Heroic inspiration

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 16 April 2013 12:31

Hillsboro native Chip Reese with wife Amy and son Ollie enjoy some family time together. Heroes are created in the crucible of crisis. Occasionally they produce a superhero, too. Both happen to be true for Hillsboro native Chip Reece.

Not only has the 1999 Hillsboro High alum, wife Amy and young son Ollie endured a severe medical crisis together, but Chip is close to unveiling to the world a new superhero story.

He’s titled it, “Metaphase — A Graphic Novel Inspired by Little Heroes with Down Syndrome.”

“Basically, it’s a superhero dad who has a son with Down Syn­drome,” Chip said in a recent interview. “That son will be the main character of the book.

“What it comes down to is that the son has a superhero dad,” he added. “The son has similar things going on that my son did—he was born with...

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Classic vehicles again fuel hope for relief sale success

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 09 April 2013 12:36

Bruce Stucky and Wayne Schrag of Moundridge and Leann Toews of Goessel help clean the 1942 Studebaker Coup in preparation for Saturday’s auction. When 20,000 to 25,000 people descend on the Kansas State Fair­grounds in Hutchinson this weekend for the 45th Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale, more than a few will have a keen interest in the classic cars and tractors to be sold this year.

The sale has developed a tradition of selling several donated motorized items each year to help raise funds for the worldwide relief efforts of Mennonite Central Commit­tee.

“We have some wonderful donations,” said Jerry Toews of Goessel, who helps prepare them for the general auction that will start around 1 p.m. in the Sunflower North Building.

It doesn’t take long for Toews to share his enthusiasm for the quality of this year’s donations.

“We have an amazing 1942 Studebaker Coupe, all...

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State court rules against Herbel conviction appeal

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 09 April 2013 12:36

A Hillsboro man convicted in 2009 of two sex crimes while babysitting a 5-year-old girl in 2006, appealed his conviction recently, but the Supreme Court of Kansas in a ruling Friday upheld the original verdict.

Almost seven years earlier, Randy Herbel, 47, was found guilty on one count of rape and one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child by a Marion County jury.

Herbel’s attorney Meryl Carver-Allmond with the Capital Appellate Defender Office, argued that Herbel’s sixth and 14th amendment rights were violated.

First issue for appeal

The first involved whether the district court violated Herbel’s constitutional and statutory rights when it replayed his recorded statement to a deliberating jury outside of his...

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Goessel school plan approved with 96% ‘yes’

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 09 April 2013 12:35

About 96 percent of voters in the Goessel School District were in favor of a $3.3 million bond issue for school improvements, according to preliminary results from the April 2 city and school local election.

The final vote was 337 in favor with 29 opposed.

Maynard Knepp, a school board member for 16 years, thanked the community for voting in favor of the issue.

“The big thing is we had a community of people out there with the facts who did a good job of knowing what the needs were,” he said.

Knepp added that he had not seen such a large percentage of people coming out to vote.

According to one election official, about 40 percent of eligible voters turned out.

“I think people recognized the need for these improvements,”...

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