The Franklin County Optimists have named eight students as this year’s “unsung heroes”. Left to right: Kearston Clausen, Nevaeh Watson, Deondre Goodwin, Trey Kingsolver, Xavier Richardson, Baron Hernandez Garcia, Wyatt Mendell.
At a time when Confederate monuments across the nation have come down, generating a degree of consternation in many cases, the upcoming dismantling of a Kansas monument dedicated to abolitionists provides a good example of how a collaborative approach can foster constructive dialogue and civic engagement.
A fifth grader from Baldwin City has been chosen as the winner of the 2022 Missing Children’s Poster Contest held by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Attorney General Derek Schmidt. Claire Watkins was declared the contest winner during a presentation at Baldwin City Elementary School Intermediate Center.
After two years, the Franklin County Health Department has gotten rid of its mobile COVID-19 testing trailer. According to its Facebook page, the Health Department has moved into what it calls endemic planning mode.
Few events shaped my childhood like the one-two punch of the Hesston tornado in 1990 and the Andover tornado in 1991. My family lived only 18 miles away from Andover, and the notion that a storm could descend from nowhere and wreak destruction terrified me.
The nineteenth annual Franklin County Children’s Literature Festival was held on April 27 at Ottawa University. Over 800 third through fifth graders from schools around Franklin County attended to hear authors, illustrators and musicians talk about their careers and answer questions.
The Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce honored the top five percent of students at Ottawa High School at a ceremony on April 27. The seniors pictured have maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout their entire high school careers. Photo Courtesy Ottawa High School
After seven years with the organization, Franklin County Health Department’s Assistant Director Erin Laurie will be leaving at the end of May to assume a position at Baker University. Laurie grew up on a farm outside Madison, Kansas and earned her undergraduate degree in dietetics from Kansas State University.
The semi-annual Ottawa City-wide Garage Sale will be held next weekend, May 6-7. According to Community Development Director Mike Hall, city ordinance limits residents to conducting no more than two garage sales at the same location per year, and any garage sales occurring out side of the two designated weekends need to be registered with the city for tracking purposes.
Each year during National Volunteer Week, AdventHealth Auxiliary celebrates the achievements of its volunteer network. The volunteer program remained alive during the pandemic and returned to active duty in 2021.