News

Today is March 1 and that can only mean one thing — March Madness has started. The annual ritual is reflected on the cover of this week’s B section. The Central Plains Lady Oilers won their first game of sub-state Monday night. So did the Ellsworth boys. And the Wilson boys also are on the list of winners.

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By Vince Hancock
Ellsworth County I-R

Ellsworth County is included in the plans for ONEOK’s new liquid petroleum pipeline.

Two representatives from the company’s government relations division introduced themselves at a special county commission meeting Wednesday, Feb. 21.

Steve Johnson, division vicepresident and Michael Gillaspie, division manager, presented an overview of the project, which was first announced at the start of the new year.

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The Starlight Literary Club hosted Dan Hays, local historian, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19 at the Elizabeth A. Hopp Fine Arts Center. Over 100 people were in attendance to hear Hays speak about the history of the Sherman Ranch. The ranch was one of the largest ranches in Kansas during the late 1800s and early 1900’s. It was established in 1897 with the ranch headquarters located at the Ellsworth County site from 1889 to 1902.

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Editor’s Note — The following story appeared in the Feb. 15 edition of the Southeast Missourian newspaper following a telephone inquiry from I-R reporter Vince Hancock.

By Mark Bliss
Southeast Missourian

A 24-year-old inmate, who was transitioning from a man to a woman, killed herself in a Cape Girardeau city jail cell last summer, but police did not disclose the incident to news media or the public at the time.

The incident came to light after an architect involved in the design of the jail section of the new Cape Girardeau police station commented on the situation at a public meeting with Ellsworth County, Kan., commissioners.

Cape Girardeau police chief Wes Blair said Tuesday that “as with all suicides, we do not do a release unless there is a specific request for the information. The decision not to release was predicated on the incident itself and the location of the incident had no bearing.”

By LINDA MOWERY-DENNING
Ellsworth County I-R

Chances are 50-50 construction could begin in the next two years on a large wind farm in the Lorraine- Holyrood area of Ellsworth County.

“When we go in and start a project, we go in believing it will get done,” said Krista Mann of the Chicago-based Invenergy.

“But I don’t want anyone to think this is more certain than it is.”

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By Vince Hancock
Ellsworth County I-R

Tales of relief efforts from Puerto Rico continue to unfold, as Kansans and others pitch in. In most cases, the stories show the power of large entities to respond to natural disasters. In other cases, they underscore the interconnectedness between mainland and offshore commerce.

Due to tax incentives enacted by Congress in the mid 1970s, many large industries, included pharmaceutical companies, expanded to the island. Two months after Hurricane Maria hit, the Ellsworth County Medical Center was among those facing an IV fluid shortage, as companies based in Puerto Rico develop the majority of those fluids. ECMC CEO Roger Masse said it was a common problem throughout the American medical system.

Editor’s note —This is the second of a two-part series reviewing the work of Goldberg Group Architects.

By Vince Hancock
Ellsworth County I-R

Four weeks after his first presentation to Ellsworth County commissioners, architect Larry Goldberg announced in a phone call to them that his initial sketches show renovation to the county jail could be feasible. The Feb. 15 call represented a change from Goldberg’s original statements.

“I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to use the structure, and the geometry of the existing building more positively than I anticipated,” he said.

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By Judi Brown
The Marquette Tribune

Fine art photographer Mary Hockenbery, whose work is shown in galleries in the southwestern U.S. and around the world in museums and private homes, captures in her photos artifacts of human existence and elements of nature, translating them through her unique viewpoint into images at once striking, symbolic and beautiful.

“My photography and photo-illustration work are inspired by mythology, fairy tales, Catholic icons and my dreams,” says Mary.

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By Vince Hancock
Ellsworth County I-R

After relating the twisty path of matching grants, donation solicitation and local partnerships, Ellsworth County Historical Society President Cherie Sauers had an announcement about the organization’s new Archive and Research Center.

“The final touches are being done,” she said Sunday at the organization’s annual meeting at the Ellsworth Senior Center. “The baseboards will be put down next week, and then it will be complete.”

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From left, Cyrus Grothusen, Karli Haase, Molly Ehrlich and Lance Muchow, of Sarah Kueser’s third grade class enjoy the “Life on the Farm” board game. Students at EES recently participated in Global School Play Day, a yearly event that sets aside academic studies for non-electronic activities.

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