About the Jan. 22 edition of the Montgomery County Chronicle . . . .

• Tuesday’s inauguration of President Barack Obama was witnessed firsthand by more than 1.2 million people who crammed into the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to view history in action. Among the throngs of people were three people from the Montgomery County area. I talked to Bill Cullins, a district judge from Montgomery County, Sam Atherton of rural Cherryvale, and Abby Hanigan, Caney Valley High School freshman, about their experiences in observing the peaceful transfer of presidential power. You’ll find this story on page 1.

• Speaking of monumental political events, did you know that the first African-American legislator in Kansas lived west of Caney? His name was Alfred Fairfax, and although his term in the Kansas House of Representatives was brief (1889-90), the lawmaker attempted to end segregation in Kansas schools — some 70 years before the U.S. Supreme Court would declare segregation as unconstitutional. We’ll have a story about this unique piece of area history on page 1.

• Politics at the local level will come into focus next week when the deadline passes for the filing of city council, school board and community college trustee candidates. The deadline to file is noon Tuesday, Jan. 27. A story on page 2 will have an updated list of the most recent county residents to throw their hat into the political ring.

• The Cherryvale Fire-Rescue Department is celebrating a milestone this week: 125 years of continuous service. You’ll get a kick of the photo on page 7 of the 1907-era horse-draw fire wagon and a brief history of the local fire service. By the way, the Chronicle hears that there might be cake and punch at the fire station on Thursday night at 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend this birthday party event.

• The Independence school district is preparing for a special election on Feb. 3 concerning a $45.1 million proposal to improve local schools. A story and chart on page 4 will detail the specifics of this multi-million dollar proposal, what it means to the community, and how it will be paid if taxpayers approve it.

• Gov. Kathleen Sebelius last week appointed a Caney Valley High School graduate to serve as her chief spokesperson. Beth (Hall) Martino was named communication director by the governor. She is a 1997 graduate of Caney Valley High School. You’ll read about Martino on page 8.

• Caney Valley High School FFA members returned from a road journey to Colorado to visit the National Western Junior Livestock, which is regarded as the largest livestock event in the world. We’ll have details about the FFA chapter’s trip. Look for it on page 8.

• Cherryvale City Council members on Tuesday voted to grant 3 percent pay hikes to city employees, even though the council had originally planned on offering 6 percent salary increases in 2009. A story on page 5 will detail the council’s decision on the lower pay hike.

• Of course, no other sound can be heard in the area this week than the pounding and dribbling of basketballs. This is mid-season tournament week, and area teams are congregated at gymnasiums for several days of hoops action. Caney Valley is in the midst of the Wilson County Classic in Fredonia, and the Cherryvale High School teams are preparing for the start of the Coffeyville Inter-State Classic on Thursday. You’ll see information about those games in the three pages of sports in this week’s Chronicle.

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You’ll enjoy reading Rudy Taylor’s weekly Off the Cuff column this week. This week’s column talks about his first experience with a television set, which took place 56 years ago this week when he witnessed the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Read Rudy’s column on page 3.

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Also, check back with www.taylornews.org for periodic updates. We’ll have updated scores from the Wilson County Classic and Coffeyville Inter-State Classic.

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The Jan. 22 edition has more stories of interest to all Montgomery County residents. Be sure to pick up a copy today at the following locations:
Caney: Floyds Town and Country, Gunny Sack Phillips 66, Gunny Sack Shell, Casey’s General Store and the Montgomery County Chronicle.
Cherryvale: Jump Start, Casey’s General Store, Friendly’s Food and Fuel, G&W Foods, Cherryvale Pharmacy, Cherry Hill Express, and the Montgomery County Chronicle
Tyro: J’s Corner Store
Independence: Daylight Doughnuts
Coffeyville: Kabredlo’s Convenience Store

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If you do not presently subscribe to the Montgomery County Chronicle, give me a call (620) 879-2156 or (620) 336-2100 to place your subscription order. The local subscription rate (with sales tax) is $32.40 per year. Not a bad deal at all!

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As always, I’m interested to know about your news tips and story ideas. Drop me a line by e-mail (check for my address below) or call me on my cell phone at (620) 331-9178. Let’s chat! And, if you wish, pass this e-mail along to your e-mail lists (school secretaries: pass this along to your faculty e-mail lists). Let me know of others who might be interested in receiving a weekly preview of the Montgomery County Chronicle.

