Ark Valley News - 78 stories that shaped our communities

78 stories that shaped our communities
By The News staff
Last Updated: January 08, 2015

There were good times and bad in north Sedgwick County.

During the past year, we witnessed triumph, determination despite circumstances, communities that care and people who lead.

We also saw tragedy, failure, hate and people who abuse their positions.

In our small towns in north Sedgwick County, we're not immune to the forces that drag down people and communities. But we're smart enough to know the difference and resilient enough to do something about it.

It was 2014. There are some who want to forget it and others who can't.

In the end, all of us can learn from it.

As we turn the page to another year, here's a look at the stories that shaped north Sedgwick County during the past 12 months.

January

The Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office filed capital murder charges against four people accused of killing rural Valley Center couple Roger and Melissa Bluml. Tony Bluml, Kisha Schaberg, Drew Ellington and Braden Smith remained in the Sedgwick County Jail awaiting trial.

The Valley Center Recreation Commission unveiled its plans for a nine-hole golf course on rec commission and school district property north of Fifth Street and east of Valley Center Middle School.

The sprinkler system inside the Valley Center school district's central office burst twice, causing damage to floors, walls and electronic equipment and forcing office personnel to relocate.

The Valley Center High School science experiment chosen to be launched into space finally left Earth. The experiment was aboard the Orbital Sciences Antares rocket headed for the International Space Station. Students Sam Sheahan, Cole Klinkhammer, Wesley Crow, Logan Burks and Garrett Chandler designed an experiment to study the effects of microgravity on bacterial growth and its resistance to antibiotics.

February

A fierce winter storm dumped about seven inches of snow on the Valley Center area, closing school and forcing the postponement of several community and school actities.

The Valley Center High School wrestling team placed fourth at the Heights regional as nine Hornets qualified for the Class 5A state tournament.

Sedgwick County decision-makers approved a lower speed limit around Valley Center High School at 93rd North and Meridian. Speed limit before and after school dropped from 55 mph to 45 mph.

Valley Center High School winter homecoming king and queen candidates were Bailey Hogan, Shelby Bosken, Megan Barnes, Ryan Acton, Braden Holle and Jacob Brittain. Hogan and Acton were crowned queen and king.

The City of Valley Center unveiled plans to reconstruct South Meridian from Main to 77th North, dealing with stormwater drainage issues. Plans called for new curb and guttering, sidewalks and new signals at the intersection of Main and Meridian.

Casey's General Store opened in the 200 block of South Meridian in Valley Center.

March

Valley Center High School seniors Braden Holle and Miles Balthazor closed out their high school wrestling careers by winning sixth-place medals at the Class 5A state wrestling meet at Hartman Arena. It was the first medal for each wrestler, as Holle's came in his fourth state meet and Balthazor in his first.

The City of Valley Center hired Brent Holper to replace longtime public works director Richard Dunn, who retired after a 32-year career with the city.

The Valley Center school board voted to expand the district's iPad one-to-one initiative to the high school, where every student and teacher would receive a tablet.

A Valley Center woman, Lois Black-Pianga, was left homeless after a grass fire spread to her home at 329 N. Park and severely damaged it. No one was hurt in the fire.

A group of teenagers converged on Valley Center to help with community clean-up projects. It was part of the Kansas Assemblies of God "Saturate Wichita" event.

April

Valley Center High School seniors Courtney Yochum, Shelby Marten, Tara Terwilliger, Patrick Schrater, Dylan Tanner and Jared Gulledge were prom royalty candidates. Yochum and Gulledge were named queen and king.

Longtime Valley Center High School piano accompanist Nancy Scriven was hurt when she fell from the stage inside the school's darkened auditorium.

The Valley Center Police Department expanded its supervisor structure when it hired a third sergeant. Sgt. Thomas Delgado, a former Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office veteran, started April 2.

The Valley Center teachers' union said the Legislature's public school funding bill was an attack on teachers with its provision to strip away rights to due process procedures in termination proceedings.

A Park City woman asked the city to allow her to keep pot-bellied pigs in her backyard. The city council decided to keep the ban intact.

Construction began on the Next Level Hoops Academy in Bel Aire. The business is owned by former Wichita State University basketball player Jason Perez.

Valley Center High School teacher and director Kenny Carter prepared to deliver his final production, "Drowsy Chaperone." Carter retired at the end of the school year.

May

The Valley Center High School golf team — featuring Alan Joyal, Logan Burks, Garrett Lyon, Jestin Jackson and Jacob Yochum and coached by Mike McCormick — placed 11th at the Class 5A state tournament.

