Jewell County News

Dwight and Beverly Frost have been selected to serve as the grand marshals of the Esbon Octoberfest parade planned for Saturday. The Frosts are busy volunteers in the Esbon community and serve in many Esbon organizations.

Beverly is a native of Burr Oak, but has adopted the Esbon community as her own since she moving there in 1995 following her marriage to Dwight. She grew up on a farm northwest of Burr Oak and is the daughter of Beth Jeffery, Superior, and the late Lyle Jeffery.

Beverly volunteers as co-manager of the Village Cafe which is owned by the City of Esbon. She explained her reason for volunteering at the cafe, "I want to keep the cafe doors open as it is important to the community." She has been the cafe's co-manager for three years.

Cynthia Clark, a recently appointed Jewell County Hospital board member from Burr Oak, was present for the September board meeting, held Thursday morning in the meeting room at the hospital. Clark was appointed to fill the expired position of Bill Loomis. Another board position has been vacant since the July resignation of Cleo Hiltgen. Other board members present were Larry Welch, Sandy Nelson, and chairman Dan Garman. Gloria Schlaefli was present representing the Jewell County Record and hospital personnel present were D'Ann Basart and administrator Doyle McKimmy.

Memories of the early days of nursing at Fort Hays State University surfaced this weekend with Class No.

Larry Gillett, Burr Oak, was honored Friday night at the Rock Hills Middle School, Burr Oak, when he received the John Campanius Holm Award for his services as a local weather observer. This award is the second highest national award that an observer can receive. Meteorologist in Charge, Steve Eddy, of NOAA's Hastings weather forecast office, presented the award to Gillett in front of an audience of friends and family.

Marla Doxey, program manager of the Hastings office, participated in interviews and provide details about the cooperative observer program, which claims more than 11,000 volunteer observers. A reception was held following the presentation.

Almost four months ago a F3 tornado struck farms across Jewell County on the way to Jewell. From there it continued it's northwesterly route bringing disaster to farmsteads, businesses and homes along it's path. The victims will forever remember May 29, 2008, even though they are putting the past behind them and continuing on with their lives and businesses.

When the tornado moved northwest of Glen Elder, across the Mitchell County border into Jewell County, Mike and Judy Bolte's farmstead was the first hit. Their farm home was damaged and they lost several outbuildings and considerable fence. It took nearly three months to clear the debris. Fences have been replaced, grain bins are going up, and a new garage has been constructed. The house is being repaired.

Saturday afternoon the former Jewell County jail and sheriff's residence building was recognized with a memorial plaque presentation and open house.

Family members representing a former Jewell County Sheriff, the late Charles R. "Jock" Murray, presented the bronze plaque with information about the building and it's origins, along with a list of Jewell County sheriffs who worked and resided in the building.

The plaque was donated in memory of Jock Murray. He served his home county as sheriff from 1964 to 1970 and then went on to serve 22 years as an agent for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The plaque is located at the front entrance to the building.

Jewell County voters went to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the statewide primary election.

Local races for sheriff and county commissioner generated considerable interest.

In the race for sheriff, two men currently working in the sheriff's office were seeking the Republican Party's nomination.

It was the battle of the Davids.

David Fullerton sought and received his party's endorsement for a second term in the office. He was challenged by his former undersheriff and a current deputy, David Baird. As a Democrat did not file for the office, the race for sheriff may have been decided in the primary.

Rock Hills Schools will open for the fall term on Thursday, Aug.14. The three attendance centers include the high school and elementary school in Mankato, and the middle school in Burr Oak. Teachers are to report Monday. Fall sports practice will begin Monday, Aug. 18. Jewell junior high boys will be playing football in a sports cooperative with Rock Hills Middle School this fall.

New teachers this school year at Rock Hills Schools are Sheila Tucker, Carolyn Johnson and Janice McMillan.

Sheila Tucker will be teaching secondary language arts. She taught at White Rock for 12 years prior to the unification of the two districts. She has 25 years of teaching experience. Sheila and her husband, Randy, live near Glen Elder. Their daughter, Janelle, graduated from White Rock High School and their son, Michael, graduated from Rock Hills. Her hobbies are sports and reading.

County Commission discusses ballot question Last Updated: July 29, 2008 Cloud County Attorney Robert Walsh presented the proposed resolution and ballot question for the Cloud County Health Center to the county ...

