EDITOR’S NOTE: Each week The Gazette salutes those who make Emporia and the surrounding area a better place to live and work. The following folks deserve a pat on the back…

Ken Weaver, who was named the interim director of the National Teachers Hall of Fame. He will replace Carol Strickland who is retiring in June after more than nine-and-a-half years of service. Weaver joined the ESU faculty in 1986 and has served on the Hall of Fame Board of Trustees from 2016-2019.

Emporia Community Foundation, which announced the 28 organizations that will benefit from Match Day. In 2021 Match Day gave $455,703 in Mathcing funds to the participating organizations. This will be the ninth year for the event and will take place on Nov. 14.

Dynamic Discs for hosting the the Dynamic Discs Open which is worlds largest disc golf tournament in Emporia. Thousands of people came from all over the world to play disc golf in Emporia for four days. Ricky Wysocki won the professional mens division with a score of -10 and won $8,600. Kristin Tattar won the professional womens division with a score of even and won $5,000. Wysocki is sponsored by Dynamic Discs and Tattar is sponsored by Latitude 64.

Radical Life, which had seven people graduate from its program. The graduates took classes for 20 weeks and learned to break the cycles of poverty and addiction. Radical Life is a non-profit organization focused on building stable and successful homes by reducing poverty, decreasing toxic stress and reducing the need for foster care in Lyon County.

Emporia State Federal Credit Union, which received state recognition by being named a 2021 To the Stars: Celebrating Kansas Businesses Regional Award recipient. This is awarded is in honor and recognition for outstanding contributions to the community, state’s economy, and the people of Kansas.

Vanessa Hinds and Logan Avenue School who won a “Challenge Award” from the Kansas State Department of Education. A school must meet specific requirements of outstanding achievement and uncommon accomplshitments for math and reading assessments to receive the award.

Madison High School Student Bryson Turner who placed first in power lifting at the State Powerlifting competition.

Madison Junior High track athletes Octavian Dean, Cruz Leiser, Lane Smith and Ethan Jones who broke a school record in the 4 x 100 with a time of 51.3. The previous record stood for 26 years.

Chris Walker

Editor & Publisher