MEN’S BRACKET

Thursday’s results:

Independence 57, Cherryvale 43

Coffeyville 51, J.C. Harmon 48

K.C. Central 90, Wichita Defenders 54

Andover 67, K.C. East 50

Semi-final games for Friday, Jan. 23:

Cherryvale vs. J.C. Harmon, 8:45 p.m.

Wichita Defenders vs. K.C. East, 5:15 p.m.

Independence vs. Coffeyville, 8:45 p.m.

K.C. Central vs. Andover, 5:15 p.m.

Saturday’s final round games:

7th-8th place game, 11:45 a.m. at CCC

5th-6th place game, 11:45 a.m. at Field Kindley

3rd-4th place game, 3:15 a.m., at Field Kindley

Championship game, 7 p.m., at Field Kindley

WOMEN’S BRACKET

Thursday’s results:

Cherryvale 63, Parsons 57

Coffeyville 51, Wichita Defenders 30

K.C. Central 61, Independence 53

Andover 58, K.C. East 22

Semi-final round games on Friday, Jan. 23:

Cherryvale vs. Coffeyville, 3:30 p.m., at Field Kindley

K.C. Central vs. Andover, 7 p.m, at Field Kindley

Independence vs. K.C. Easet, 3:30 p.m., at CCC

Parsons vs. Wichita Defenders, 7 p.m., at CCC

Saturday’s final round schedule:

7th-8th place game: 10 a.m., at CCC

5th-6th place game: 10 a.m., at Field Kindley

3rd-4th place game: 1:30 p.m., at Field Kindley

Championship game, 5 p.m., at Field Kindley

Wilson County Classic
Women’s bracket
First-round games:
Erie 56, Neodesha 45
Pittsburg 51, Frdonia 28
Chanute 66, Caney Valley 54
Girard (bye)

Second-round games:
Girard 59, Erie 22
Pittsburg 62, Chanute 59 (OT)
Caney Valley 63, Fredonia 56
Neodesha (bye)

Thursday’s game:
(5th-6th place)
Neodesha 54, Caney Valley 44

Friday’s games:
(1st-2nd place)
Girard vs. Pittsburg, 6:30 p.m.
(3rd-4th place)
Chanute vs. Erie, 4:45 p.m.

Men’s bracket
Pool A games
Girard 66, Caney Valley 32 (Mon.)
Neodesha 52, Caney Valley 46 (Tues.)

Pool B games
Pittsburg 63, Erie 47 (Mon.)
Pittsburg 51, Fredonia 32 (Tues.)

Thursday’s games:
Girard 50, Neodesha 22 (Pool A)
Erie 63, Fredonia 44 (Pool B)

Friday’s games:
Girard (Pool A winner) vs. Pittsburg (Pool B winner), 8:15 p.m.
Neodesha (Pool A 2nd place) vs. Erie (Pool B 2nd place), 6:15 p.m.
Caney Valley (Pool A 3rd place) vs. Fredonia (Pool B 3rd place), 4:30 p.m.

WICHITA - An Independence industry is victim to an embezzlement scheme by a former employee.

Larry R. Williams, 49, of Neodesha on Friday pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Marietta Parker announced.

In his plea, Williams admitted the crime took place from August 1999 through July 26, 2006, while he was employed as controller for Molded Fiber Glass Construction Company (MFGCC) of Independence. In that
position, he was responsible for keeping the company’s payroll records.

Williams inflated the amount the company owed him and caused electronic fund transfers from MFGCC to several bank accounts he controlled. The government calculated the loss at $719,529.

Williams is set for sentencing April 11, 2009. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Parker commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

Among the stories you’ll find in the Jan. 15 edition of the Montgomery County Chronicle.

• The spring elections are already drawing candidates with noon Tuesday, Jan. 27 being the deadline to file for city council, school board or community college trustee positions. A story on page 1 has a list of candidates who have filed for those offices as of this week.

• A Montgomery County native retired this week from one of the top jobs in state government. Chief Justice Kay McFarland ended her term on the Kansas Supreme Court after serving with the state’s high court since 1977. McFarland was born in Coffeyville in 1935 before moving with her family to Topeka, where she spent most of her youth years and all of her adult career. A story on page 1 talks about McFarland’s career as the state’s top judge.

• New faces abound in the county courthouse following the swearing in of officials on Monday. Among the new officials in county government are Sheriff Bobby Dierks, county commissioners Larry McManus and Fred Brown, and district judge Gary House. Look for a story and photos on page 1.

