Herald-ChronicleThe Osage County

Herald-ChronicleThe Official Newspaper

of Osage County

Serving Osage County

since 1863

$1

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Vol. 157, No. 4612 Pages + Inserts

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The Osage County Herald-Chronicle | 527 Market St., Osage City, KS 66523 | P.O. Box 266 | (785) 528-3511 | http://www.och-c.com | ochcnews@gmail.com

RecoRd..................................................................2community..........................................................3chRistmas on maRket.......................................4

RemembeR when.....................................................5chuRch....................................................................6life..........................................................................7

Public notices/classifieds....................................8,9osage city chambeR...................................................10school/sPoRts.......................................................11,12

Burlingame resident collects signatures for medical marijuana petitionDaniel Davis | Managing Editor

BURLINGAME — Grizz Lee, Burl-ingame, is on a mission to succeed where state legislators have fallen short by legalizing medical mari-juana. A state law dubbed “Claire and Lola’s Law” went into effect July 1, but it only permits cannabi-diol (CBD) oil products with up to 5 percent THC, the active ingredient in marijuana that delivers a high.

“The law doesn’t address grow-ing, selling, producing, buying, nothing,” Lee said. “How are you supposed to acquire it? No one wants to answer that question.”

Lee’s phone calls to Governor Laura Kelly’s office went unan-swered as did those of Burlingame Mayor Vikki DeMars. He began calling Feb. 20 and on Sept. 14, Liz Dunn, Kansas Department of Health and Environment director of legislative affairs, answered. Her

only recommendation was to travel to Colorado to buy products, Lee said.

“Why do you make a law where you can’t sell it or purchase it, but it’s okay to have?” Lee asked.

He also spoke with State Repre-sentative Ken Corbet who “wanted nothing to do with it.”

So Lee decided if state officials refused to clarify the law, or even speak with him, then he would find another way to push the issue. He arrived at a referendum vote, which serves as an alternative to the legislative process for creat-ing laws. If Lee gathers signatures of 25 percent of registered voters living within Burlingame city limits, according to the state constitution, the city must call a vote.

Once Lee obtains 172 signatures for the petition – which he expects to happen by the end of November – Rhonda Beets, county election

commissioner, will verify them. Once they are validated, the city must hold a vote within 90 days.

The law as written by Lee is based off similar statutes in Colorado, Oklahoma and Oregon. It specifies consumption and growing limits. It also establishes a license process for both buying and growing. In or-der to purchase marijuana, a client must have a license, which will be issued by the city for a fee of $100, or $20 for patients on Medicaid or Medicare. The city will also oversee licenses for growing, processing and dispensing, which will each incur a one-time fee of $2,500.

Purchaser licenses will be limited to individuals 18 years or older, except for special circumstances, which will require the signatures of two doctors in addition to paren-tal permission. In order to grow, process or distribute marijuana, applicants must be aged 25 or

older. Furthermore, ownership of businesses engaging in the mari-juana trade is limited to 25 percent ownership by nonresidents.

Taxes will be levied on marijuana at 10 percent. From that, 75 percent will be allocated to the city’s Gen-eral Revenue Fund with the remain-der going to Burlingame USD 454.

Lee believes the referendum peti-tion is the only step forward after being shunned by state officials.

“You ask your congressman to help and they tell you to call some-one else,” Lee said. “They’re heart-less people up there. Some people have to choose between medicine and rent and that’s messed up.”

Asked whether he expects legal repercussions from the state, he said, “Absolutely.”

If that happens, however, it may push the legislature to make a decision and deal with the issue, he said. In that case, it would be worth

the possible legal battle.Historically, states have typi-

cally won lawsuits when they have decided to preempt, or overrule, local laws in marijuana cases. In 2017, both Florida and Tennessee successfully preempted local laws. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt took the City of Wichita to court in 2016 after it passed a ballot measure decriminalizing the possession of marijuana. Although the Supreme Court found it invalid due to a failure to file the ordinance with the city clerk, the city went on to pass a similar law in 2017.

