OTTAWA – With the Democrats’ electoral sweep last year, this year was a crazy year for politics, but it was even weirder thanks to a couple of area politicians who got national attention for what were seen as racial insults to President Obama. State representative Bill Otto has been a frequent presence on the Internet site You Tube but his “Redneck Rap” got a lot of people hot under the collar. Otto reposted it to say he was trying to be and not racist. He met with civil rights groups to explain. U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins’ off-hand comment about finding a Republican great white hope for president also got some unwanted national attention. She was a repeat offender for comments that appeared to make fun of an Ottawa waitress because she was poor and without health insurance. Those and other events didn’t make KOFO’s top 10 but were worthy of note. Those honorable mention items include the construction beat — the new U.S. 59 nears completion, area cities used President Obama’s economic stimulus money to plan a series of building projects, a new recreation center gots the OK and a proposed juvenile detention center is still moving forward; and the traffic death of a Vassar teenager will likely result in a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 75 and K-268 north of Lyndon. Also, Robert Blurton of Garnett is facing a trial in 2010 because he’s accused of a triple murder in Missouri. Guy & Mae’s Tavern of Williamsburg and the Allegre’s Pharmacy soda fountain were named 8 Wonders of Kansas. Unfortunately, the soda fountain faces an uncertain future because Bill Allegre is closing his pharmacy. Perhaps it wasn’t unexpected, but thousands of people attended the Ol Marais car show and the Power of the Past antique engine and tractor show in Ottawa and the Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall in Garnett. There was a building boom in Pomona with Casey’s and Dollar General putting up new stores — and a boom at the Pomona city hall with new mayor Joanne Hancock feuding with the city council and the city zoning director.
