Shawn Linenberger News Editor
Shawn has been with The Mirror since 2001 and is the news editor.
Recent stories
- FAST times at Tongaonxie’s Chieftain Park
- August 17, 2017
- A core group of people again are getting active on Sunday nights at Chieftain Park. The latest session of Families Actively Strengthening Tonganoxie started Aug. 6, averaging 20 people the first two workouts. Tonganoxie Recreation Commission again has organized the workout program, which again is getting financial assistance through a Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment Association grant. FAST started in 2015 as a way to promote fitness for all families.
- New Tonganoxie High track open to runners, walkers for now
- August 17, 2017
- Patrons are now free to walk on the new track at Beatty Field. Tonya Phillips, interim USD 464 superintendent, told the board at Monday’s regular school board meeting that work on the track is finished other than painting lane lines and other markings. Until then, visitors can walk and run on the renovated track, which now is red.
- School board approves new Tonganoxie Performing Arts Center sound system, special-needs vehicle
- August 17, 2017
- The Tonganoxie Performing Arts Center sound system will get upgrades to the tune of nearly $20,000. The board approved, 6-0, sound systems improvements of $19,900 to replace borken, failing and out-of-compliance equipment, according to Tonya Phillips, interim superintendent.
- Tonganoxie school board delays decision on superintendent status
- August 17, 2017
- The Tonganoxie school district’s superintendent remains on administrative leave with pay after Monday’s regular school board meeting. No action was taken concerning Kleidosty’s employment status. Board members met for an hour and 15 minutes in executive session to discuss non-elected personnel. Board member Dan Hopkins, who was not at the meeting, joined the other six members via conference call during the closed-door session. Board president Bryan Kemp told patrons after the executive session that the board needed more time on the topic to gather information and make a decision regarding the employee.
- Tonganoxie teams get early start
- August 16, 2017
- The early birds were out and about Monday morning. Tonganoxie High opened the fall season with 12:01 a.m. practices Monday, continuing a tradition that the THS cross country team started several years ago. THS cross country coach John Tollefson said he was excited for his team to get the season started.
- Eyes toward skies in Tonganoxie, across nation as folks await rare solar eclipse
- August 16, 2017
- Umbraphiles have been waiting decades to witness Monday’s anticipated spectacular totality. Translation: Super solar eclipse enthusiasts are quite eager to see Monday’s much ballyhooed solar eclipse. From coast to coast, Americans are abuzz with solar eclipse talk, which makes sense if you think about the frequency of such an event. According to Tonganoxie High School teacher Matt Beat, on average, a total solar eclipse occurs in one location every 375 years, while other spots might go thousands of years between solar eclipses.
- Tonganoxie High one of top FCCLA chapters at national event
- August 11, 2017
- The Tonganoxie High School Family, Career and Community Leaders of America chapter proved to be one of the top chapters in the nation this year. THS won several awards July 2-6 at the National Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tenn. Senior divisions are for FCCLA members in sophomore through senior classes. The junior division is for FCCLA members in sixth grade through freshman year of high school.
- Fall sports start Monday with midnight practices in Tonganoxie
- August 10, 2017
- And so it begins. One of the first signs that summer vacation is drawing to a close is the start of fall sports season. KSHSAA teams can begin practice Monday. And, as has been customary in Tonganoxie in recent years, Tonganoxie High teams won’t be wasting any time, as teams will start their first practice at midnight Monday morning. For the THS cross country team, the season will start gathering at the high school and then going for a run around town. Parents and other volunteers post up along the route to make it a safe route in case there is traffic. And of course, the runners will be hitting the pavement in the dark. Monday starts the 2017 season for THS cross country, football, soccer and volleyball, as does it for McLouth cross country, football and volleyball.
- Voter turnout low for primary as two challengers lead vote-getting
- August 8, 2017
- The Tonganoxie City Council will have at least one new member, thanks to Aug. 1 primary results. Voters selected up to three candidates, as terms for incumbents Chris Donnelly, Andy Gilner and Jim Truesdell are set to expire. The top six candidates out of the 10-candidate field advance to the November general election. Gilner and Donnelly both made the top six, while Truesdell finished seventh in the vote-getting. Challenger Jamie Lawson had the most votes with 209, while fellow challenger Loralee Stevens had 138 votes. Donnelly placed third with 120 votes, AW Rocky Himpel fourth with 115 and Gilner fifth with 99. Ryan Keltner nabbed the final general election spot with 90 votes.
- Go on red with new Tonganoxie High track
- August 8, 2017
- The new track at Beatty Field definitely has school spirit. Workers painted the track red on Monday. The track previously was black and now, of course, is Tonganoxie High’s primary school color. It’s also become a popular color for tracks across the country.
Recent photos
The Pathways transition program has a new home in the former Tonganoxie police station at Third and Delaware streets.
Alissa Griffin stands inside her store, Fun and Fabulous Floral and Gifts. The business opened earlier this year in the former optometry office of Dick Dean and Katie Volk.
These rocks are a couple examples of rocks being placed throughout Tonganoxie. Wagner also has a rock garden with rocks sent from across nation.
Tammie Wagner stands with painted rocks in Tonganoxie VFW Park. Wagner recently started a Facebook group encouraging placing and finding painted rocks.
Didi Lincoln, Leavenworth, greets Dave Underwood with a kiss Saturday morning. American Legion Riders on 30 bikes from across northeast Kansas visited Underwood to show their appreciation for his service in World War II.