Jewell County State Fishing Lake will reopen for fishing in September, as spring and summer rains have raised the water level nearly 14 feet.

A special meeting of the Jewell County Commissioners was Friday to consider the 2009 budget. Commissioners Doyle Alcorn, Dwight Frost and Steve Greene were present. Carla Waugh, county clerk, Randy Hoffmeier and Jerry Pugh of Bartlett, Settle & Edgerle were also present. It was decided to hold the county budget hearing at 10 a.m. Aug. 11.

The valuation has decreased $1,094,780 so to maintain the budget at the current amount, the levy must increase 3.3 mills. An additional levy increase of 6.337 is the result of rising fuel costs. Combined this makes a total levy increase of 9.637 mills.

Calvin Bohnert, rural Jewell, reported to the Jewell County Sheriff's Department that he had a pile of 25 to 30 hedge fence posts that were missing

from a location three miles west and two north of Jewell. Bohnert reported the posts were taken sometime in the last 30 days. Apparently, grass had not grown back where the posts were piled, giving Bohnert some indication of the time period of the crime. Many of the posts have black burn marks from a recent burn. The amount of the loss is estimated at less than $500.

The annual fireworks shows planned for Saturday night at the Glen Elder and Lovewell state parks encounter major hiccups when the vendor's truck delivering the fireworks did not show up as scheduled.

At Lovewell it was estimated more than 20,000 people visited the park during the three-day weekend. Many of those came in Saturday night to see the fireworks show. Many more gathered on the hilltops surrounding the park to watch what traditionally has been an enjoyable show. But they didn't see much Saturday night.

The Jewell County wheat harvest is almost completed. The 2008 wheat harvest is proving to be a successful one with reports of bushels per acre ranging from the 40s to the mid-70s.

The wheat harvest is 60 percent done in the Esbon area. Esbon elevator

employees have heard farmers tell of yields from 30 to 50 bushels to the acre, and 255,000 bushels of wheat had gone into the elevator in Esbon as of Monday morning.

Wheat is half harvested in the Burr Oak area; 100,000 bushels of wheat had gone to the elevator there as of Sunday night. Bushels to the acre in the Burr Oak area have been reported in the 60s and some 70s. Test weights have been from 58 to 62. Moisture tests have come in low.

When the Jewell County Commissioners met Monday, David Baird, undersheriff, reviewed the various options for the telephone support of the 9-1-1 system from Nine One One, Inc. He reviewed what was included in the different options and recommended the county select option three or four. Option 3 in the amount of $6,285 was approved.

Baird also discussed changes in the sheriff's office and asked if the commissioners wanted him to continue working on the 9-1-1 project. The commissioners asked him to continue with this project as assistant emergency management director.

Earl Buckley, a Burr Oak custom harvester talks about some of his experiences in his 50 years of custom harvesting in a hweat field near Hedville on Wednesday, June 25, 2008.

Sunday, June 1, a celebration will be held to observe Lovewell Lake's 50th anniversary. The event begins at noon at the Courtland Community Arts Center, Courtland, with an exhibit viewing. At 1 p.m., a bus tour begins. Representatives of the Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District will present a short program on the history of the district. Irrigation district tour coaches will talk about points of interest in the area on the way to the reservoir. The tour will reach Lovewell State Park for a ceremony planned at 4:30 p.m.

A tornado touched down in Jewell at approximately 9 p.m. Thursday, leaving many without homes or businesses and blocking Highway 14 until debris was cleared. The community's water tower was destroyed as well as many utility poles and lines, leaving residents without water and electricity. The American Red Cross is on the scene, along with Jewell County emergency management and other county officials and agencies.

Most heavily damaged was the northwest part of Jewell; Some homes along Highway 14 were either damaged or destroyed and the Jewell Cafe was destroyed. A new large metal building was destroyed at Bohnert Welding and Seed. Two other metal buildings north of Bohnert were also destroyed -- Bourbon Trucking and Smith Cutom Harvesting. Further north, the Broadbent house was also heavily damaged.

Tornadoes and powerful winds caused a lot of damage Thursday night. The most extensive damaged happened in the town of Jewell, north of Salina.

Parts of north central Kansas are cleaning up after storms bring tornadoes, hail and high wind last night.