Kids wrestling tournament draws 230 participants to Hillsboro on Saturday Colton Shipman of Marion looks to the official while he wrestles Lucas Philips of Fort Riley during the 17th annual Hillsboro Takedown Tournament Saturday in Brown Gymnasium. Colton won his match with a 9-0 score. ?We had around 230 wrestlers from 21 youth wrestling clubs around the state,? said Scott […]

Parents of children age 5 through 18 interested in participating in the Hillsboro Wrestling Club are invited to an information and sign-up meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, in the technology lecture hall on the south side of the high school. The agenda includes signing up wrestlers, collecting fees and discussing the upcoming season. Starting its 23rd season, HWC […]

? Community and kids celebrate completion of a dream Swarming on and around their new playground equipment, students at Hillsboro Elementary School showed off their new ?My Community Cares? T-shirts during Friday?s dedication event. After the ceremony, a back-to-school carnival followed in the gymnasium with games, door prizes and food. The event raised about $3,300 before expenses; the money will […]

When we were kids, my sister and I often thought having a lemonade stand would be a fantastic idea. Fortunately, my parents were able to convince us that two kids sitting on the side of a dirt road out in the country probably wouldn?t drum up much business. With that said, we still made a lot of the sweet stuff […]

When those first baby teeth start wobbling, you and the Tooth Fairy can combine forces to teach your kids about money. Visa?s latest annual Tooth Fairy survey indicates that the average price of a lost tooth is $3.19 in 2015. This is the fourth consecutive year that young Americans are finding more than $3 under their pillows from the fabled […]

? With school starting this week and next, let?s prepare our kids for a safe transition. Anew school year begins next week for the school districts in the Free Press distribution area. Safety is always a concern at this time of year, especially for younger students. A few reminders: ? State law prohibits passing a stopped school bus. ? If […]

Marion native Tristen Cope begins her first week as director of the Stepping Stones Preschool at Valley Methodist Church in Marion. Aleen Ratzlaff / Free Press This summer Tristen Cope returned to Marion to begin married life and her professional career. ?I?ve lived here my whole life,? Cope said. ?Almost all of my family is from around the area.? Tristen […]

Most kids ask their parents at some point: How did I get here? Some parents cringe because they don?t like discussing the physiological details of mammalian copulation. I suggest here another story that only briefly dwells on our Victorian hangups. Thirty-seven years ago I was growing in my mother?s womb. I was a rapidly assembling network of neurons, muscles, glands […]

Summertime means spending more time outdoors for many Kansas families. Summer is also when there is an increase in visits to the emergency room due to fire and burn injury. Barbecue grills, campfires and fireworks can cause serious injuries to children. Safe Kids Kansas, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Kansas Depart?ment of Health and Envi?ronment, and the […]

Semiotics. Definition: The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. In other words, learning lessons from the world around us. Definitions are always descript. By formal statement, they set boundaries between elements of vocabulary. They try to make things clear. But sometimes definitions can be too wordy and convoluted. They can send you on a trip through […]