Ten Valley Center High School students — Madison Runnion, Mikaila Woods, Julie Baker, Maddie Breault, Kalee Owens, Sydney Ernst, Shelby Marten, Kayla Barton, Dianna Reyes, Zach White and Miles Balthazor — competed in the Class 5A state track meet.

Valley Center High School junior Ray Strunk went 1-2 at the Class 5A state tennis tournament in Topeka.

Valley Center High School Madrigals were picked to perform "I Want To Know What Love Is" with the rock group Foreigner during a concert at Intrust Bank Arena. The students entered a radio contest.

The City of Bel Aire hired Darrell Atteberry as its next police chief, replacing John Daily. Atteberry is a Bel Aire resident.

A total of 170 Valley Center High School students graduated during a ceremony at Koch Arena. The class included a record number of valedictorians (14).

The Valley Center Public Library announced it was considering purchasing the LeVenue building at the corner of Main and Park in downtown Valley Center. The city council told the library board to slow down while a thorough appraisal and evaluation were performed to determine how much it would cost to bring the facility up to ADA standards.

The Valley Center Diamond Dawgs planned to play their home games in Wichita, saying it was too expensive to play at Stevens Field in Valley Center.

June

Before the voting began, Kansas Rep. Steve Huebert won an eighth two-year term in the House. He had no challengers in the race.

Retired Valley Center teacher Ruth Martin, who was battling cancer, was honored when artists developed a display of creatively decorated hats at Ulrich Museum. The exhibit was called "Filled to the Brim," a reference to Martin's enthusiasm.

Valley Center Recreation Commission officials expanded plans for a golf course to include two par-four holes.

The Valley Center City Council floated the idea of setting up a public vote on a one-cent sales tax to pay for street projects. The question was to be placed on the November ballot.

The Valley Center Police Department came under fire when it revealed that the number of tickets an officer writes is part of the officer's performance evaluation. Chief Mark Hephner said officers are expected to write one ticket for every shift and a half, or about 10 tickets per month.

The Oldfather family spent several summer nights frog hunting around the pond in McLaughlin Park.

July

Wheatland Elementary School Principal Kathy Bradham announced her resignation. She had been with the district since 2008, all at Wheatland. She planned to move to the Washington, D.C., area, where her husband accepted a job.

The Walmart at 53rd North and Meridian was undergoing a renovation project. Walmart opened in 2008.

The Valley Center Swim Club won its first ever Great Plains Swim League championship. Coach was Emily McCullough.

Porter, Carswell & Raya Chartered CPAs relocated to its new office at 214 W. Main, across the street from its former home at 215 W. Main.

Big Larry's Burgers at 328 S. Meridian expanded its dining room and its hours of operation.

During a preliminary hearing in the Bluml murder case, one defendant testified for prosecutors after striking a deal to reduce his charge. Braden Smith said Tony Bluml and his birth mother Kisha Schaberg hatched a plan to rob Bluml's adoptive parents' home in rural Valley Center, kill the couple and receive money through a will. Smith said co-defendant Drew Ellington drove Schaberg to the residence.

The Valley Center school board proposed a 2014-15 budget that called for a 1.7-mill drop in the property tax mill levy.

August

Richard Ranzau defeated Carolyn McGinn in the Republican primary election for Sedgwick County Commission District 4, setting up a general election race between Ranzau and former commissioner Melody McCray-Miller in November.

Construction began on a set of duplexes in the Ridgefield housing development in Valley Center.

Ron and Ellen Bailey opened Sew Much More at 226 W. Main Suite 6 in Valley Center.

The Valley Center school district said it expected to see a 60-student increase in enrollment for the 2014-15 school year. The district grew by 145 over the past two years.

After a series of small cuts, the Valley Center City Council approved a 2015 budget with a 1.7-mill increase in property taxes.

State officials broke ground on a new 22,000-square-foot law enforcement facility northwest of K-254 and Rock Road. It will serve as headquarters for Kansas Highway Patrol Troop F and share space with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

September

The Valley Center City Council directed city staff to enforce a rule that requires residents to mow the grass in easements on their properties.

The Valley Center Library Board learned it would take about $1.8 million to bring the LeVenue building up to code, a figure that killed plans to buy the facility as a new home for the library.

The Valley Center High School football team celebrated its first win since Oct. 5, 2012, beating Ark City, 13-12, on the road.

