10 YEARS AGO

May 21, 2008

Twenty-nine bike riders took off from Grandview Park in Florence Sunday on the Tour de Florence Bike Ride. The tour featured a 42-mile scenic route through the Flint Hills of Eastern Marion County and western Chase County. The Florence Labor Day committee sponsored the tour.

Betty Sanders will retire at the end of the school year after 20 years of service as a para-educator for Marion County Special Education Cooperative.

Monica Spachek and Jenevieve Corona, both seventh graders at Marion Middle School, each had 10 inches cut off their hair May 13. They plan to donate their hair to Locks of Loved, an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

Marion High School golf team took third place Monday at the 3A state golf tournament. Team members are Jake Bredemeier, Landon Leiker, Lindsay Hett, Keith Jones, Luke Gordon, and Ollie Gemfors. Rex Ostmeyer is their coach.

Stan Williams of Marion is the best kind of “biggest loser” since he has shed 97 pounds in the Marion County Biggest Loser competition. Williams lost 36 percent of his total body weight in the four-month program, netting a cash prize of $1,725 for his efforts.