Hugs With Tuck and Mojo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNDhFxSbqo8&feature=em-subs_digest

Library Annual Book Sale

Storm Clouds Near Rossville

Storm clouds roll past a windmill near Rossville, Kan., Sunday, April 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Michael Lutz At Mize Houser

Michael Lutz,  who grew up in Rossville is the CEO of Mize Houser & Co. P. A.  

From the Capital-Journal:

Topeka-based Mize Houser & Co. P.A. was recognized as a “Firm to Watch” by a top accounting magazine.

“Accounting Today” named the company, which has offices in Lawrence and Overland Park, to its list of businesses that are experiencing significant growth, called “Firms to Watch.” Mize Houser revenues in 2015 jumped 5.94 percent to $24.63 million.

Shareholder James Hilbert said the company has seen steady growth, that has accelerated through significant investments in technology and with business in 40 states.

“Way back into the early ’70s, they were one of the first firms to invest in technology,” he said. “We’re unique in that we have programmers in house. A lot of FPA firms our size don’t have an IT department. We developed our own accounting software package that we can market to firms or companies throughout the United States. Investing in that technology, it’s really opened a lot of doors to us.”

Hilbert said Mize Houser competes with national firms like ADP for payroll accounts, by offering personal service. “I think what sets us apart from them, the big payroll firms, is if you call them and have a question, you never know who’s going to answer the phone. We assign a person to work on your account,” he said.

In addition, they have acquired new clients whose payroll companies couldn’t handle the reporting requirements of the Affordable Care Act, he said. “We’re large enough that we can provide real technical responses, and we’re small enough that we can give them mom-and-pop service.”

The company has grown from about 135 employees in about 2005 to about 230 now. The Topeka office has 160 employees, while 35 work in Overland Park and 35 in Lawrence.

Legacy Financial Strategies Topeka office moves

The Topeka office of Legacy Financial Strategies LLC has relocated, moving up one floor in the business’s current location to increase the space available for its use.

Marguerite Armitage, a spokesperson for the Overland Park-based firm, said the company moved upstairs at its 1414 S.W. Ashworth Place location.

The additional space is useful to the company, which merged three businesses together last year. Legacy Financial, an Overland Park-based business, combined with two Topeka businesses, Peoples Wealth Management and Peoples Benefit Group.

“Michael Lutz is our CEO, and he grew up in Rossville,” Armitage said. “He worked for a number of years in Topeka, and he has always wanted to expand into Topeka, so he was looking for the right merger. For Jim (Reardon, owner of Peoples Wealth Management), he also spent a few years looking for the right candidate. He had a solo practice, and he wanted to make sure his clients had continuity if he wasn’t able to take care of them.”

Nick Neukirch, formerly president and CEO of Peoples Benefit Group, had already partnered with Legacy and officially came into the fold in 2015, she said.

Six FBLA Members Going To Nationals

    Six  FBLA members  from Rossville High will be attending the FBLA Nationals in Atlanta, GA this summer June 29-July 3.  Attending will be Mitchell Porter, Ashley Rietcheck, Ryan Ehrlich, Emily Woodcock, Paul Borcherding, and Kathleen Schuler,  all of whom finished high in the State competition to qualify for the nationals.

 

    This  will be a very expensive trip so the chapter and their sponsor,  Nola Miller,   are going to have to do some serious fundraising.

FBLA Team Finishes Great At State

2015-2016 State FBLA Results

LifeSmarts - Mitchell Porter & Ashley Rietcheck - (Top 12 in Fall challenge)

Cyber Security - Ryan Ehrlich - (3rd out of 191)

Banking & Financial Systems - Mitchell Porter, Emily Woodcock & Ryan Ehrlich - (5th out of 30 teams)

Digital Video Production - Paul Borcherding - (5th out of 17)

Business Law - Matt Stillion - (6th out of 198)

FBLA Principles & Procedures - Kathleen Schuler -  (6th out of 158)

Sports & Entertainment Management - Trey Anderson, TJ Fiedler, & Fred Schuler - (7th out of 62 teams)

Computer Problem Solving - Ryan Ehrlich - (10th out of 143)

Networking Concepts - Ryan Ehrlich - (10th out of 103)

Introduction to Business Procedure - Reed Miller - (10th out of 175)

Securities & Investments - Mitchell Porter - (10th out of 132)

Julie Spring Hosts Foreign Students

From the Capital Journal:

Julie Spring has hosted four foreign exchange students 

who have attended Rossville Junior-High School. 