• Next week is a big week for area high school basketball teams as they compete in mid-season basketball tournaments. A story on page 1 shows when Caney Valley men’s and women’s teams will be playing in the opening round of the Wilson County Classic in Fredonia. And, the same story will carry details about the Cherryvale men’s and women’s teams as they participate in the Coffeyville Inter-State Classic.

• Randy Wagoner, USD 447 superintendent, was granted a contract extension by the USD 447 Board of Education on Monday. You’ll see a story about it on page 4 . . . and when you go to page 5, you’ll notice a story about the USD 447 long-range planning process. If you live in the Cherryvale school district, you’ll want to take note of that story as it involves a patron survey.

• The Jan. 15 edition has more stories of interest to all Montgomery County residents. Be sure to pick up a copy today at the following locations:
Caney: Floyds Town and Country, Gunny Sack Phillips 66, Gunny Sack Shell, Casey’s General Store and the Montgomery County Chronicle.
Cherryvale: Jump Start, Casey’s General Store, Friendly’s Food and Fuel, G&W Foods, Cherryvale Pharmacy, Cherry Hill Express, and the Montgomery County Chronicle
Tyro: J’s Corner Store
Independence: Daylight Doughnuts
Coffeyville: Kabredlo’s Convenience Store

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If you do not presently subscribe to the Montgomery County Chronicle, you’ll find a subscription offer on page 14 of the Jan. 15 issue. Or, you can call (620) 879-2156 or (620) 336-2100 to place your subscription order.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has named Beth (Hall) Martino as her new communications director and press secretary.

Martino is no stranger to the Montgomery County area, having graduated from Caney Valley High School in 1997. During her youth years in Montgomery County, she lived with her family in rural Caney.

“I’m pleased Beth is joining our office in a role that is key to communicating our message and goals with people across the state,” Sebelius said. “Beth’s experience and knowledge will complement the team we have in place, and I’m confident she’ll be a great addition.”

Martino, currently deputy secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor, brings experience with communications, human resources and legislative efforts. Prior to serving as deputy secretary, Martino was the director of marketing and communications for three and a half years at the Labor Department.
In the years prior to her service with the state, Martino was an account coordinator at MB Piland Advertising and Marketing, and also served as a district executive with the Jayhawk Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Martino is a graduate of Washburn University with her bachelor’s degree in political science. She earned a Master of Science in journalism from the University of Kansas in 2005.

Active in community service, Martino is a member of the Topeka South Rotary Club and its board of directors and is a Leadership Greater Topeka alumna. In addition she has volunteered with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and is the Shawnee County co-chair for Kansas Honors Program. She and her husband, Stephen, have a 3-year-old daughter, Cate, and a 7-month-old son, Keaton.

Martino replaces Nicole Corcoran, who has been with Sebelius since 1999, when she served as Kansas Insurance Commissioner. Corcoran has accepted a position as chief of staff with the University of Kansas Athletics Department. Martino assumes her new duties January 26, 2009.

WICHITA — Cessna Aircraft Co. told workers today (Monday, Jan. 12) that it will lay off an additional 2,000 workers across its facilities.

It’s unknown how many employees would be laid off from Cessna’s Independence plant, however company officials say employees “across Cessna” would be impacted.

“Right now we are just saying across Cessna. We are not being any more specific than that,” said Robert Stangarone, Cessna spokesperson.

The Independence plant currently has 1,300 employees. The company has 12,000 employees in Wichita plus manufacturing facilities in Columbus, Ga., Bend, Ore., and Chihuahua, Mexico.

The announcement was made in an e-mail from Cessna’s head of human resources, Jim Walters, to workers. The work force reductions will be implemented across the Wichita-based company’s facilities and affect all pay categories, the company said.

“These actions are regrettable, but necessary to ensure our long-term stability and success,” Walters told employees in the e-mail. “As always, we remain committed to keep you informed of the processes and next steps as we work through this difficult time.”

Workers will receive 60-day notices within the next few weeks, with the cuts actually happening in March. As part of the cuts, the company will offer a voluntary layoff program, with details to be released later.

Montgomery County Commissioners have admitted wrongdoing in an improperly-called executive session held in October, according to an agreement in principle reached between the commissioners and county attorney Larry Markle.

Markle confirmed Tuesday that an agreement had been reached — but had not been formally signed — by the commissioners admitting to an improperly-called executive session held at a commission meeting on Monday, Oct. 13.

Also in the agreement, commissioners will not contest a complaint that they violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act by improperly calling an executive session on Sept. 15.

The Montgomery County Chronicle filed a complaint with Markle’s office in late October, asking that Markle investigate the commission’s possible abuse of the Kansas Open Meetings Act on two different occasions: one on Oct. 13 and the other on Sept. 15.

