business at 627 Commercial St. Natasha’s was auctioned to satisfy debts to the Internal Revenue Service, ESB Financial, the Small Business Administration, and the Lyon County Treasurer.
19 City commissioners voted to delay implementing a smoking ban ordinance until after the April 7 election. Commissioners voted 3-2 on the matter, with Kevin Nelson, Jeff Longbine and Bobbie Agler voting for the delay and Julie Johnson and Jim Kessler voting in favor of going forward with the ban on March 3.
The city commission voted 5-0 to create a Transportation Development District to finance part of the costs of infrastructure improvements at 24th Avenue and Industrial Road, where a Lowe’s home improvement store is to be built. The development is being coordinated by D.J. Christie of Overland Park.
20 Police were looking for vandals who had run over street signs and mowed down wooden signs in Jones Park in recent days.
ESU instituted a hiring freeze after estimated budget cuts wounded finances more deeply than anticipated. A drop of in enrollment of 164 students further complicated the university’s tight budget.
21 Glendo Corp. announced it was laying off an unspecified number of workers because of the economic recession underway.
Lowther North Intermediate School student Meg Detwiler placed first and Neosho Rapids Junior High School eighth-grader Gabriel O’Connor placed second in the Lyon County Spelling Bee. They will represent this area in the regional bee, to be held in Topeka.
Vandalism to county road signs in Lyon County amounted to almost a half-million dollars in the past 12 years, according to County Engineer Chip Woods. In addition to the cost, damages to and destruction of the signs creates hazardous situations for drivers who travel the roads.
23 Long-time Emporia businessman Ben Winter died at the age of 101.
24 The St. Patrick’s Day annual auction raised about $6,600, to be split between the Learning Center at the First Christian Church and the Young Thespian Players. The annual auction to benefit the Flint Hills Technical College was scheduled to be held several days later.
26 Newman Regional Health announced it would drop three programs as part of a restructuring plan to buoy the hospital’s dwindling income. Newman trustees voted unanimously to cut the Newman Home Health office, Recovery Road, and the Employee Assistance Program.
27 City commissioners approved two stimulus projects and tabled three applications for funds, while LCAT made plans to apply for stimulus funds to improve public transportation.
28 The Emporia Rescue Mission and Abundant Harvest soup kitchen were down to about $10 in the checking account, when director Lee Alderman learned the agencies could be eligible to receive $40,000 from the Annual $1 Million Giveaway from Alan Shawn Feinstein, if he could raise a matching $40,000 by April 30. Food donations, as well as cash and checks, could be counted toward the matching contribution.
March
2 The Emporia High School wrestling team’s state title win was The Gazette’s Page 1 feature story. The title was the first for the team since 2000. Sal Tovar, wrestling at 135 pounds, and Lorenzo Serna, at 285 pounds, took championships at the tournament.
A public meeting was scheduled to discuss the possibility of creating a historic district from 12th Avenue to the railroad tracks and extending from one to four blocks wide. The district would make it easier to obtain funding for restoration projects and would make buildings eligible for larger rebates under the Neighborhood Revitalization Project.
Volunteers in the annual Polar Bear Plunge for local Special Olympics athletes raised a record $21,777 by leaping, in costumes, into an ice-cold Mouse Lake.
3 A total of 92 potential bone-marrow donors registered with the National Marrow Donor program, in a drive in honor of former Emporian Lisa Spillman Mesa, who had needed a donor to combat acute myelogenous leukemia. Mesa’s former boss, Greg Bachman, organized the drive to bring attention to the need for donors.
4 A search began to hire a replacement for Kayla Oney, who had resigned as director of Emporia Main Street.
Former Emporian Lisa Spillman Mesa moved out of Baylor University Hospital in Dallas to continue recovering from a stem-cell transplant.
The former Emporia Rehabilitation Center on West Logan Avenue was to be transformed as a new senior meals kitchen for the community. A campaign to raise $200,000 for the project was begun by the North Central Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging.
5 Sales tax revenues were down in Lyon County, and commissioners said the tax numbers were the third-lowest in many years.
The city approved a repair plan for the old Soden’s Grove Bridge at a cost of $22,696.25.
RuYi Restaurant, offering an assortment of Asian foods, had opened at 1113 Commercial St.