The 3A school is currently hosting nine visiting students through the 

Academic Year in America program that has an estimated

 50 students in Kansas this school year.

For a 3A Kansas high school with an average of about 250 students, hosting nine to 10 foreign exchange students in one academic year is a little unusual.

But Toby McCollough, principal of Rossville Junior-Senior High School, embraces those numbers.

“With us being a rural community, this is a good way for our kids to get that culture that may already be at another school,” McCollough said of his school’s foreign exchange student program. “We try to reap the benefits from them (foreign exchange students) being here.”

Although having an average of nine to 10 foreign exchange students each year for about the past three years has slightly increased class sizes, McCollough said his staff also has fully embraced having more of the visiting students.

“Not a one of them said they didn’t want another one (student),” McCollough said, recalling the time when he told his staff there would be a higher count of foreign exchange students. “They (teachers) extract knowledge from them.”

McCollough said his students and the Rossville community continue to welcome their visitors, who have come from all across the globe. He said that full acceptance becomes more evident when former exchange students bring their own families back to the town of a little more than 1,000 people to visit.

“They feel that connection,” he said. “They have lifelong friends here.”

Much of the credit McCollough gives to the success of his school’s foreign exchange student program is directed toward Kelly Brown, a Rossville resident and the regional coordinator for the Academic Year in America, or AYA, program for the past five years.

Brown said she is responsible for 19 visiting students out of the estimated 50 students who are in Kansas currently as part of the AYA. She said the program requires her to either meet with or contact the student, host family and the student’s biological family monthly.

“It works really well,” Brown said. “If we’re in contact continuously, we can work out a problem before it escalates into a bigger problem. We take pride in that we take care of our students. We don’t just get them here and then forget about them.”

Brown also said she gives credit for the success of the visiting student program to the staff and administration at Rossville Junior-Senior High School.

“I give kudos to them for allowing us to have this many,” she said, referring to the nine students who will attend the school this spring semester. “They (students) blend in really well. They get good grades and usually don’t struggle academically.”

Before she matches a student with a family, Brown said she spends a lot of time going through the students’ profiles to understand their preferences and personalities.

Julie Spring said she, her husband and their son, Zach, now 22, have hosted foreign exchange students each year since the 2008-09 school year from Japan, Germany and Pakistan. Their current student, Rafael de Arruda, is from Brazil.

“I think that the Rossville kids have been very good to them,” Spring said of the foreign exchange students who have been in the community. “They love that people talk to them but they really want friends. They came here to be part of America and the culture and sometimes they’re afraid or they’re embarrassed. They just don’t know how to ask.”

Spring said as part of the Academic Year in America program, visiting students have to give presentations on their culture and lives, as well as perform a required number of community service hours. She said Bilal Channa, the student she hosted last year, resonated with her and the Rossville community in particular, because he is a practicing Muslim.

“He engaged a lot with adults,” she said. “Some of the things he would consider to be important wouldn’t be something a normal 16-year-old would think is important. He worries about what’s happening in his country, he worries about world things.”

Spring said after hosting Bilal, whom she remains in regular contact with, she sees global events from a completely new perspective.

“What does happen in the rest of the world is important to us,” she said. “I’m thankful that he gave me that.”

Patricia Shove Passes Away

Patricia Ann “Patty” Shove, 83, passed away Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at Rolling Hills Care Home in Topeka.

She was born April 29, 1932 in the Sandy Hook Community near St. Marys the Daughter of George A. and Gertrude Heston Yocum.  Patty grew up in the Sandy Hook and St. Marys community and graduated from St. Marys High School in 1949.

Patty lived in Silver Lake and later moved back to St. Marys where she lived many years before moving into Rolling Hills. She had worked for the Silver Lake Bank and later the US Postal Service in Silver Lake before she retired.  Patty was a member of the St. Marys United Methodist Church.  Patty loved to sing and sang with the community choir in Silver Lake and the Sweet Adelines in Topeka.  She was a past XYZ Club member at Silver Lake.

She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Winnie Kerwin, Catherine Palmer, Georgie May Forbes, Helen Goodin, George Yocum, Margaret Petty,  Betty Lou Hatfield and Alice Hoffset.

