Web posted
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Trials, voting top stories
There were many stories that helped define who we are, where we were and where we are going as a community.
We have compiled the top 10 stories of the year. This is based on news impact as well as importance to the community in general.
Thurber murder trial
Justin Thurber was declared competent to stand trial for the murder of Jodi Sanderholm in December.
Thurber returned to Cowley County Jail last month after a mental evaluation at Larned State Hospital. Judge Jim Pringle had ordered the evaluation at a closed competency hearing Oct. 1. Pringle did not rule on Thurber's competency at the October hearing.
Prosecutors accuse Thurber, 25, of kidnapping, raping and murdering 19-year-old Cowley College freshman Jodi Sanderholm.
Sanderholm's body was found in January 2007 in the Kaw Wildlife Area, in Cowley County near the Oklahoma border.
The defense has sought a change of venue, and has made many other motions since Thurber was charged in 2007.
Prosecuting attorney Chris Smith wants jurors to see areas that are significant to the case. The judge has not ruled on that motion.
Jury selection is to begin in late January, and officials hope the trial will start in February.
Voters approve two sales taxes
Voters approved two half-cent sales tax initiatives in the November election. One was to help pay for a new hospital, and the other one was for street repair.
The vote passed 2,190 - 1,532, or by a 59-41 percentage for the hospital.
Arkansas City residents should also see improvements in the streets as they passed a half-sent sales tax for street repairs. The margin was a bit closer than the hospital vote, passing 1,952 - 1,754.
Hospital spokesman Clayton Pappan had spent the last several weeks making presentations about the facility, and trying to convince people to support the project.
"We are very pleased," he said, "We are glad to see the community come out and support the project."
Pappan said the overall percentage was also gratifying.
"We had a good feeling that it was going to pass for a couple of weeks," he said. "This vote just confirmed that."
He said the hospital's board of directors would start meeting "more seriously" with the architect.
"This is the green light we have been waiting for," Pappan said. "We have been on hold until we saw how the vote would go."
He added that there is still a lot of preliminary work to do, but said the construction of a new hospital could begin next spring. The sales tax will take effect at the first of the year and will last 10 years. It could be a shorter period if the debt is paid off before that time, but it cannot last longer than 10 years.
City Commissioner Dotty Smith said she supported both sales tax initiatives.
"I am pleased both passed. It was in the hands of the citizens and that is where it should be. People saw the need for street repair," she said this morning.
Two armed robberies
In mid-September there were two armed robberies in Arkansas City, in the same week.
On Sept. 16, an armed bank robbery was reported from the north branch of Home National Bank in Arkansas City. According to initial reports, police are looking for a 5-foot-10-inch black male with bad teeth weighing approximately 180 pounds. He is wearing a maroon shirt.
A teller was handed a note with the robber's intentions, the police said Arkansas City Police Captain Sean Wallace is not reporting at this time whether or not the perpetrator obtained money from the teller.
Police believe he fled in a late-model, red Cobra Mustang GT. They have called for helicopter assistance.
Only a few days later, Arkansas City police were re seeking three -- possibly four -- men who brandished handguns and robbed the Country Mart grocery store Sunday night.
The suspects entered the store about 8:50 p.m., approached the customer service booth and removed an undisclosed amount of money from a safe, Lt. Jeff Moore, of the police department said.
No shots were fired and no one was hurt, he said. There were employees and customers in the store The robbers were in the store less than one minute.
They left the store on foot and walked to a car parked behind the store on the north end of A Street before driving north and east toward the U.S. 77 Bypass, witnesses told police.
Russell leaves, replaced by Archer
City Manager Doug Russell decided to leave the city after a year and a half on the job.
The Yankton, S.D., City Commission approved a contract to hire Russell as its new city manager. Russell is to begin work July 7.
Russell, 34, is currently serving as the city manager for Arkansas City, Kan., a community of about 12,000 people. Mayor Dan Specht said the contract, which includes an annual salary of $85,000, will take effect July 7.
"Doug Russell showed an innovation and an excitability for the position that we didn't see in the other candidates," Specht said. "He is excited about his job. He brings a lot to the table in terms of a versatile background."
"I'm pretty excited about it," Russell said in a phone interview with the Press & Dakotan shortly after Tuesday's meeting adjourned. "My family is also excited to come up and be part of the Yankton community."
Governor signs Jodi's Law
In an emotional ceremony, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius honored the parents of Jodi Sanderholm by signing a strengthened anti-stalking bill known as Jodi's Law.
After Sebelius completed the ceremonial signing -- Jodi's Law actually became effective July 1 -- she hugged a tearful Cindy Sanderholm, Jodi's mother, who sat next to her at the table.
Cowley College freshman Jodi Sanderholm disappeared Jan. 5, 2007 after attending a danceline practice. Her body was found four days later.
A 25-year-old man, Justin Thurber, is accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering the victim. His trial is scheduled to start in October.
"This is the worst case among scenarios when women become victims of violence -- when the victim dies," Sebelius said. "It's important to give law enforcement tools that weren't there before for rapid response to help these women."
