This week's top stories

  • Receiving their certificates for completing their first year in Youth Engaged in Philanthropy are, from left, Keelan Phillips, Jake Cattau, Piper Oswald, Kash Majerus, Macy Miller, Bryce Joseph, Morgan Calkins, Parker Smith, Jasmine Hansen, Kennedy Kleinschmidt and Emma Ellis-Sack.
    Receiving their certificates for completing their first year in Youth Engaged in Philanthropy are, from left, Keelan Phillips, Jake Cattau, Piper Oswald, Kash Majerus, Macy Miller, Bryce Joseph, Morgan Calkins, Parker Smith, Jasmine Hansen, Kennedy Kleinschmidt and Emma Ellis-Sack.
  • Lucas Riley and Kate Glinn, center, were crowned king and queen of the Aurora High School prom royalty court April 13 at The Leadership Center. Pictured from left is the entire royalty court, including Naela Merrihew, Kaiden Wineteer, Ansley Harvey, Sam Elge, Riley, Glinn, Laighla Gimpel and Graham Christenson.
    Lucas Riley and Kate Glinn, center, were crowned king and queen of the Aurora High School prom royalty court April 13 at The Leadership Center. Pictured from left is the entire royalty court, including Naela Merrihew, Kaiden Wineteer, Ansley Harvey, Sam Elge, Riley, Glinn, Laighla Gimpel and Graham Christenson.
  • Seniors Haylee Scott and Taylor Smith were crowned queen and king of the Giltner High School prom Saturday night..
    Seniors Haylee Scott and Taylor Smith were crowned queen and king of the Giltner High School prom Saturday night..
  • Lorna and Larry Epp show two of the 80 quilts that they recently delivered to a museum in Hamilton, Mo. The Aurora woman is the co-founder of the Nimble Thimble Quilt Guild and has created more than 400 quilts in her lifetime.
    Lorna and Larry Epp show two of the 80 quilts that they recently delivered to a museum in Hamilton, Mo. The Aurora woman is the co-founder of the Nimble Thimble Quilt Guild and has created more than 400 quilts in her lifetime.
  • This parcel of ground just south of Highway 34 by the Mars Petcare facility (seen in the background) is the location of the proposed Synergen ammonia plant.
    This parcel of ground just south of Highway 34 by the Mars Petcare facility (seen in the background) is the location of the proposed Synergen ammonia plant.
  • The Hawks Learning Center, future home of the new Hampton community daycare.
    The Hawks Learning Center, future home of the new Hampton community daycare.

The first class of the Hamilton County Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) program culminated its inaugural year on Sunday afternoon by awarding grands of $5,000 each to the Banister Leadership Academy (located at the Hamilton County Youth Center) and the Hampton Public Schools Foundation. The 12 high school students from Aurora, Giltner and Hampton who were part of the initial group shared what they had learned over the past nine months the program has been in existence. Read.

Lucas Riley and Kate Glinn were crowned king and queen of the Aurora High School prom royalty court April 13 at The Leadership Center. The rest of the royalty court included Naela Merrihew, Kaiden Wineteer, Ansley Harvey, Sam Elge, Laighla Gimpel and Graham Christenson.

Giltner High School held its spring prom on Saturday evening. Seniors Haylee Scott and Taylor Smith were crowned queen and king of the event.

Quilting has been a big part of Aurora resident Lorna Epp's life for more than 40 years and in that time she has created more than 400 quilts of one kind or another. Realizing that a collection that size was too much for her family to eventually have to deal with, last week she and her husband, Larry made the 260 mile trip from Hamilton County, Nebraska to the town of Hamilton, Mo. to donate 80 of those quilts to the Missouri Quilt Museum. Read the story of her quilting journey on Page 1 of this week's ANR.

It appears the conditional use zoning permit application for the proposed Synergen Green Energy ammonia production plant won’t come before the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners until possibly sometime in June at the earliest. At the commission’s regular meeting on Monday the board had proposed holding the hearing on the evening of May 20 as an extension of its weekly meeting, however, the commission later voted to set the date for the hearing on that date instead. Read.

In a major step forward for Hampton Day Care Center, Inc., leadership announced at last week’s community meetings that a director has been hired for the facility expected to open Aug. 1 and that an assistant director may be on board soon as well. Hampton Supt. Holly Herzberg announced that Aleesha Roehrs has accepted the position of director. Herzberg said Roehrs has a decree in family studies and a minor in social work. “She will be an outstanding director,” Herzberg said. Read. 

For these stories and much more, pick up the print or e-edition of this week's Aurora News Register.