Survivors include her son, Raymond James Shove, Carbondale; her daughter, Vicky Sue (Hal) Jones, Lake Wabaunsee; a brother Clarence “Nick”  (Emma)Yocum, St. Marys; three grandchildren, Charity Ann (Darryl)Woodson Mouck, Jason Shove and Trever Shove, six great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, April 23, 2016 at Piper Funeral Home in St. Marys.  Interment will be in Valley View Cemetery, St. Marys.  Mrs. Shove will lie in state from 10:00 until service time on Saturday at the funeral home.  Memorial contributions may be made to Grace Hospice or the St. Marys United Methodist Church and sent in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple St, St. Marys, Kansas 66536.

7th Annual Reunion & Dinner

7^th Annual All School 

Reunion & Dinner

Saturday, June 4^th Dekat Parish Center

Social Hour 4:00 p.m. 

 Catered Dinner 6:00 p.m.

This year we will honor two $1,000 scholarship winners

Cost for the evening is $22.50. All proceeds will go toward scholarships for graduating RHS Seniors.

I plan to attend the Celebration (list number attending)_________

_____ @ $22.50 = ____________ Add’l Donation(optional)_________

Total enclosed is __________________

Registration deadline is May 27th. Checks are made payable to RHS Alumni Foundation

Mail registration to: RHS Alumni Foundation, PO Box 803, Rossville KS 66533.

Name ___________________________________ RHS Graduate? Y___ N___ Year__________

Name ___________________________________ RHS Graduate? Y___ N___ Year__________

Address__________________________________City________________State-ZIP_________

E-mail Address_______________________________________

For Information call 785-584-6335 or 584-6080 or e-mail meburg@embarqmail.com

Softball Area Stat Leaders

HITTING

Average

H. Bassett, Oskaloosa, .750; Beam, Royal Valley, .667; Crawford, Chase County, .656; Burkhardt, Silver Lake, .636; Bond, Holton, .611; Kirkwood, Valley Falls, .594; Kippes, Rossville, .593; Walsh, Lyndon, .588; Nitsch, Rossville, .586; Hickman, Oskaloosa, .581; Courter, Oskaloosa, .576; Kearney, Valley Falls, .576; Ma. Miller, Oskaloosa, .576; Bennett, Tonganoxie, .565; A. Miller, Tonganoxie, .560; Crome, Marysville, .559; Peterson, Chase County, .556; Yoder, Silver Lake, .550; Workman, Santa Fe Trail, .548; Lowe, Oskaloosa, .538; Langvardt, Chapman, .531; Brintle, Council Grove, .526; Graham, Tonganoxie, .524; Carson, Burlingame, .515; R. Johnson, Wabaunsee, .515; B. Bassett, Oskaloosa, .500; Butts, Riverside, .500; Calovich, Tonganoxie, .500; Carlson, Council Grove, .500; Holaday, Holton, .500; Honas, Council Grove, .500; Swift, Chase County, .488; Nelson, Ottawa, .487; Murray, Rossville, .484;.

Home runs

Crome, Marysville, 6; Starr, Free State, 6; H. Bassett, Oskaloosa, 5; R. Johnson, Wabaunsee, 5; A. Miller, Tonganoxie, 4; Nitsch, Rossville, 4; Hildebrand, Wamego, 4; Beam, Royal Valley, 3; Carlson, Council Grove, 3; Crawford, Chase County, 3; Luthi, Wamego, 3; Pacha, Marysville, 3; Woods, Ottawa, 3.

RBI

H. Bassett, Oskaloosa, 25; Swift, Chase County, 22; Crawford, Chase County, 19; Ma. Miller, Oskaloosa, 18; Carlson, Council Grove, 17; Courter, Oskaloosa, 17; Honas, Council Grove, 17; Clayton, Ottawa, 16; Hildebrand, Wamego, 16; A. Miller, Tonganoxie, 16; Butler, Council Grove, 15; Lowe, Oskaloosa, 15; Pacha, Marysville, 14; Wright, Jefferson West, 14; Terrapin, Wabaunsee, 13; Whitten, Riverside, 13; Brintle, Council Grove, 12; Griffin, Chase County, 12; Hickman, Oskaloosa, 12; Holaday, Holton, 12; Beam, Royal Valley, 11; Hess, Burlington, 11; R. Johnson, Wabaunsee, 11; Me. Miller, Oskaloosa, 11; Nitsch, Rossville, 11;............; Kippes, Rossville,  8.