6 Gary N. Drawbaugh of Emporia made his first appearance in Lyon County District Court on theft charges involving contracts his company had with the federal government.
Luis Rojas-Marceleno scuffled with officers in Lyon County District Court and had to be subdued and handcuffed after he was found guilty of raping a child under 14 years of age.
Michael S. Wagner, 27, of Hutchinson pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he burglarized several Kansas airports, including the Emporia Municipal Airport.
7 Lyon County received $70,735,000 in stimulus funds. A portion of the money was to go to the Emporia Police Department.
9 Plans were announced for an $18.5 million renovation project at the Emporia State University Memorial Union. Students were to vote in April on a fee increase to pay part of the costs through a tuition and fees increase.
10 Lougene Marsh resigned as executive director of the Flint Hills Community Health Center, to accept a similar position in Johnson County.
ESU President Michael Lane pledged to do whatever he could to avoid layoffs, furloughs and tuition increases because of further budget cuts for Regents schools.
11 The Emporia Arts Council, the Emporia Granada Theater Alliance and Emporia Main Street all received grants from the Kansas Arts Commission. The Symphony in the Flint Hills, Burlington School District, and the Osage City Area Arts Council also received funds from KAC.
12 Newman Regional Health Administrator Bob Driewer told Lyon County commissioners that the hospital could save more than $3 million in interests payments if the commission would create a Public Building Commission to help the hospital refinance its debts.
13 Despite a shortfall in estimated sales-tax collections, the Lyon County budget looked healthy for the first two months of the year. Collection of a newly approved 1 percent sales tax was delayed, after the Kansas Department of Revenue informed county officials that the full 1 percent tax pushed them over the county’s allowable limit for taxing. Legislators continued to work to get an exemption for Lyon County on the tax limit.
16 Meg Detwiler, sixth-grader at Lowther North Intermediate School, placed fourth in the regional spelling bee in Topeka. Detwiler had won the county competition. Gabriel O’Connor, Neosho Rapids eighth-grader, took eighth in the regional contest.
17 Looking for additional funds for the state budget, legislators were drawing fire from youth organizations for a proposal that would require the groups to charge sales tax on their cookies and other sales items. Advance voting was to begin for the April general election. Among the issues on the ballot was a proposal to institute a smoking ban in Emporia.
18 Emporian Norman S. Kidd pleaded guilty in federal court to distributing child pornography on the Internet.
19 Two young boys slain in Kansas City were sons of former Emporia State University standout football player Gerard Clemons. The boys were staying overnight with their aunt. Police went to the scene after the aunt failed to answer the telephone when Clemons called her the following morning.
The city commission approved resurfacing Commercial Street from Third to 12th Avenue as part of a KLINK project with the state. Kansas Department of Transportation is expected to pay $200,000 of the $420,021 cost of the project, set to be done in 2011.
Casey Woods was chosen a the new executive director of Emporia Main Street, replacing Kayla Oney, who resigned earlier to become director of marketing and events for the Columbian Theatre in Wamego.
20 The Mary Louise Meder Trust gave $33,535.68 to the Lyon County Historical Society. Meder, who died in March 2008, had been a professor of library science at Emporia State University.
21 An aggravated battery charge against Dwight Swafford was dismissed in Lyon County District Court. Swafford originally had been charged with intentional attempted second-degree murder, after he shot and injured his long-time companion’s son, William Calvert, who came to the Swafford home in an argumentative mood twice the day of the shooting and had several confrontations the day of the shooting with his mother and with Swafford. The final quarrel, in which Calvert was shot, involved Calvert knocking his mother to the floor during an attack on Swafford. Calvert’s mother suffers from a debilitating chronic disease.
24 James W. Foremsky and his wife, Susan, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges connected to the embezzlement of $2.6 million from Vektek manufacturing company of Emporia. James Foremsky had been Vektek’s chief financial officer.
25 Deputy Police Chief Mike Williams was no longer employed by the city of Emporia, according to an anouncement from City Manager Matt Zimmerman. Williams had been on paid suspension for three weeks. City officials refused to talk about the reasons for Williams’ ouster.
26 Creation of an historic district continued to be discussed by the city commission. The district would make grants and other funds more accessible by local businesses, but also would place restrictions on what property-owners in adjacent areas could do with their properties.
