SALUTE THE HOLTON INSIDE NETAWAKA, KANSAS Economic Hometown of development Doug & Brandy meeting held Anderson Holton Recorder subscribers April 11. for nine years. RECORDERServing the Jackson County Community for 151 years See page 4. Volume 151, Issue 31 HOLTON, KANSAS • Monday, April 16, 2018 12 Pages $1.00 Thrive! program stays course against poverty n Jackson County organization in second year By Ali Holcomb dividuals). “There’s a fine line between Thrive! Jackson County is Each leader is 185 percent or the two groups. The mentors now in its second year of work- below the federal poverty line, aren’t their parents telling them ing to reduce poverty in the Marek said. what to do,” Marek said. “The county by building support- While that first group began leaders are setting their own ing relationships with families its second year of the two-year goals, but the mentors are there and individuals who struggle to program last month, a second to be a cheerleader, to celebrate make ends meet. round of Thursday night work- their accomplishments and be a Jennifer Marek, Thrive! co- shops was started that includes sounding board. They also work ordinator, said that those who four new leaders and eight new together to find resources.” have been participating in the allies, Marek said. At the end of the six months, non-profit’s weekly program The group, which includes teams are put together that in- throughout the past year are more than 50 people, meets ev- clude one leader and two allies. making strides to improve their ery Thursday at Evangel United Each team then meets every lives in many ways. Methodist Church in Holton other week for a year and a half. “Their confidence is up and starting with a meal provided by “It’s about building inten- that’s a major thing. Some of area community groups. tional friendships; ones that they them came in without a high “It’s a time to sit down and may not make in every day life,” level of self worth,” Marek said. get to know each other,” Marek Marek said. “Someone has a full-time job said. “We then clean up together At the end of the two years, now and stable housing. An- and that also really breaks down the leaders have the option to other person has gone back to barriers.” continue the program if they feel school so they can get a good During the first six months, they need to, Marek said. paying job. Someone else has the leaders sit through weekly Thrive! volunteers work started to be more active in the workshops to learn about finan- closely with NEK-CAP, public community. Another person has cial stability and discuss where health and YWCA to determine stopped smoking, and there’s they may need to make changes. people who would benefit from been weight loss and healthier “Do they want to expand their the Thrive! program. eating happening because they job prospects or their education? “We look at their clients and have that support now.” And then we discuss and re- try to determine whose ready The first Thrive! class was search how they can get there,” and open to new ideas because held in March 2017, and the Marek said. it’s hard,” Marek said. “It’s a weekly Thursday program in- At the same time, the mentors two-year program, which is a cluded four “leaders” (families meet every other week, covering long time, and they’re looking or individuals living in pov- a condensed version of what the at stuff they’ve been doing their erty) and eight “allies/mentors” leaders are going over, as well as (trained middle/upper-class in- learning how to be a mentor. Continued to Page 5 Missing Impact Aid, Title VI Amy Cyphers (left) helped Lucky Stars 4-H club members Sadey Gross (center) and Denison Blade Montgomery (right) prepare to dump a swarm of honeybees into one of two new budgets OK’d at RV hive boxes at Prairie Lake last Tuesday afternoon. Photo by Brian Sanders man sought By Ali Holcomb saved in advance because we Proposed budgets for both never know when a federal pay- A Denison man who has Impact Aid and Title VI funds ment might not be coming our been re ported missing since were approved during the Royal way,” Davis said. Lucky Stars club brings Thursday is the subject of Valley Board of Education’s re- The proposed and approved a search by cent meeting. budget for Impact Aid totaled the Jackson The budgets continue to ben- $78,056 and includes $18,497 honeybees to Prairie Lake County Sher- efit the district in a variety of in elementary reading teacher iff’s Office. ways, including funding after- support, $23,429 for assistant By Brian Sanders they moved two swarms of bees getting the new hives set up at James Da- school transportation and tutor- teacher support, $29,500 for Prairie Lake was abuzz last from small shipping containers the lake grounds. vid Nelson ing. after-school transportation, Tues day with the sound of bees to larger hive boxes, those who “I found out there was a grant (pictured), Separate budget hearings $1,630 for Impact Aid Asso- making their way to a new home weren’t didn’t get stung in the available through the Kansas 42, was re- were held for both proposed ciation dues and $5,000 for the at the southwest corner of the process. Honey Producers Association,” ported miss- budgets during the meeting. Native American Singers and lake grounds, near the dam. “They’re not really aggres- said Cyphers, who has been ing on Thurs- Impact Aid funds are awarded Dancers. It was also alive with the sive when they’re like this,” said working with bees for three day, accord ing to the sher- based on the number of eligible The approved budget is for sounds of young 4-H mem- Mike Eubanks, a bee enthusiast years. “We did a little bit of re- iff’s office. It was re ported students. Students are deemed the current 2017-18 school year, bers in awe of the bees as they who assist ed the Lucky Stars search and went to the city to that Nelson was believed to eligible if their families live on Davis said. Funds from the bud- moved from a temporary stor- with moving the bees into their ask if they’d help us out.” be suicidal at the time of his or work on federal lands, such get will be used to reimburse the age to a new pair of hive boxes new digs. “Once they establish Last September, Cyphers, disap pearance. as the Prairie Band Potawatomi district. with some help from the kids, this new hive, they’re going to along with club leader Megan Nelson reportedly was Reservation. The district’s Impact Aid bud- covered in protective gear for be more protective and aggres- Montgomery and a few mem- last seen at about 3:30 p.m. Superintendent Aaric Davis get for the 2016-17 school year han dling bees. sive. Right now, though, this is bers of the club, ap proached the in Denison. He is five feet, said the district had a carryover was $88,056. The beehives are a project of new to them.” Holton City Commis sion about 11 inches tall, weighs 130 balance of $112,000 in Impact “Thank you again for your the Lucky Stars 4-H club, which Eubanks said he has been setting up a couple of hives at pounds, has light brown hair Aid funding last year and noted support,” said Carrie O’Toole, a has been investigating the pos- handling bees for about sev- Prairie Lake if they could get and blue eyes, is believed that the carryover balance has member of the Impact Aid Task sibility of introducing a pair of en years, and he and his wife grant funds from KHPA to cov- to be wearing contact lenses been decreasing about $10,000 Force. “The after school busing bee colonies to the Prairie Lake Brenda passed an interest in er the cost of the bees, the hives and is reportedly disabled each year for the past few gives students the opportunity grounds since last summer. And beekeeping on to their daugh- and protective gear for the kids. and walks with a limp. years. to participate in activities. If while most of the youngsters ter, Amy Cyphers, who worked “With Impact Aid, you want Continued to Page 5 were wearing protective gear as closely with the Lucky Stars in Continued to Page 11 to have one year of funding Continued to Page 5 Firefighter pleads no contest in arson case By Brian Sanders District Court Judge Norbert A Jackson County volun- Marek said each of the three ar- teer firefighter accused of set- son charges against Grant was ting several grass fires in the classified as a Level 7 non-per- county’s ru ral areas has pleaded son felony that carries a prison no contest to charges of setting sentence ranging from 11 to 34 three of the fires and faces sen- months and a potential fine of tencing in May. up to $100,000, but since Grant During a Jackson County did not have a prior criminal re- District Court hearing on Thurs- cord, part or all of the sentence day morning, Jacob K. Grant, could be suspended to presump- 27, of Mayetta, entered the no- tive probation. contest pleas on three charges of According to the charges in arson stemming from fires that which he entered no-contest were allegedly set on Feb.