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Members of the Wilson High School Class of 2017 listen intently to their fellow classmate, Valedictorian Aaron Dlabal, give the welcome address Sunday at WHS graduation ceremonies in Wilson.

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By LINDA MOWERY-DENNING

Standing in the shadow of the Black Wolf elevator, where 20 years ago he spent several summers working on the grain dock, Ellsworth County’s Josh Svaty announced Tuesday afternoon he will be a Democratic candidate for Kansas governor.

Svaty, 37, was surrounded by family and friends, including Ellsworth resident Doug Bach, who wore a “Republicans for Svaty” t-shirt from the candidate’s days as a state representative. The crowd greatly outnumbered the population of tiny Black Wolf, which has one resident on the town site and several more nearby on Old Highway 40.

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By Alan Rusch

LORRAINE — Ellsworth County is looking at an average to above average wheat crop this year. That was the prediction of several wheat experts attending the annual Ellsworth County Wheat Plot Tour Monday near Lorraine.

“Things here actually look really good,” said Dr. Allan Fritz, professor of wheat breeding at Kansas State University in Manhattan. “I would think we would probably be in the 70 to 75 bushel range with this plot.”

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By Mark Gardner

After a decade on the Ellsworth City Council — first as a council member and now as mayor — John Whitmer has not filed for reelection.

Instead, at the May 8 council meeting, Whitmer announced he will not file unless his yearly compensation is raised from $2,400 to $15,000, an amount he considers the equivalent of a oneday- a-week job with the city.

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By LINDA MOWERY-DENNING

Randy Lillard was sworn in Tuesday, May 9, by city clerk Chendra Mitchell as Marquette police officer.

Lillard, who lives in Salina and is seeking a home in Marquette, attended the monthly meeting of the city council. By a unanimous vote, council members agreed to a start date of Tuesday, May 16, a two-year contract and a salary of $14.50 to start, $16 after 90 days and $18 once Lillard receives his state certification; however, the amount is open to discussion, per the motion offered by council member Ron Miller.

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See the May 18 issue of the I-R for more on this breaking story. Watch his announcement:

https://www.facebook.com/81874371077/videos/vb.81874 371077/10154414542531078/?type=2&theater&notif_t=like&notif_id=1494966600120439

By Kahlan Lamon

The EHS Bearcat has been awarded the Kansas Scholastic Press Association’s (KSPA) highest honor in their newspaper critique service. All high schools around Kansas have the option of sending in newspapers to be critiqued by a judge in another state. The entries are sent to another state for impartiality in judging. The critique service includes yearbooks as well.

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By Mark Gardner

Two generations of Ellsworth’s Koralek family are getting ready to watch the third generation graduate from EJSHS.

David Koralek Sr. and his wife, the former Marge Bohl, and their son, David Koralek Jr., and his wife, the former Brenda Carswell, will be in the audience May 21 when David Koralek III accepts his diploma from the same school as his parents and grandparents.

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WILSON — Investigators continued to search Tuesday morning for the cause of a weekend fire that sent flames high into the sky over Wilson and led to the collapse of a centuryold abandoned mill in the west part of town.

Wilson Fire Chief Larry Langerman said he spent Monday morning going over the site with investigator Keith Thomas of the Kansas Fire Marshal’s Office.

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By Mark Gardner

Members of the Ellsworth City Council Monday night rejected increases in water and sewer rates suggested by a consultant and instead asked city administrator Scott Moore to rework the numbers to make them more acceptable.

Carl Brown of Getting Great Rates, who worked with the city on its most recent rate increases several years ago, based his recommendations on a 10-year bond issue. However, several council members have expressed support for a 20-year bond issue so the cost of improvements can be spread over a longer period, thus reducing monthly increases in rates.

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