No RHS Pitchers were listed among the leaders.

Area Baseball Stat Leaders

HITTING

Average

W. Smith, Troy, .622; Greaser, Troy, .571; Huey, Riley County, .556; Hawkins, Santa Fe Trail, .555; Bonnel, Atchison, .542; Miner, Atchison, .542; Brumfield, Clay Center, .528; Sudbeck, Nemaha Central, .524; Bradshaw, Rossville, .500; C. Huss, Troy, .500; Lerner, Council Grove, .500; Rieschick, Holton, .500; Lemon, Chapman, .487; Tubbs, Wabaunsee, .486; Gerety, Nemaha Central, .480; Zenger, Rock Creek, .480; Flanagan, St. Marys, .478; Pryor, Central Heights, .478; Barger, Royal Valley, .464; Womack, Silver Lake, .464; Langvardt, Council Grove, .463; T. Morris, Troy, .459; Martinez, Troy, .458; J. Morris, Rossville, .458; Smith, Atchison, .458; L. Smith, Troy, .457;.........; Horak, Rossville, .407.

RBI

W. Smith, Troy, 21; Hielscher, Lyndon, 15; Honas, Council Grove, 15; Thurston, Oskaloosa, 15; Brumfield, Clay Center, 14; Lerner, Council Grove, 14; Spiker, Doniphan West, 14; Peyla, Junction City, 13; T. Morris, Troy, 13; Webb, Oskaloosa, 13; Forrester, Holton, 12; Fort, Osage City, 12; Halstead, Riley County, 12; Hawkins, Santa Fe Trail, 12; Langvardt, Council Grove, 12; Niehues, Nemaha Central, 12; Schultz, Royal Valley, 12; L. Smith, Troy, 12; VanHoutan, Oskaloosa, 12; Buchman, Council Grove, 11; C. Huss, Troy, 11; Tubbs, Wabaunsee, 11; Zenger, Rock Creek, 11; B. Bechard, Concordia, 10; Bonnel, Atchison, 10; Greaser, Troy, 10; Riffel, Rock Creek, 10; Roduner, Rossville, 10;..............; Bradshaw, Rossville, 7;

Stolen bases

Hodge, Mission Valley, 16; Barger, Royal Valley, 15; Coltrane, Santa Fe Trail, 15; Halstead, Riley County, 15; Cl. Phillips, Mission Valley, 14; Demars, Clay Center, 13; James, Concordia, 13; Ostertag, Atchison County, 12; Rignell, Riley County, 11; Boatwright, Atchison, 10; Nelson, Riley County, 10; Sudbeck, Nemaha Central, 10; Buchman, Council Grove, 9; Ehrhart, Royal Valley, 9; Hielscher, Lyndon, 9; Marcotte, Mission Valley, 9; Tubbs, Wabaunsee, 9; B. Bechard, Concordia, 8; Hiltibrand, Nemaha Central, 8; Langvardt, Council Grove, 8; Swinehart, Lyndon, 8; Wertzberger, Wabaunsee, 8; Atwood, Mission Valley, 7; Brumfield, Clay Center, 7; Haskins, Osage City, 7; Honas, Council Grove, 7; Imthurn, Wabaunsee, 7; J. Morris, Rossville, 7; Wahwahsuck, Atchison, 7; Wallace, Clay Center, 7; Blatt, Chapman, 6; Brown, Central Heights, 6; Collette, Junction City, 6; Droegemeier, Wabaunsee, 6; Roberts, Mission Valley, 6; Roduner, Rossville, 6; .............; Horak, Rossville, 5.