27 Marion National Bank announced plans to open a branch in Emporia at Seventh Avenue and Commercial Street. Daryl Flager, former vice president at Lyon County State Bank, would manage the Emporia location.
28 The Emporia Arts Council had less than $200,000 of its $2.8 million goal remaining to raise before it could begin construction on a new building next to the Granada Theatre.
Chase County school district needed to make stringent cutbacks in its budget, after an aberration in the school finance formula caused the district to be considered “wealthy.” The small number of students and a vast amount of pasture and farmland combined to skew the formula numbers against Chase County.
The state parole board announced that convicted murderer Frank Pencek again would be denied parole. Pencek kidnapped, raped, and murdered Elizabeth Bush as she worked at Milford Lake near Junction City. Bush’s family Don and Norma Bush and sister Carol Coffman live in rural Emporia.
30 Fundraisers were underway to raise money to replace the leaking roof at the Emporia Senior Center and to purchase the former Emporia Rehabilitation Center to open an Emporia Fellowship Meals program with an on-site kitchen.
31 Two men convicted of the brutal murder in 2005 of Robin Bell received “hard 50” sentences in Wyandotte County District Court. Robert Haberlein, 17 at the time of the killing, and John Backus, then 20, tortured and killed Bell as she closed a Dollar General Store for the night in Bonner Springs. Bell was the stepmother of area residents Ashlie Marx-Bell of Emporia and Erin Bell Graybeal of Madison.
April
1 Emporian Vatthana Vongtheva, 28, was killed in an accident at the Iatan 2 construction site in Weston, Mo. Vongtheva graduated from the Flint Hills Technical College in May 2001.
A bill to help resolve a voting issue in Neosho Rapids was sent to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius for her signature. Neosho Rapids was trying to sell its natural-gas company to Black Hills Energy. A majority vote of all 155 “qualified” voters was required; however, many of the “qualified” voters had died or moved from the area and had not been removed from voter rolls. City officials feared gaining a majority under those circumstances would be difficult.
The Camp Alexander board of directors announced it had hired LeLan Dains as director to replace Sara Shaw who became director of the White Memorial Camp in Morris County.
2 City commissioners rejected plans for creation of a historic district in downtown Emporia. Lack of time and information were cited as the reasons. Peking Express Sushi opened at 1128 Merchant St. The restaurant was the first to offer sushi in Emporia.
3 Friends had set up a fund to help defray medical expenses for Allen resident Bob Lowder. Lowder and his wife, Charolette, own the Main Street Pub in Allen. He had emergency heart surgery on March 26 and was suffering from post-surgery complications.
The David Traylor Zoo of Emporia celebrated its 75th anniversary with special activities. The zoo has been renamed to include Traylor, the first full-time director of the zoo.
4 A film company from New York was in the area to begin filming a documentary on prairie fire. Although the documentary will be independently produced and offered for sale, some of the professionals involve are associated with HBO and other cable networks.
6 County Commission Chairman Scott Briggs told commissioners that collection of a new sales tax will begin July 1. He said a push was under way to create a Public Building Commission that will help Newman Regional Health refinance loans at a better rate.
7 Voter turnout was brisk in the general election, which included a vote on a no-smoking ordinance in the city of Emporia. Four candidates were up for three school board seats, and three sitting city commissioners had filed to fill three seats on the commission. Fernando Vergara, a new U.S. citizen, was voting here for the first time.
8 More than 60 provisional ballots waited to be counted before a decision could be made on whether the city would have a no-smoking ordinance. The vote on Tuesday showed the anti-smoking side leading by 11 votes, 2,336 for to 2,325 against. Amy Scheller, Mike Crouch and Brent Windsor were elected to the Emporia board of education.
Raffles of a classic Camaro, a Metro convertible and a series of activities were being planned to raise funds for Dan Tebbetts, local businessman who was diagnosed with bladder cancer and had suffered a setback when the cancer became aggressive and spread.
9 ESU students voted to approve a fee increase that will help fund a $18.5 million renovation at the Memorial Union on campus.
A proposal to allow the Emporia Recreation Commission to levy its own property taxes drew fire from Emporia Board of Education members. The board wanted the commission to have a more concrete plan and contracts in place for responsibilities before it would approve the proposal.