Sebelius said both Democrats and Republicans worked together in a bipartisan effort to get the bill passed.
State Rep. Kasha Kelley led the effort, and worked with local law enforcement officials, to get a law that could be enforced.
Record voter turnout
Long lines of people waiting to vote at Arkansas City polling places on election morning caught some voters by surprise, and several commented it was the busiest election they have ever seen in this town.
"Since I was 18, I've been voting and I've never been in a line this long," said Connie Rowe, 57, who has lived in Ark City all her life.
Rowe added that for her this presidential election held special significance because it is "historical -- on both sides."
Cowley County Clerk and Elections Officer Karen Brooks said every polling place she has visited in Ark City and Winfield has had long lines since the polling places opened at 7 a.m.
"I definitely think this is going to be the highest turnout," she said. "It certainly is the highest I've seen since I took office four years ago next January."
"It's the biggest I've ever seen," said Hal Wilcox, supervising judge at a polling place at the Arkansas City Recreation Center. "The last national election was not like this. There was an even flow the last time."
Schools get awards
Arkansas City High School has been named a 2009 National Breakthrough School by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and MetLife Insurance. It is one of only 10 secondary schools in the country receiving this prestigious award, a local school district official said today.
"We knew we were in the final 15 several weeks ago," said Arkansas City Public Schools Superintendent Ron Ballard. "A team from NASSP and Met Life visited our high school Oct. 21. They visited with faculty, administrators and students."
Also during the school year, Arkansas City students at USD 470 outdid themselves this past year on state math and reading assessments. The district earned a total of 32 Standards of Excellence awards after the 2008 tests. That number combines both grade level and building-wide honors and it's the most the district has earned to date. Last year, the schools received 24 standards.
The schools will get banners to hang up at their respective schools for their awards.
The Kansas State Department of Education's highest honor is based on the percentage of students who score proficient or above on the state assessments in math and reading. The percentages needed for each rank vary by subject and grade level and the number of students required to reach exemplary status increases each year.
"Our staff members continue to offer an aligned, rigorous curriculum and because of that, have high expectations of the students," Jan Voss, associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction, said. "Principals, teachers and parents are addressing the issues involved in supporting learning success."
Windows law passes
After months of wrangling, the city's windows ordinance was finally passed.
The windows ordinance for the entire city was passed a few months ago, and that requires that any windows replaced must be made of glass or a transparent material. The commission decided to do a separate ordinance for downtown that used zoning to require window replacement.
The ordinance requiring glass from this point forward includes entire city as well as the downtown area. The ordinance approved last night will require that all windows be replaced with glass or a an approved transparent substance.
The ordinance passed last night requires more replacement of windows than the other one that applied to the entire city did.
The ordinance requires 10 windows be replaced the first year, 10 more the second year and all windows in three years.
The ordinance has gone to the planning commission a few times, and received final approval from that group about a week ago at a public hearing.
Building, Planning and Codes Director Matt Rowland said no one spoke at the public hearing. He said the ordinance applies to street-sides of buildings and not to alleyways.
100 pit bulls discovered
Over 100 pit bulls, allegedly neglected by Wichita native Jerry Lee Southern at a leased property west of Newkirk, have all been relocated or euthanized, county officials said Monday.
The number of pit bulls euthanized this past weekend has not been released.
"It is an undetermined number," said Donna Reynolds, of BAD RAP (Bay Area Dog lovers Responsible About Pit bulls), a non-profit organization that operates a pit bull adoption program near San Francisco.
Two members of the pit bull group, Reynolds and Donyale Hoye, along with Ruth Steinberger, of the Oklahoma Animal Alliance, inspected the dogs Friday and helped draw the dogs stay in Newkirk to a conclusion.
The California group transported the pit bulls that are to be rehabilitated to California on Saturday. The dogs were transported by 'Best Friends,' a Utah group that also helps rehabilitate pit bulls back into society. Both organizations were involved in the recent pit bull case involving former Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick.
Eight puppies are being adopted locally, five have already been adopted, according to Kay County Undersheriff Steve Kelley. The pit bull rescue groups do not handle puppies, only adult dogs.
Best of the rest
* Here are other top stories that were significant, but did not make our top-10 list.
* City passes dog tethering ordinance, also limits the number of animals.
* Union State Bank named small business of the year
* Safety issues at the high school
* First railroad festival held
* 43 people victim of tire slashing spree
* Walgreens opens
* New meat market opens downtown; first new building downtown in many years.
* City avoids tax increase with big budget cuts, including large cuts to the museum and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
* Ark City hospital gets a surgeon
* Schools increase taxes, increase property taxes on a $100,000 home by $71.30.
* Six businesses hit in burglary spree Aug. 21
* Mayor Kuhn apologizes after performance
* Gary Wilson wins re-election to County Commission by 12 votes
* City turns over historical site to local church
* City turns over City Ball Park to Cowley College
* Mattress company closes after 85 years
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