PITCHING

Wins

Larson, Concordia, 5; Engle, Riley County, 4; Schraad, Nemaha Central, 4; Bachura, Council Grove, 3; D. Balch, Rossville, 3;.........; Horak, Rossville, 2

Earned run average

Huske, Silver Lake, 0.00; J. Morris, Rossville, 0.54; Trotter, Maur Hill, 0.89; Larson, Concordia, 0.93; Engle, Riley County, 0.94; Baniewicz, Maur Hill, 1.06; Sudbeck, Nemaha Central, 1.17; Uphaus, Nemaha Central, 1.17; Reiss, Rock Creek, 1.23; Rieschick, Holton, 1.44; Linn, Royal Valley, 1.55; Smith, Atchison, 1.58; VanHoutan, Oskaloosa, 1.68; Scrimsher, Perry-Lecompton, 1.78; Kahle, Perry-Lecompton, 1.81; Winder, Troy, 1.94; Martin, Silver Lake, 2.04; Bonnel, Atchison, 2.09; Boyd, Silver Lake, 2.10.

Strikeouts

Larson, Concordia, 54; VanHoutan, Oskaloosa, 43; Trotter, Maur Hill, 41; Engle, Riley County, 35; Webb, Oskaloosa, 35; Rieschick, Holton, 34; Anderson, Mission Valley, 33; Bachura, Council Grove, 33; Baniewicz, Maur Hill, 33; Leach, Doniphan West, 33; Shields, Central Heights, 31; Lemon, Chapman, 30; Hart, Royal Valley, 28; Bonnel, Atchison, 27; Winder, Troy, 26; Blatt, Chapman, 25; Boatwright, Atchison, 25; Finch, Council Grove, 25; D. Gatzemeyer, Valley Falls, 25; Idol, Doniphan West, 24; Martin, Silver Lake, 24; McDaniel, Junction City, 24; B. Bechard, Concordia, 23; Coltrane, Santa Fe Trail, 23; Gerety, Nemaha Central, 23; Smith, Atchison, 23; Greening, Rock Creek, 21; Horak, Rossville, 20; .................. J. Morris, Rossville, 14; ..................; D. Balch, Rossville, 10.

Golf Team At Horton

    The boys golf team competed at the Horton Invitational on April 18 along with seven other teams.  Led by Gabe Marney  (2nd place overall) and Andrew Hudson (5th overall), the Dawgs finished well at the tournament with teams competing in both the two man and four man team divisions.

Two Man Team Standings
1.    Immaculata       82
2.    Rossville           87
3.    St. Marys          93
4.    Horton             105
5.    Atchison          106
6.    Onaga              111
7.    MH-MA            115

Four Man Team Standings
1.    MH-MA            173
2.    Rossville          213
3.    St. Marys          213
4.    Cair Paravel      233

Six Man Team (2 & 4 combined) Standings
1.    MH-MA              288
2.    Rossville            300
3.    St. Marys           306

Individual Scoring
1.    Schroeder,  Immaculata    38
2.    Gabe Marney,  Rossville   42
2.    Deluna,  MH-MA              42
4.    Wheaton, Immaculata       44
5.    Andrew Hudson RHS        45

Rattlers Open Season June 2.

Free Family Fun!!!

Opening Night is Thursday Night June 2nd at 7:00 PM! 

Make plans to be at Joe Campbell Stadium in Rossville

 as the Rattlers take on the Junction City Brigade! 

Mid-Plains League Summer Collegiate baseball is back!

Adrienne Olejnik Campaign News

Adrienne has been very active these past few months in getting out and speaking with her constituents. She has knocked on over 700 doors and attended events such as The Wamego Tulip Festival.

She has had such a wonderful time meeting voters that she plans many more upcoming events. Her volunteers have been a big part of her success. Adrienne intends to meet most voters by door-to-door knocking. If you would like to sign up to help Adrienne spread her message, follow the link at the bottom of the page to sign up. Door-to-door knocking can seem a bit daunting at first, but then volunteers learn that it is quite fun meeting new people. New volunteers will be paired with a more seasoned one to make the process simpler.

If walking door-to-door isn't your thing, there are other ways to help spread Adrienne's message such as phone banking. We will meet at a volunteer's home for snacks and conversation while making calls to prospective supporters. If you would like to sign up for a phone banking shift, follow the link below.

If you would like to enjoy drinks and snacks with Adrienne while mingling with other like-minded individuals, then attending a Meet and Greet Party or Fundraising Party is just the thing for you. Follow the link provided below to RSVP for a night of fun and conversation.

WWW.ADRIENNEFORKANSAS.COM/CALENDAR

My Best,
Michele Sizemore
Campaign Co-Manager, Adrienne for Kansas
(254)-415-9605
http://www.adrienneforkansas.com/