10 Jessica Buchholz, an ESU graduate and a native of Chase County, was hired to be director of the Granada Theatre. She will replace Doug Ford, who planned to move to Wichita.
11 Emporia got a smoking ban by a margin of six votes, after the vote count was certified. The final vote count was 2,369 in favor of the ban and 2,363 against. The ban could begin immediately, but was delayed until midnight.
14 Ballots from the city’s smoking-ban ordinance vote were to be recounted today, after local attorney Mike Helbert asked for a recount. Helbert put up a $250 bond that will be used to pay recount expenses, if the count does not change the result.
Members of the Emporia Recreation Commission agreed they needed to devise a comprehensive management plan before they could go forward with a proposal to institute their own 2-mill levy on property taxes.
15 A recount of the smoking-ban election results showed no change, and the city continued with its new ban on smoking in public places.
David Foley of rural Clements was sentenced to seven months in prison, then placed on 12-months’ probation, for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. Foley was accused of pointing a gun at Chase County Sheriff Richard Dorneker and threatening to kill him, after Dorneker was called to the home to check Foley’s welfare. He had not been seen since his girlfriend left the Foley home after a domestic dispute. Foley pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of criminal threat.
16 About 150 people gathered in White Memorial Park for a “Tea Party” to protest taxes and other national issues. The Emporia Police Department would apply for stimulus money to help pay wages for two officer positions that currently were vacant.
19 A delay at the state level in printing the bill to facilitate an election at Neosho Rapids was putting pressure on the city’s drive to sell its natural-gas company to Black Hills Energy.
20 Weekend fundraisers brought in more than $21,000 for two Lyon Countians suffering from medical problems. The events helpd Emporia businessman Dan Tebbets and Allen businessman Bob Lowder.
22 Neosho Rapids officials needn’t have worried about the deceased or long-gone voters that threatened an effort to get approval to sell the city’s natural gas company to Black Hills Energy. Neosho Rapids voters came together and voted unanimously to approve the sale during a special election. State legislators had passed special legislation to help the city rid itself of the need to get majority approval numbers based on non-existent voters.
Rob Wasinger, formerly an aide to U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, announced he would be a candidate for the First Congressional District seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran.
23 Shawnda Mitchell, 20, of Americus died from injuries received when her vehicle crossed the center line on U.S. Highway 50 and struck a semi-tractor trailer coming from the opposite direction.
The city received $360,000 in ARRA money, to help replace the basin train at the water plant.
Income improved during March for Newman Regional Health, according to a report presented to the hospital’s board of directors. A cash increase of around $838,000 was reported during the period, when estimates had projected a decrease.
27 Health agencies began to prepare for H1N1 flu as it began to spread into the United States.
Thunderstorms that rolled through Lyon County left heavy damage to roads and flooding in much of the county.
29 The “Help Is Here Express,” a Partnership for Prescription Assistance bus, was to stop in Emporia to help uninsured residents get information on more than 475 patient-assistance programs. The visit was sponsored by the Flint Hills Community Health Center.
Officials with the Cultural Mission of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia were at Emporia State University to talk with ESU officials about expanding the ESU-Saudi education program.
30 Logan Miller, grandson of Emporians Marshall and Sharon Miller, could be seen at the Flinthills 8 Cinema in his role as a young Matthew McConaughey in the movie, “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.”
May
1 School Superintendent John Heim was in Washington, D.C., to visit with senators and representatives about what might become available for school districts from federal stimulus monies.
Emporia State University director of public relations Marjorie Werly announced a pandemic response plan in case of a public health emergency over H1N1 influenza.
4 Natasha’s bar re-opened under new ownership. James A. Roberts Jr. bought the bar, which had been closed since late summer because of tax and financing problems of former owners.
5 Longbine Auto Plaza was planning a special reception to debut the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, an updated remake of a once-popular muscle car that had been dropped from the line in 2002, after 35 years of production.
6 Long-time local art teacher Harry Hart had died unexpectedly after a brief illness.
A group led by Matt Slater began organizing an effort to resurrect the old Twin Rivers Festival in Emporia.
7 County commissioners were still putting guesswork into their budget formula, as they waited to see how much money a new 1 percent sales tax would bring into county coffers. Because the additional tax approved by voters was deemed illegal by the Kansas Department of Revenue, implementing the tax was being delayed by about nine months.
