By Jessie Wagoner jessie @ emporia . com

Christian Risner is only 2 years old , but he is facing a big battle for such a little boy .

In late March , Christian was diagnosed with Rhabdoid kidney cancer .

Prior to the diagnosis , Christian was an active , healthy boy . His parents , Josh and Sarah Risner , had no concerns about his health until he awoke one morning with blood in his urine . After consulting with Christian ’ s pediatrician , they made the trip to Children ’ s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City . A sonogram confirmed the Risner ’ s worst fears .

“ The doctors came in at 9 p . m . that night and sat down with us ,” Sarah Risner said . “ They told us it was a very large tumor in his kidney and that there was really no way to determine where the kidney began and the tumor ended .”

Initially , the family was hopeful that Christian had a common type of cancer to treat , but when the pathology report came back , it didn ’ t bring good news . In just a matter of days ,

Christian went from being a healthy little boy to losing his kidney from an aggressive form of cancer .

“ They removed his kidney and put in a port because they knew he would have to have chemo ,” Sarah Risner said . “ Then we had to wait for the pathology report to come back . They told us that what they had hoped was a really common tumor was actually one of the rarest kidney cancers there are — Rhabdoid tumor of the kidney . In the very beginning we had a 30- to 40-percent chance of survival .”

In an effort to increase Christian ’ s chances of survival , he is undergoing extensive chemotherapy and radiation . This particular type of cancer is known to be aggressive , often reoccurring and spreading to surrounding organs .

“ The chemo we are doing is very aggressive ,” Sarah Risner said . “ It makes him super sick . Our original plan was only 35 weeks of chemo . Then they came across a new plan they wanted to try that increases the

Please see Risner , Page 3

After a violent storm passed through the Madison area in May 2015 , the fate of Number 8 oneroom schoolhouse , located twoand-a-half miles east of Madison on Highway 58 , was in doubt .

Starting in 1998 when the District Number 8 Restoration committee began efforts to restore the one-room schoolhouse , several groups of school children and their teachers have spent time at Number 8 , taking a look back at early education in Kansas . Also several civic groups and families have enjoyed touring the building .

But , after the May 2015 storm passed through the area , Number 8 Schoolhouse sustained heavy storm damage when its once scaling chimney was blown over — into the roof , through rafters and parts even went through the ceiling below .

Quickly , the District Number 8 Restoration Committee went to work to see if the building and the project could be saved . After receiving an estimate for repairs , the group decided to go forward with fundraising efforts to repair the damage . Community response was quick and after a couple of weeks , enough money was raised . Soon , a local contractor began working on the damaged schoolhouse , both inside and out .

At 7 p . m . June 16 , the District Number 8 Schoolhouse Restoration Committee and the Greenwood County Historical Society hosted a “ Grand Reopening ” at the school to thank the community for their generous contributions and the saving of a landmark in Greenwood County . This brick structure is the only remaining one-room schoolhouse in Greenwood County which is open to the public for arranged tours and viewing . It is also one of the few

C O U R T E S Y P H O T O S Please see Madison , Page 8

By Zach Hacker zach @ emporia . com

Savanna Chestnut is paying her dues — trying to make it in the competitive world of country music .

A native of Americus , Chestnut not only writes and performs her own songs ; she is also her own manager and head of promotions .

Her journey brought her to Kicker Country Stampede in Manhattan Thursday , where she played in the NSAI Songwriters Tent . It was the second straight year she has played at Country Stampede after meeting an organizer of the event in Nashville , where she moved just eight months after graduating from Northern Heights High School in 2013 .

“ It went well ,” Chestnut said of her Thursday night performance , which lasted about 40 minutes . “ It ’ s pretty cool . They have different tents set up for people to stop in — maybe sit in the shade for a bit — and listen to us between the concerts on the Main Stage .”

She is already planning to play at Country Stampede again in 2017 , but hopes to perform on a larger stage such as the VIP Tent . No matter where she plays , however , she said it is always fun to have a contingency of fans from her hometown and the surrounding area there to watch her

VOL . 124 , NO .

“ When I ’ m alone , I start writing or playing one of my older songs or even a cover , and I remember that this dream is one thing that has never gone away . When you feel that strongly about something , you have to keep going ; you have to keep pushing .”

SAVANNA CHESTNUT

perform . Though her music has changed a lot since , Chestnut made her first album while still in high school . The record did well locally among family and friends . Many of those same people are able to come see her when she plays shows nearby .

“ It ’ s awesome ,” Chestnut said . “ It really makes me feel good when a bunch of my friends from home come to see me . The local support that I get from where I grew up , that ’ s what keeps me going .”

She supports her music career by waitressing at the famed Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville , all while continuing to write music , promote it and set up gigs in her spare time . When Chestnut first moved to Nashville , she mainly performed at bars and open-mic nights whenever she got a chance to show off her talent . Recently , she ’ s been branching out beyond Music City , touring through Florida and Ohio and playing a couple more gigs in Kansas — including Red Dirt LakeFest in Milford and the Tall Corn Festival in Rossville .

Chestnut books all of her shows herself through networking and making connections wherever she goes . Although she admits it is a lot of work being her own manager and promoter , it is also gratifying to meet new fans of her music outside the places she calls home .

“ It ’ s amazing ,” she said . “ Every now and then I meet people who come up and tell me how much they like my music . That ’ s the

Please see Chestnut , Page 3

PHOTO COURTESY OF SIERRA DONELSON

Savanna Chestnut , a native of Americus , performs in the NSAI Songwriters Tent Thursday night at Kicker Country Stampede in Manhattan .