Phone calls to AG Schmidt’s office from The Herald-Chronicle, requesting comments, went un-answered. The governor’s office refused to comment until it could verify the referendum process is a valid legal maneuver for the mari-juana petition, according to Press Secretary Dena Sattler.

Icy conditions blamed in fatality

Daniel Davis | Managing Editor

OVERBROOK — Icy road conditions led to the death of an eight-year-old girl Monday morning when the vehicle she was riding in was hit head on, just west of Overbook at 8 a.m. Accord-ing to a Kansas Highway Patrol crash report, Cassie Ralston, 8, Scranton, was riding with Terry Ralston, 52, Scranton, traveling east on Highway 56 at mile marker 411 when their 2008 Ford Edge was hit head-on by a 2001 Dodge pickup truck. Both were wearing their seatbelts, and were transported to Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, where

Cassie died.Overbrook residents

Kristin Edwards, 43, the driver of the truck, and her passenger, Luke Edwards, 14, were westbound when Kristin lost control on the icy highway. The truck slid into the oncoming lane of traffic, colliding with the Ralstons. They were both transported to Stormont-Vail with unknown injuries.

A 2003 Oldsmobile Alero driven by Kaelyn Watkins, 17, Overbook, consequently rear-ended the Ford Edge. Watkins was wearing a seat belt and was not injured.

All three vehicles were removed from the scene by Swisher Automotive.

Scranton City Council

City begins holiday preparationsGary Rush | Reporter

SCRANTON — With all members of the council present at the Nov. 5 city council meeting, town resident Sherry Lester ad-dressed the council with concerns of the upcoming Christmas holiday.

“I was wondering,” began Lester, “if the council will allow me to put up the “An-gel Tree” again this year. If so, I was also wondering if the city guys (maintenance department) would mind giving me a hand in helping to put it up.”

The council reacted with affirmation and allowed for the holiday tradition to continue.

Lester was not yet fin-ished with her requests of the council. “I would like to have a parade again this year as well. Would the council be able to let me know before the conclusion of this meeting if we can have a parade this year?” Also within her rhetoric, Lester mentioned the desire to have a community tree lighting competition as per years past.

In reply, the council voted to have a Christmas lighting competition and Council-man Val Corpening made a motion to have the Scran-ton Christmas Parade 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14, so as not to overlap a similar parade to

be held in the neighboring town of Burlingame on the same evening. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Councilwoman Amy Miner updated the council on current news concern-ing Charger Day, a move-ment initiated by students within the local high school, Santa Fe Trail, to promote an overall betterment of community. “I have been contacted by several people about properties they want to see cleaned up. Unfor-tunately, the majorities are referring to properties they do not own, “Miner stated. “Personally, I do not feel comfortable sending stu-dents to a property where the owner has not specifi-cally given permission.”

“I talked to Eric (Stabb, SFT social sciences teach-er),” intoned City Clerk Bobi Morris. “He said he needs a completed list of Scranton properties to be involved in the event by the end of our meeting here tonight.” The list was not submitted for public knowledge.

Prior to the end of the meeting the council al-located funds to support the needs of the city fire department. It also signed off on funds necessary to purchase an additional 30 tons of asphalt necessary to complete the current city street resurfacing.

Salute to our Veterans

SubmittedOverbrook Attendance Center entertained veterans Monday in honor of Veterans Day.

Daniel Davis Herald-Chronicle

Flags honoring veterans hang on the Santa Fe

Trail bridge during a snowstorm Nov. 11.

Flags are, from left, the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, United States,

National League of Families Prisoner of

War/Missing in Action, Marine Corps and Navy.

Rick Potter/ContributorOsage City Chamber of Commerce with the assistance of the City of Osage City employees, hung veterans ban-ners on light poles on both sides of Sixth Street from the American Legion to the post office, last week.

Melissa Shields/ContributorMarais des Cygnes Valley schools honored veterans Monday on Veterans Day, from left, front row, Brent Sturgeon, Floyd Goddard, Joe Lichtenauer, Jim Resser and Jim Dyke; middle row, Jesse Wolfe, John Neill, Carrie Bailey and Shawn Gill; back row, Jeff Casten, Latifa Totty, Gary Shelton and Mary Hermeck.

See page 3 for additional photo

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