The city approved demolition permits for buildings north of the Granada Theatre, where a new building is to be constructed for the Emporia Arts Council.
8 A morning storm brought strong winds and heavy rains that took down trees and flooded low-lying areas throughout the county. Chase and Greenwood counties also were hard-hit. The Kansas Turnpike was closed for several hours from the Emporia interchange south to Cassoday.
11 School districts across the state took another budget hit, when the state legislature lopped $116 more from its per-pupil state aid payments. The cut took state aid down to $4,280, from $4,433 that had been announced for the beginning of the school year.
12 Jones Foundation scholarships of $1,000 available to graduates of Lyon, Coffey and Osage county high schools this year if they stayed in Emporia for higher education was swaying students to attend ESU or the Flint Hills Technical College.
Enrollment numbers were up again at FHTC, president Dean Hollenbeck announced.
Lyon County Sheriff’s deputies and the Hartford Fire Department were called out for a water rescue, to bring in two people who had been stranded in floodwaters near Neosho Rapids.
Birch Communications, with an office in Emporia, announced it would purchase Cleartel Communications in Florida, another acquisition in Birch’s growing corporation.
13 Renewable Energy Group (REG) reiterated its intent to go on with construction of a biodiesel plant at Emporia. Construction of the new plant has been suspended since 2008.
14 A massive logjam east of Hartford, caused by a tree lodged under a bridge, was threatening damage along the Neosho River and the areas around it. The county was working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to resolve the problem.
City commissioners and the Emporia Recreation Commission board of directors met to discuss two master agreements to define roles for the city and the rec commission the latter works its way toward a goal of levying property tax of two mills.
Vivian Mundy, owner and operator of Cognitive Care Connection, had been accused of fraud against Medicaid, in a criminal suite filed in Lyon County District Court.
City commissioners talked about delaying overlay of Commercial Street until a decision could be made on whether to make massive water line repairs under the street. City Engineer Mike Novak told commissioners it would not be good to lay down a surface with a 10-year life expectancy if it was to be torned up repeatedly to repair broken water lines.
15 Emporian Police officers Kelly Davis and Tanner Monhollan received the Gold Award of Valor, the top award given by the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police. The officers entered a burning home and carried out an individual who had been trapped on an upper level of the building.
Lyon County withdrew from a neighborhood stabilization program, after further study revealed the county could hold significant liability for properties in the program.
Judy Lohmeyer and husband, Gary, opened a new business, Eclectic Catering, at 7 E. Sixth Ave., in the former 3 Fools Cafe location.
16 Former ESU Registrar Jill Megredy pleaded no contest in Lyon County District Court to two counts of theft under $1,000. Megredy originally had been charged with two felony counts in conjunction with thefts from her club’s treasury.
Businessman Dan Tebbetts died, after an earlier stomach cancer that had appeared to be shrinking redeveloped and spread.
18 Former Emporian Lisa Spillman Mesa died at her home in Broken Arrow, Okla., from complications of graft vs. host disease. Her body had reacted badly to stem cells transplanted in treating the acute myelogenous leukemia she had developed less than two months after giving birth to her second son.
19 Southern Lyon County student teacher and coaching assistant Darin Michael Redeker was charged with four counts involving sexual actions against a child. The actions allegedly involved a student between 14 and 16 years of age. Redeker was no longer in the teaching program at ESU. School district employment also had been ended.
Shalla and Robert Bennett announced they would open a children’s clothing store, PunkinDoodles, at 725 Commercial St.
21 Flinthills Mall opened its own food shop, the Lunch Box, located near the Flinthills 8 Cinema movie theaters.
Emporia’s home-grown NASCAR racer Clint Bowyer made more donations to his hometown, in the form of four computers for the Emporia Public Library, and a video camera to use in conjunction with a new video scoreboard at the W.L. White Auditorium. In addition to personal donations, Bowyer raises money for his “79 Fund” through an annual golf tournament in Emporia.
23 Christian Mission Ministry had purchased the former Elmdale elementary and high schools to be renovated as headquarters for the ministry. Janna Hancock and Angie Clopton were in charge of the renovation.
