True leads Olpe to state title, PAGE 9
TEG
TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2016
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PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING
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A R E A
FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1895
M E M O R I A L
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Good Evening
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It’s our responsiblity
to remember.
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S E R V I C E S
EMPORIA HONORS FALLEN VETERANS AT
MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY
By John Robinson
[email protected]
Flood waters caused a change in
venue for Memorial Day services in
Emporia, but it didn’t stop the community from coming out and honoring fallen veterans.
“It’s great to live in Emporia,”
Gerald Kehres, commander of VFW
Post 1980, retired sergeant first class
and master of ceremonies for the
event, said. “We get behind Veterans Day and we get behind Memorial Day. It seems like it’s always on
(people’s) mind and they make an
effort to come out and support us in
our services.”
The ceremony began with performances from the Emporia Municipal Band, led by director James
Davis, and featured a prayer from
retired Lt. Col. Lee Hoskins. The
memorial roll call, which honors
fallen veterans, was read by retired
Sgt. Maj. Leanne Kehres and Sgt.
1st. Class Gerald Kehres
Gold Star Mother Maria Lane
read a memorial poem, which was
followed by an update on the All Veterans Memorial from Frank Lowery.
“I’m glad you all made us look
like fools,” Lowery said. “We are
over 600 names now. Our original
project called for 480 names, so we
added two more (tablets) when we
passed that goal. Not only have we
JOHN ROBINSON/GAZETTE
exceeded what we set out to do, but
we are now in the planning stages Capt. Kendrea Shingleton was the guest speaker the the
Please see Emporia, Page 3
Memorial Day service in Emporia. She speaks next to grandson
Bennett Vandyke.
MARY ANN REDEKER/GAZETTE
Diane Smith of Bushong reads the dedication during a memorial
ceremony Monday in Bushong. The site of the dedication will be a
new veterans memorial to honor those who have served from North
Lyon County.
SMITH’S DREAM OF VETERANS
MEMORIAL BECOMES REALITY
By Mary Ann Redeker
[email protected]
Diane Smith of Bushong had a
dream that one day the citizens of
North Lyon County would have a
Veterans Memorial to honor those
who have served.
Monday, her dream came one
step closer to fruition as a groundbreaking ceremony was held in
Bushong on Main Street.
Smith helped break the ground
for the project with a shovel, along
with a few others during the ceremony.
“This event today was fantastic,”
Smith said. “It made me want to cry.
I can’t wait for it to all be completed. This is special to me because of
those in this area who have served.”
Smith, who is president of the
memorial, said she has been raising
money to fund it for about a year
and five months.
“We had about 134 veterans lost
from this area, with 10 being from
Bushong during World War II,” she
said. “This made us the largest per
capita in the United States for those
Please see Bushong, Page 3
SOLEMN CROWD HOPES FOR ‘NO MORE’
By Regina Murphy
[email protected]
Citizens of Americus and Lyon
County gathered at 11 a.m. Monday at the township cemetery
northeast of Emporia, Roads G
and 245, for a Memorial Day service and dedication of a new entryway to the grounds.
REGINA MURPHY/GAZETTE
Bill Voorhees, American Legion Post 5, played Taps following the
rifle salute.
EMERGENCY
CREWS
PERFORM TRIO
OF WATER
RESCUES
By John Robinson
[email protected]
The Emporia Fire Department
Water Rescue Team was called
out to three water rescues over
the weekend, two of which involved rescuing the same person.
The first occurred at Roads
160 and G5 at around 10 p.m.
on Saturday. According to Steve
Please see Rescue, Page 3
VOL. 124, NO. 284
The high, iron arch now holds
five badges, each reflecting a
branch of armed service.
A bright sun steamed the atmosphere with the excess moisture of
recent rains as a solemn crowd of
all ages mostly stood for prayers,
the Pledge of Allegiance and a
message from Lt. Col. (Ret.) Lee
Hoskins.
“Because they served, we still
enjoy the freedom we have,” he
said. “I wish I could say ‘thank
you’ to them even as so many have
thanked me this morning.”
The color guard and firing
squad who took part in the EmpoPlease see Americus, Page 3
REGINA MURPHY/GAZETTE
A firing squad commanded by Post 5 member Don Dix gave the salute at the Americus Township
Memorial Day service and dedication ceremony.
CYCLIST GOES INTO ‘HIGH GEAR,’ SETS NEW RECORD
By John Robinson
[email protected]
At about 7 a.m. Saturday, Ryan
Jones set off from just west of Tribune, Kansas.
Just 19 hours, 55 minutes and
more than 400 miles later, Jones
found himself riding across the
Kansas-Missouri state line, setting the record for the fastest trip
across Kansas on a bicycle.
About five hours before that
fateful finish, however, Jones — a
member of the High Gear Cyclery
team — stopped at the Emporia
shop for a quick rest at about 9
p.m..
“My neck hurts,” Jones said, as
he watched his bike undergo repairs. “My neck hurts worse than
anything.”
Jones said he was motivated
to attempt the record after hearing about Ashton Lambie, the
previous record-holder, who com-
pleted the trek in just less than 24
hours in the fall of 2015.
“I competed in the Dirty Kanza the last two years ... and I was
looking for something different,”
he said. “I saw what the record
was and figured I could probably
get it if I had some good weather.”
High Gear Cyclery owner
Matt Brown said he was excited
for Jones. Brown and a crowd of
several other supporters were on
the scene to welcome Jones into
Emporia.
Jones said it was a good tailwind and the knowledge of setting a new record that kept him
going on his journey. He also kept
up with notes of encouragement
posted on Facebook when he had
th