Alex Bartels said she and other second-grade members of Troop 3191 will be collecting books for the first-, second- and third-grade teachers whose books were ruined.

Tammy Bartels, troop leader, said this drive will help replace reading books that had belonged to teachers or that had been donated. These were books, she said, not covered by the school’s insurance policy.

“We’re going to make slot boxes where people can drop off books they want to donate,” Alex Bartels said.

One drop-off location will be at the Tonganoxie Fire Station during business hours.

For more information, or to arrange a pick up of used books, call Tammy Bartels, 845-3090.

City interviewing nine candidates
City officials already have begun interviewing applicants for the city administrator position.

According to Mayor John Franiuk, officials planned to conduct telephone interviews with nine applicants this week.

“Then we’ll be scheduling some in-person interviews after that,” Franiuk said.

The city received a total of 20 applications for the city administrator position, which was vacated when Chris Eppley took a job as city manager in Keizer, Ore. Eppley’s final day on the job was last Friday.

Larry Shepek of Laming Tice and Shepek Insurance is the lone local candidate.

Republican panel sets meeting
Leavenworth County Republican Chairman Sherri Stich announced there will be a Central Committee meeting 7 p.m. next Wednesday at the Lansing community center.

Items on the agenda include precinct committee position filings, preliminary plans for the local party headquarters, final report on Lincoln Day fund-raiser and plans for the upcoming campaigns and election.

The filing deadline is noon June 12.

Local Republican candidates will have the opportunity to meet the precinct leaders and discuss their campaigns.

All interested Republicans and local Republican candidates are invited to attend.

For additional information call Sherri Stich, (913)-680-0404 during the day or (913)-651-5864 during the evening.

Recycling scheduled Saturday morning
The next SORT recycling drop-off will be from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds Tonganoxie.

Members of the Tonganoxie Historical Society will be donating their time to collect recyclable items at this drop-off.

The next SORT recycling date will be June 24. The June 10 recycling date has been cancelled due to Tonganoxie Days.

Next Wednesday is reporting deadline
Local farmers are reminded that the last day to report planted acreage of wheat, oats, barley and other small grains for harvest as grain or other uses is next Wednesday.

Reporting acreage is one of the pre-requisites to earning loan deficiency payments, Conservation Reserve Program payments and disaster payments, if applicable. Acreage reported after the final reporting date will cost producers a measurement service fee.

For more information or to call for an appointment, producers should contact the local Farm Service Agency in Effingham at (913) 833-5460, or in Leavenworth at (913) 682-1085.

Arts center plans sale this weekend
The Carnegie Arts Center celebrates the beginning of summer this weekend with a special sale of works created by area artists. The sale will be presented in the Stacks Gallery, at the organization’s facilities, 601 South Fifth Street, Leavenworth.

The gallery sale will be 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Other items included for sale are paper lanterns, plants, parasols, and handmade paper. A percentage of all sales will benefit Carnegie Arts Center.

On Friday, the Arts Center will host a preview party from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.