February 8, 2017

Birthdays: February 9, Austin Goddard; February 10, Kim Jay; February 11, Priscella Jacobs, Sierra Pfeifer, Jeanette McCormick, Kelsee Hirsch, Jackson McGaughey; February 12, Bridger Baus; February 13, Seth Albers; February 14, Kathleen Thomas.

Annivesaries: February 10, Michael and Jerridy Morgan; February 14, Dave and Carolyn Davenport.

Emily (Thompson) Afton has been cast in a Broadway musical entitled Amelie which opens April 3 at the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York City. She is the daughter of Bryan and Cynthia Thompson of Salina and the granddaughter of the late Ken and Lou Thompson. She recently completed a pre-Broadway tryout in the Center Theatre in Los Angeles. In the title role is Phillipa Soo who earned a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for her Broadway debut as Eliza Hamitlon in Hamilton. Emily attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston.

Bill Finley, Horse Racing Writer and Broadcaster, Fair Haven, New Jersey was in McCracken on Thursday. He also visited with Janis and Clay Whitham in Leoti of the Whitham Thoroughbreds, L. L. C. The have a 2 year old race horse that is doing well. The bay colt is trained by Ian Wilkes and the jockey is Brian Hernandez, Jr. When asked about why they named the horse McCracken, Clay said they “named it after a small town in Kansas” -- McCracken. He said they drive through our town often. One of their last race horses was named Fort Larned. Mr. Finley wanted to know how we felt about a horse named after our town should it get into the Kentucky Derby. Excited! We should have a party!

The third Bleeding Kansas Program at Lecompton on Sunday, February 12 at 2:00 p.m. will be “Lee and Grant at Appomattox”. It is an reenactment by historical performers Randy Durbin as General Grant and Lane Smith as General Lee.

There is now on display at McCracken Public Library of handmade cross stitch pictures that have been hand stitched by Mary Zeller Higgins and Kathy Marion. There will be a drawing for a special picture Mary did for the event. Raffle tickets can be purchased at the library. The picture will be given away at Rodeo time.

Anita Butler will be sharing a Valentine's story at the library on Saturday morning. Call for the time.

There will be a spaghetti dinner and a chocolate desert extravaganza on Saturday evening February 11 at 6:00 p.m at McCracken City Building. The dinner will be a “free will donation”

Chuck and Shari Pollard, Monrovia, California has given a generous memorial to the Jail/Museum in memory of his grandmother, Alma Agnes (Rockenfield) Ryan 1882-1939.