At 151, this state still great

Written by John Schlageck Tuesday, 17 January 2012 15:58

This Jan. 29, our state will be 151 years old. Kansas was admitted to the Union two and a half months before the beginning of the Civil War—one of our nation’s most terrible times.

It’s important to recall our heritage, our roots and a bit of our state’s history, especially in celebration of another Kansas birthday.

The war between the northern and southern states officially began April 12, 1861, after the shelling of Fort Sumter. The Kansas territory had been at war for years before it was officially admitted on Jan. 29, 1861, one year after Abraham Lincoln was elected president.

As a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the Missouri Compromise was overturned. That meant Kansas did not have to enter the Union as a slave...

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Drought hits farmers, but business activity still strong

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 27 December 2011 15:36

Impacted by drought conditions for much of the year, Marion County businesses experienced ups and downs in 2011, with new businesses opening and some older businesses closing. But change was particularly noticeable among health-services providers in Hillsboro.

JANUARY

After more than 50 years of selling televisions behind his home on South Cedar Street in Marion, Gary Carlson, 74, moved his business, Carlson’s TV & Satellite, to Main Street.

Cynthia Fleming was welcomed as the new president of the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce at its annual meeting.

FEBRUARY

This year’s Marion County Conservation District award winners were Ervin and Carrol Ediger of Hillsboro; Duane and Linda Kaiser of Durham; Tyler Diepenbrock of Durham...

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Kansas AG’s office offers advice regarding gift cards

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 20 December 2011 20:45

With Christmas just a few days away, many people will be searching for that perfect last-minute gift. For some of those hard-to-buy-for people on our lists, gift cards can seem like the perfect solution.

The Kansas Attorney General’s Office offers the following tips and rules about gift cards to protect yourself and the gift recipient:

• Under Kansas law, gift cards cannot expire for at least five years. If the gift card does not have an expiration date on it, then it is good until you redeem it, no matter how long that is.

• Merchants can begin charging inactivity fees against the card’s balance 12 months after the card is issued. These fees must be printed on the card or the packaging it comes in.

• Pre-paid bank...

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Classic begins with 4 games Monday

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 18 January 2011 16:33

The Trojan Classic basketball tournament opened Monday with four games at Brown Gymnasium.

In the boys’ tournament, first-year participant Goodland defeated Thomas More Prep, 46-40, while Hesston knocked off Republic County, 56-39.

Goodland and Hesston will square off at 8:15 p.m. Friday in the semifinal round while Thomas More Prep will take on Republic County in the consolation semifinal game at 4:45 p.m. Friday.

In the girls’ tournament, Goodland defeated Republic County, 43-34, while Hesston lost to Thomas More Prep, 43-40, in their first-round games.

TMP will square off in the semifinals at 6:30 p.m. against the winner of the Hillsboro-Winfield game on Tuesday, while Goodland will face the winner of Riley County and Wamego...

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