TEG
MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2016
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PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING
FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1895
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Good Evening
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Thank you for
the fun, Prairieland!
WWW.EMPORIAGAZETTE.COM
FIVE ARRESTED
FOLLOWING
DRUG
INVESTIGATION
Special to the Gazette
PRAIRIELAND PARTNERS HOLDS
5TH ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT
Melissa Lowery
Special to the Gazette
Chilly temperatures and a brisk
wind were the backdrop on Saturday when PrairieLand Partners
hosted its 5th annual community
Easter egg hunt, but that didn’t
deter dozens of area children from
participating.
Gathering in a field next to
PrairieLand Partners at Road F
and Highway 50, the children were
separated into different age groups
and lined up in front of roped-off
areas of the field. The littlest, just
one and two years old and still getting the hang of walking, used one
Please see Egg Hunt, Page 5
The Lyon County Sheriff’s
Office has released the names of
the five individuals arrested on
suspicion of drugs and firearms
crimes after a warrant search in
Chase County on Friday.
Vernon Yoho, 57, and his wife
Vickie Yoho, 59, were arrested
along with Yoho’s sons: Dustin,
31, and Derek, 30. Janice Nelson,
40, was also arrested. All reportedly lived in the same residence
in Strong City.
Following a lengthy investigation involving three area law enforcement agencies, the five were
arrested on various drug and firearms charges in Strong City.
According to a spokesperson
from the Lyon County Sheriff’s
Office, that agency along with
the Emporia Police Department
and the Chase County Sheriff’s
Office participated in the search
in Strong City Kansas. The Emporia Police Department, Lyon
County Sheriff’s Office Special
Response Teams and the Emporia Lyon County Drug Task Force
were engaged.
This search warrant was the
conclusion to a methamphetamine investigation that took
place in both Chase County and
Lyon County, leading to the discovery of illegal narcotics, drug
paraphernalia and numerous firearms and ammunition.
The charges against the Yohos
and Nelson include possession of
illegal narcotics, possession of
drug paraphernalia, distribution
of methamphetamine within
1000 feet of a school and various
firearms charges.
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
A bucket is filled to the top with different colored Easter eggs
after a child participated in the 5th annual Easter egg hunt held at
PrairieLand Partners on Saturday.
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
Lindsay Garrett helps her son, Cade, 3, open an egg that he found at
the Easter egg hunt held at PrairieLand Partners on Saturday.
ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
SUCCESSFUL 2015, LOOKS AHEAD TO 2016
By Melissa Lowery
Special to the Gazette
The annual meeting of the Emporia Farmers Market took place
on Saturday at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 828 Commercial St.
Among the items on the agenda
were the market calendar for 2016,
a review of 2015 and board member elections.
Following the winter market
that morning, current and prospective vendors, farmhands and
friends of the market gathered for
lunch before settling down to business. Board President Ruthann
Resch welcomed the group and
recognized market manager Tracy
Simmons for her work on behalf of
the Farmers Market over the past
year.
Simmons presented the 2015
year in review. For the calendar
year, gross market sales equaled
$102,377, down slightly from 2014.
A record number of 70 vendors
registered to participate in 2015
markets. Fifteen vendors averaged
Please see Market, Page 5
PHOTO COURTESY MELISSA LOWERY
VOL. 124, NO. 224
Tracy Simmons honors Harold and Naomi Brenzikofer for their 30 years with the Emporia Farmers
Market at the organization’s annual meeting on Saturday.
GOP WORRIES
KANSAS
CAN’T HIT
FAIRNESS
TARGET FOR
SCHOOL AID
The Associated Press
Republican lawmakers assert that they may never be able
to meet the Kansas Supreme
Court’s demands for fairness in
education funding and will see
a chaotic budget process every
year as they reshuffle dollars
among local school districts.
The high court said last
month that Kansas has not given poor districts their fair share
and schools must shut down in
July unless lawmakers fix the
problem. In response, the Senate could debate a bill Monday
looking at redistributing part of
the state’s annual aid to its 286
school districts.
Republicans debating the
measure in committee said they
found it galling that the court
rejected key parts of a law enacted last year that junked the
state’s previous per-pupil distribution formula in favor of
“block grants” meant to largely
freeze spending.
Predictable allocations for
school districts give the state
a stable target as it struggles to
balance its budget. The court’s
decision, Republicans say, pushes Kansas in the opposite direction — and potentially into new
legal challenges every year.
Please see Funding, Page 5