Topeka West freshman Brenna Rutschmann knew she d been given a great opportunity, but she still wasn t sure if she wanted to take it.
Rutschmann, as well as fellow Topeka Center for Advanced Learning and Careers students Olivia Tatum and Maya Welcher, were given the opportunity to virtually speak to the National School Boards Association during its annual conference and share their thoughts on school on a national stage.
Rutschmann, like her two peers, was a bit nervous about the opportunity, especially considering the national scope of the audience.
But after her friends told her she d be silly to turn down such a momentous opportunity to be a voice for students, she agreed to be on the virtual panel, which included their College Prep Academy English teacher Kathy Foster and Topeka Board of Education member Rev. John Williams.
Growing up, Maggie Sullivan didn t care about bringing cupcakes to school for her birthday celebration. She wanted to bring her dad s homemade buns.
The slightly sweet and dense bun has been a memorable treat in Sullivan s life. When she decided to open an at-home bakery, calling it Dad s Buns seemed appropriate.
In 2020, Sullivan decided to sell cheesecakes for Mother s Day. When that was successful, she sold sweet treats during the holidays. At the beginning of 2021, she looked into opening a business.
Sullivan started baking under the name Dad s Buns in January. Customers can order a variety of bakery items, including pies, cinnamon rolls, cookies, scones, brownies and custom orders.
We have terrible stormwater runoff, said resident Deanna Pierson. We re in a flood zone.
Pierson, with help from an international organization that works with communities to address climate-related issues, published a survey late last year in The Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise to collect responses from area residents about local problems they thought needed to be addressed.
Nearly 75% of respondents, according to survey results provided to The Topeka Capital-Journal by Pierson, indicated reducing flood risk was a high priority.
But until recently, efforts to reduce such risk were stagnant that is until Pierson connected with Thriving Earth Exchange, a program that aims to help communities of all sizes tackle local issues related to natural hazards and resources. And Paxico just so happens to be the smallest community with which the earth exchange has ever worked.
As part of its new spring cocktail offerings, The White Linen is doing its part to support charities, including local organization Harvesters.
The downtown Topeka restaurant debuted its new cocktails this past week with one of them serving as a charity cocktail.
The Celadon cocktail, crafted with Koval dry gin, elderflower, verjus, Arbequina olive oil, green grape, cucumber, basil, mint, lime and fleur del sel, serves as the charity drink. It can be purchased for $13.
For every Celadon cocktail sold, The White Linen will donate $2 to Harvesters.
Aaron Zentner, The White Linen s bar director, said the restaurant is hoping to raise at least $500 for Harvesters.
Dropping off his first child at a Seaman Unified School District 345 kindergarten several years ago, Frank Henderson never imagined he d be significantly involved with their education, at least compared to the average parent.
But then he joined the school s site council. Then he became president of the school s PTO. Soon enough, Henderson was asked to run for a spot on the Seaman Board of Education, so he did.
He narrowly lost that election by a 2% margin, but throughout his career and involvement in his children s education, Henderson had found a sense of service that motivated him when ultimately elected to the board at the next election in 2007. It s that sense he s carrying with him as the National School Board Association s next president-elect.