Kelli Pankratz was the national winner of the iHeart Radio Vegas getaway package, which took her and friends to a concert in Las Vegas. Pankratz is a Valley Center High School graduate.

The Valley Center Chamber of Commerce hosted the 53rd annual Fall Festival. Grand marshal was Pat Postlethwait.

The Valley Center school district set a record with 2,835 students on official count day, beating 2,766 the year before.

Valley Center High School seniors Taylor Maule, Brittany Davis, Kaylee Love, Chris Bluml, Zach White and Dylan Scheer were fall homecoming royalty candidates. Love and Scheer were named queen and king.

October

Sophomore Jadyn Eddy led the Valley Center High School girls' cross country team to a fourth-place finish at the Class 5A state meet in Lawrence. The Hornets qualified for state for the sixth straight season and garnered their fourth consecutive top-four finish. It was the first time Valley Center won a league title, a regional championship and finished in the top four in state, all in the same season.

The Valley Center High School volleyball team won its regional in Great Bend and earned its seventh trip to state in the past nine years. The Hornets dropped all three pool-play matches at the state meet.

The Valley Center High School boys' soccer team won its first Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League II title in school history. The Hornets finished 10-4-3, their best record in many years.

Valley Center teenager Allie Johnson was on the mend, about two months after her life was nearly cut short by a mysterious illness. She had a severe allergic reaction to antibiotics she received after suffering a broken leg.

A Valley Center city official confirmed that a developer was interested in building an apartment complex somewhere in the city. No specifics were released.

Aftershocks from an earthquake near Harper, about 90 miles southwest of Valley Center, were felt in the area.

Local residents Fred Bruns, Wayne Bormann and Don Stancer were called on to help a team of researchers in their investigation of the Amelia Earhart discovery. The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery was in Kansas to have the men examine a fuselage patch believed to have been on Earhart's Lockheed, the same kind of plane that is being restored in a Wichita Air Services' hangar at the Newton City-County Airport.

Sedgwick County prosecutors announced their plans to seek the death penalty against Tony Bluml, Drew Ellington and Kisha Schaberg, should they be found guilty of killing Roger and Melissa Bluml.

A motorist struck the flagpole near the intersection at Main and Park, forcing city crews to bring the pole down and weigh its options. The pole was subsequently replaced by a new one.

The Valley Center High School football team, under second-year head coach Caleb Smith, finished the season with a 3-6 record, its best year since 2007.

November

Richard Ranzau won a second four-year term as District 4 representative on the Sedgwick County Commission. Ranzau defeated Melody McCray-Miller 12,021 to 11,467. Meanwhile, sales tax initiatives in Bel Aire and Valley Center were defeated. The revenue would have been used for road projects in both cities.

Under pressure from Georgia Tech University, the Valley Center school district pulled the Hornet logo from all district apparel and correspondence. Officials said they would be developing a new logo that didn't look too much like Georgia Tech's.

A new student group at the Valley Center Middle School called Students Helping Out Warriors celebrated Veterans Day with a balloon launch and by attending a ceremony in Wichita.

Valley Center High School performed "Li'l Abner," under the direction of new director Megan Upton-Tyner. Senior Evan Balthazor had the title role.

Tabitha M. Bates and her boyfriend, Russell D. Hartlein, were charged with theft, accused of stealing money from the Valley Center Junior Hornets Cheer Program. Bates was the former director of the program.

A group of Valley Center residents, including Pastor Terry Wiechman, put together a community Thanksgiving dinner.

Valley Center couple Darby and Tracey Pentacost told the story of how their daughter was born in their vehicle on the way to the hospital. Mom and baby were home doing fine.

December

A Wichita man was shot when he was allegedly trying to break into a rural Valley Center home. A bullet grazed the man's head. The homeowner used a handgun to fend off the would-be burglar, who was charged with aggravated burglary. The shooting was justified, the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office said.

Developers announced that an outlet-style mall was planned for the Echo Hills commercial and residential development in Park City. No specifics were given.

Two officers, including one from Valley Center, were indicted on federal charges in a scheme to purchase and re-sell firearms while they were officers with the Bel Aire Police Department.

The grain elevator retail store, which stood on Main Street in Valley Center since 1919, was torn down. Andale Farmers Cooperative, which owns the facility, planned to replace the dilapidated structure with a new, much smaller building to accompany the truck scale. The elevators will remain in use.

Valley Center Mayor Mike McNown said he would not seek re-election to another term. He served as mayor since 2006.