News

     A shooting took place Thursday evening, Sept. 28, in Lorraine. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has been called in to investigate the incident.
     See the Oct. 5 edition of the Ellsworth County Independent-Reporter for more details.

AN ARTIST’S LEGACY

The handsome building with the Dakota sandstone facade is sheltered by trees that line the gravel road on the west edge of Wilson.

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Ellsworth County Medical Center will host a Cancer Prevention Awareness event and dinner organized by Tina Davis, Rural Health Clinic director, Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Ellsworth American Legion Hall building.

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Ellsworth may be looking for a new city attorney. At Monday night’s regular city council meeting, city attorney Carey Hipp notified the council she has submitted paperwork to be considered to fill the 20th Judicial District Judge’s position after the retirement of Ron Svaty. Svaty has held the position since 2004 and will retire Oct. 1. State Statute requires the governor to select a replacement to complete a vacated term of office.

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The Good Samaritan Society Ellsworth Village is doing what it can to help victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma by packing and shipping supplies to residents in Houston, Texas.

Jessica Kootz, director of senior housing and marketing at the Good Samaritan Society Ellsworth Village, said the administrator, Crystal Packard, received an e-mail from the head office, the National Campus for Good Samaritans Society. Upon receiving the e-mail, Packard forwarded it to her staff to make sure they participated.

Hurricanes have ravaged the Gulf of Mexico and much of the southeast United States coastline from Texas to the Carolinas.

Hurricane Irma devastated the Caribbean and much of the Cuban Islands before making home on the state of Florida. Millions lost their homes and to date are without power and much of what many need to survive for days.

Several community members recently banded together on a project to help Ellsworth resident Bob Blackburn recently during his struggle with an illness.

The First Presbyterian Church, Ellsworth Masonic Lodge No. 146 and local community members donated time and money to build a handicap ramp for Blackburn to enter and leave his house.

Kendall Rathbun, master at the Masonic Lodge No. 146, spearheaded the effort, saying it wasn’t just him and the lodge, but it took the effort of several people that came together as Ellsworth always does to help another resident in need.

“There has been a lot of silent community members that have donated funds and time,” said Rathbun.

“With all the help we had everything we wanted to do just fell together.”

Fifteen people worked four evenings to complete the ramp with Ralph Doubrava, owner of Doubrava Woodworking, leading the construction and engineering of the ramp.

Farming can be a dangerous profession. Although safety features on today’s farms and equipment have provided more protection than ever before, the constantly increasing size of farm equipment and the demand to produce more poses ongoing risks to the safety of both the farmer and those around them.

Those risks have had consequences for farmers here in Ellsworth County:

• The weekend of September 9, Ellsworth County farmer Brandon Westerman sustained a broken back while working cattle. A spokesman at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita said Westerman is in fair condition at the hospital following surgery.

The Ellsworth-Kanopolis-Geneseo USD 327 school district is in the preliminary stages of looking at possible options to create more space at Ellsworth Elementary School.

Superintendent Dale Brungardt said the district is looking a several options for building a multi-purpose building on the EES campus.

“We are simply running out of space and are left with the issue of what do we do,” said Brungardt.

Several options include additional classrooms and renovation of existing space. None have been agreed upon, as staff and the district work to find the best solution for both students and the district budget.

Brungardt said an engineering company, HTK Architects, drafted preliminary plans and cost estimates. Updated plans and cost estimates will come as the district narrows the list of options.

By Mark Gardner
Ellsworth County I-R

Eli Hutchinson, Blake Chegwidden, and Lukas Sebesta have received their Eagle Scout rank, the highest in the Boy Scouts of America.

Recognition came Sept. 2 at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor at Ellsworth’s American Legion building.

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The Ellsworth High School Bearcat Pride marching band performs halftime shows at every Bearcat home football game. This year’s shows include the following Beach Boys hits — Fun, Fun, Fun! Help Me Rhonda! and I Get Around! The band is directed by Drum Major Micah Bolton and Band Director Samantha Lacky. The Color Guard coordinators are Melanie Sippel and Kylie McGreevy. Come out and support the EHS Bearcat Pride Marching Band.

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