27 Kathryn E. Cusick, 66, of Emporia, was killed in a two-vehicle accident in Pratt County.
Owners of Sunset Equities, which planned to build a new Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers restaurant at Sixth Avenue and West Street, said plans still include a new building in Emporia. However, a spokesperson said no target date has been set.
The Emporia Arts Council was $180,000 away from reaching its $2.8 million goal to build a new EAC home north of the Granada Theatre.
28 Officials at Walnut, William Allen White and Logan Avenue were holding neighborhood meetings to talk about changes that needed to be made to make walking and bicycling to school safer for students. The meetings were part of the federal Safe Routes to Schools administered through the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Fears of H1N1 flu, complicated by an iffy economy around the world, was cutting into travel plans for Emporians and Americans in general, according to Stan Sommers, owner of International Tours.
Local firefighters had almost worked their way through installing 450 smoke detectors, free of charge, in houses owned by residents around the county. Only 10 smoke detectors remained to be given away. Income was not considered to qualify for the project.
City commissioners voted to participate in the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, and anticipated receiving a grant of about $288,000 as the city’s share of the $21 million available for the state.
The Emporia board of education voted to cut $216,038 from the school district’s budget, while simultaneously retaining a popular after-school program QUEST that previously had been targeted for elimination.
Newman Regional Health heard from chief financial officer Holly French that salaries were running about $161,843 under budget, with employee benefits $27,486 under budget as well.
29 The Emporia Municipal Band opened its summer concert season with a re-dedication of the Fremont Park bandstand. Renovations were made possible with funds from memorial donations for former Emporia State Bank President Charles Wayman, who died in 2007.
30 Three local teenagers were injured when the car in which they were riding collided with a semi-tractor trailer. One of the teens, 15-year-old Mariah Serrano, received critical head and chest injuries and had been flown to Stormont-Vail HealthCare in Topeka.
June
1 State Sen. James Barnett of Emporia announces he will run for Rep. Jerry Moran’s seat in the U.S. Congress.
2 Laser Expressions moves into the former Jock’s Nitche, 912 Commercial St.
4 Jimmy John’s is the first tenant in the newly-built Granada Lofts.
The Hartford log jam in Hartford begins to break up. The Neosho Rapids blockage is expected to solve itself.
Former Emporian Clint Bowyer, who races in NASCAR, gives Camp Alexander $20,000 to stay open for the summer.
Emporia State University receives $466,033 from the recovery act for maintenance.
5 The Hartford bridge project nears completion. The project began on Feb. 17, 2007. The project replaced most of the old bridge, widening it from 28 feet to 38 feet.
As part of a project through Emporia Main Street, volunteers re-vamp the downtown gardens throughout downtown Emporia as part of the adopt-a-garden program.
6 The Emporia State University Summer Theatre celebrates the opening of its 55th season.
8 Four Emporia businesses are among those who received recognition from the Kansas Department of Commerce including: C&J Woodworks; CoreFirst Bank and Trust; High Gear Cyclery and the Emporia Farmers Market.
9 Veteran journalist Tom Brokaw planned to come to Emporia to shoot a pice for his USA series about U.S. Highway 50.
Larry Schmitz and his wife, Christy, won a Camaro drawing. The 1967 Camaro belonged to Jennell Tebbetts’ late husband and was raffled off to raise money for his medical expenses.
The David Traylor Zoo gets a new director, Lisa Keith.
15 Five of the nation’s top teachers are inducted into the National Teacher’s Hall of Fame. These include Kenneth Bingham, biology teacher at Blue Valley West High School, Overland Park; Leslie Nicholas, seventh-grade English teacher at Wyoming Valley Middle School, Kingston, Pa.; Steve Rapp, physics teacher at A. Linwood Holton Governor’s School in Abington, Va.; Patrice McCrary, kindergarten and grade one teacher at Cumberland Trace Elementary School, Bowling Green, Ky.; and Jerry L. Parks, seventh-grade social studies teacher, Georgetown Middle School in Georgetown, Ky.
The annual Symphony in the Flint Hills is held near Cedar Point.
16 A hail storm damages area crops, adding insult to injury to already-slow crops that were damaged by wind.
Emporia State University gives the opportunity for businesses and members of the community to contribute to the renovation of Emporia State’s Memorial Union by naming a piece of the new building. The university aimed at raising $2.5 million in private funds.