The Kansas Open Meetings Act allows — but does not require — governing bodies to enter into an executive session to discuss matters that are deemed confidential, such as the job performance of employees. The act also allows executive sessions, which are closed to the press and public, for governing bodies to consult with an attorney, conduct employee-employer negotiations, protect trade secrets and financial information regarding businesses and corporations, discuss the acquisition of real estate, deal with matters pertaining to security measures, and issues dealing with students, patients, or residents of a public institution.

Unless the discussions involve those above-mentioned areas, all discussions are to be held in public.

The Chronicle contends that the Oct. 13 executive session involved the commission, county counselor Paul Kritz, and chief administrative judge Russell Canaday of the 14th Judicial District. Andy Taylor, Chronicle editor, complained that the commission abused the open meetings act by allowing Canaday to be present in that closed-door discussion. Canaday, as the chief administrative judge of the 14th Judicial District, has no oversight over any county employees (court employees are considered State of Kansas workers). And, because the court system is a unit of the State of Kansas, Canaday could not provide information in that executive session that would assist the commission in setting policy or making decisions involving county services, programs or employees.

The open meetings act forbids the presence of a third party in an executive session, unless the information provided by that third party can help the governing body in a quest for more information.

Taylor also complained that the commission entered that executive session on Oct. 13 under the guise of “attorney-client discussions” with county counselor Paul Kritz. While the open meetings act does allow an attorney to discuss confidential legal matters with a client (in this case, the commission), the discussions must involve pending litigation and be of such a private nature that they should not be revealed in public. Having a judge sitting in a closed-door session with a county counselor, as the attorney, and a commission, as the client, would violate the spirit of the attorney-client privilege, Taylor said.

Sanctions against county commissioners Billie Lewark-Wood, Gene Tucker and Tony Fowler will be announced once the formal agreement is signed by the three commissioners and Markle.

Mercy announces cost containment measures, including staff reductions and service changes

Mercy Health System of Kansas, Inc., on Wednesday announced cost containment measures that include staff reductions and modifications to services in an effort to conserve resources and continue the provision of quality healthcare to its communities.

Mercy chief executive officer John Woodrich explained that the organization, like many others in the area, has been adversely affected by the continued downward spiral of the nation’s economy over the past several months. He cited under-utilization of services, increased obligations to provide charity care and rising bad debt in unpaid patient accounts as the factors in the staff reductions.

“We have been good stewards of our resources for many years, so today we remain a financially sound organization,” Woodrich said. “However, there is no end in sight to our country’s economic crisis, and the impact appears to be widening and escalating. For that reason, we had to take action immediately.”

Measures implemented today included the elimination of 56 positions across the Kansas organization, which operates hospitals in both Independence and Fort Scott. Twelve of those positions were currently vacant, leaving a total of 44 co-workers potentially affected by the layoff, including 30 in Fort Scott and 14 in Independence.

Part of the reduction involves the elimination of paid positions to operate Mercy Health Center’s courtesy transportation service in Fort Scott. Mercy also announced the pending closing of its rural health clinic located in Arma. The clinic’s last day of operation will be Feb. 6. Mercy Health Center in Fort Scott will also discontinue weekend cafeteria service.

Another change announced today involves the provision of physician services for the emergency rooms at both hospitals. MHSK has contracted with Acute Care, Inc., of Des Moines, Iowa, to provide ER physician staffing in both locations. The part-time coverage started at Mercy Health Center in Fort Scott last week and will begin in Independence on April 7. Local emergency room physicians already practicing with Mercy will have the opportunity to apply for employment with Acute Care, Woodrich explained, and the emergency rooms will continue to be staffed with a provider 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

All co-workers affected by today’s layoff will receive comprehensive severance packages and any requested assistance with job seeking, Woodrich said.

Mercy Health Systems of Kansas is part of the Sisters of Mercy Health System based in St. Louis, which also owns and operates multiple hospitals and outreach ministries in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Woodrich explained that all hospital units within the Mercy system are experiencing negative economic trends at this time, as are most hospitals in the nation.

“We’re certainly not alone in this struggle, and we’ve seen even larger scale reductions by hospitals in our area in recent months,” he noted. “But a layoff is not an easy thing to do. Every co-worker is a valued member and asset to our healthcare ministry.

“We do want the community to know that we remain committed to providing uncompromised, high-quality healthcare to our citizens, just as we have for 130 years in southeast Kansas, and we look forward to future opportunities for growth.”