BCC-Marion to offer series of non-credit classes this fall

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 21 August 2012 13:20

Butler Community College of Marion is offering new learning opportunities with the introduction of its “Take 1 Just 4 Fun.”

Amy Kjellin, Flint Hills Sites director in Marion, said the classes are basically a longer version of the free class day BCC offers each spring.

“These are non-credit classes,” Kjellin told 35 members of the Marion Chamber of Commerce on Friday, “and the classes will vary according to what the teacher wants to do.”

The majority of fees will range between $20 to $40 as a way of paying the teacher for his or her time, she said.

Eleven classes are available in this first set of classes with a brief description of each.

• Guitar Basics: Mike Moran of Hillsboro will teach a course for the beginning...

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Humor is best anecdote for drought woes

Written by John Schlageck Tuesday, 14 August 2012 13:16

The dog days of summer can be trying, especially for farmers and ranchers who are experiencing one of the worst droughts in decades

A summer like 2012 brings little rain, grueling heat and fiery winds. This year’s drought and string of more than 25 days of 100-degree days has finished off most of the dry-land corn and has now zeroed in on destroying this year’s soybean and milo crops.

What will happen to this fall’s upcoming winter wheat crop remains to be seen.

During this period, it’s healthy to interject a little humor into the daily diet. A chuckle or comic relief is good for the mind and body. With that in mind, here’s my offering for the middle of August.

I’ve yet to meet a farmer or rancher who isn’t continually...

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Drought is shriveling hope for profitable fall harvest

Written by Jerry Engler Tuesday, 14 August 2012 13:15

The outlook for double-crop soybeans, which looked so promising about two months ago, now looks “really bleak,” according to ag expert Rickey Roberts. He predicts most soybeans in Marion County likely will be used for cattle feed or tilled under for fertilizer. It seems the only sure things about the weather are that it will repeat, and it will change.

Marion County Extension Agent Rickey Roberts said a month ago, “I thought we were better off than a year ago.”

But that was before going another month with 100-degree plus temperatures and no rain.

“Now, we’re in the middle of a train wreck,” Roberts said, referring to the finished corn crop and the soybeans going downhill day by day.

“Some of the milo is heading now, and I think we’ll get to harvest a little of that,” he added. “But the beans are painting a really bleak picture. I think we’ll still get to harvest a few beans down on the bottoms, but the rest of them are just about finished.

Roberts said because the...

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Centre grad makes WBJ ‘40 Under 40’ watch list

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 07 August 2012 16:18

Scott Wituk, a graduate of Centre High School, was recently recognized by the Wichita Business Journal as a “40 Under 40” awardee.

Wituk, director of Wichita State University’s Center for Community Support and Research, was recognized because of his involvement in creating thriving and supportive communities and organizations, according to a WBJ spokesperson.

“I am fortunate to be involved with some amazing projects and people in Wichita and across Kansas,” Wituk said. “We (at the Center for Community Support and Research) get to do some really exciting work.”

One of CCSR’s recent initiatives, which was supported by the Kansas Health Foundation, involved helping 20 Kansas community coalitions, working to improve local...

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