17 The former Greyhound bus stop at the Shell Food Mart, 2900 Eaglecrest Drive, closed. The new bus stop was moved to 2900 Eaglecrest Drive.
18 Ricky L. Nurnberg was killed the previous day. Deanna L. Meece was arrested in connection with the killing.
Emporia city commissioners authorized Mayor Jeff Longbine to sign an agreement between the city and the Emporia Recreation Commission for the operation of the Jones Aquatic Center.
19 Two of five decisions handed down by the Kansas Supreme Court involved convictions in Lyon County District Court cases. The conviction of Robert William Richardson II was overturned; the conviction of Wallace L. Dixon was upheld. Richardson was convicted of intentionally exposing two women to the HIV virus during sexual trysts with them at motels in Emporia. Dixon had been convicted of two counts of felony murder resulting from an explosion at Eastgate Plaza apartments in Emporia.
20 The Americus pool finally opens after major repairs to the pool are completed but more money is anticipated to open it another season. The Save the Pool Committee has worked tirelessly to raise money to keep the pool open.
Council Grove’s Hays House is one of the eight Kansas restaurants named the 8 Wonders of Kansas Cuisine. The contest by the Kansas Sampler Foundation solicited nominations, then opened the 24 finalists to online voting to find the top eight.
24 Liz Conrade is hired at the new executive director of Flint Hills Community Health Center.
Keith Beatty, ex-Emporia city engineer, is accused of misusing funds and was set to appear in court on June 30.
railroadhorn (anonymous) says...
Can that be right that Lyon Co. received $70.7 million in stimulus money? (March 7 entry). How was it spent I wonder?
December 26, 2009 at 12:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
Also this year the greatest band in the world ever, Logjam, broke up.
Let's not forget that many people came together and voiced their opinion about being against burglary. Cracknsack's Turkey Leg Shack restaurant opened up shortly till OSHA shut it down for using an unsafe old lawn chair in the managers office. Wow it was a busy year.
R.
December 26, 2009 at 12:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
Utube Quigley on Chicago tonight, Part 1 of 2 [10/15/2007]
December 26, 2009 at 10:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
Go to Kansas City.com Tiff projects in Kansas City
December 26, 2009 at 11:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
Go to Quigley on Chicago tonight, Part 1 of 2 [10/15/2007] This vedio exposes the Tiff blighted projects that aren't really blighted like the 24th ave project.
December 26, 2009 at 11:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
A 49 unit project was built where the University Inn was located with no property taxes for 5 years and then only 50% of the regular tax for the next 5 years. As I understand it, the developer's dad was a banker. I believe they would have done the project anyway.
December 27, 2009 at 12:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
As a result of the smoking ban, the Flying J Restuarant quit staying open 24 hours a day.
December 27, 2009 at 12:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
The school board paid Custom Energy Solutions $36,000 to tell us we needed a one million 500 thousand dollar Astro Turf football field.
December 27, 2009 at 1:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
What a year and you have only exposed half of it. When they call the roll on these boards and commissions, they don't know whether to answer "present" or "not guility."
December 27, 2009 at 1:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
Go to tiff projects in Kansas City. You might want to save this one.
December 27, 2009 at 1:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
Go to Utube Agenda 21 Sustainable Development. This program I believe is being put in place. Just recently the City Commission agreed to put our local building code under the international building code. The Chase County ranchers learned about a control project by the Environmental folks. Keep this in mind as the Gazette reports the rest of this year's news.
December 27, 2009 at 2:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Will this be the year that reddog learns to post a link instead of saying "go to..."
5 days to go.
December 27, 2009 at 8:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
vernachase27 (anonymous) says...
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
December 26, 2009 at 11:05 p.m. ( permalink )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
Create, I have that on my list.
December 27, 2009 at 10:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
msw2003 (anonymous) says...
Thanks for the offer but I think I have just taught an old dog new tricks!
December 27, 2009 at 7:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
msw2003 (anonymous) says...
or maybe a class at Flint Hills Technical College might be better as I have limited patience lol
December 27, 2009 at 8:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Hot off the electrons.
http://sendables.jibjab.com/originals...
See reddogg, cut...paste...voila!
December 28, 2009 at 9:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )