"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" comes to NE/NC Kansas

Fans of ABC Television's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition know exactly who Ty Pennington is, and know exactly what he does each Sunday night. This week, a Kansas family, specifically a family from Chapman, fellow NCKL school community, is going to have the "Ty-experience"...and it sounds as if they deserve it.

Following is a story copied from the KAKE-TV ABC Affiliate website out of Wichita, http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/34268614.html:

"Ty Pennington and designers from "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" surprised the Patrick Tutwiler family with the big "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" bus and limousine to inform the family they have been selected for a home build in Chapman.

"The Tutwiler Family, who have been living on a military base ever since their house in Chapman along with much of the town was devastated by a tornado on June 11, 2008.

"Patrick Tutwiler was shot in the neck by an Iraqi sniper and returned home with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, memory loss and speech problems. Less than a year later, their modest home was hit by an F4 tornado. Patrick and his wife Crystal pulled the family into a closet and used their bodies as human shields while the tornado tore the house apart. Patrick, Crystal, their four children and nephew were living on a nearby military base temporarily until Patrick was given his official military discharge.

"Because of Patrick's injuries and his current part-time employment, the family's finances cannot afford to rebuild or purchase a new home. Now it is up to "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to build this dedicated soldier a safer and stronger place they can call home.

"While Ty and the designers, A local builder coalition of A.F.MC. Construction and Remodeling, Inc. of Salina, Kansas; American Dream Development of Junction City, Kansas; Blixt Construction, L.C. of Chapman, Kansas; Harris Custom Homes LLC of Chapman, Kansas; and Ponton Construction Inc. of Salina, Kansas; and hundreds of volunteers and workers are rebuilding their home, the Tutwiler family will go on vacation. Work crews will work 24 hours a day until the project is done. The family will return on November 18th with viewing in the afternoon.

"The design team for this episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will feature team leader Ty Pennington and designers Paul DiMeo, Paige Hemmis, Michael Moloney and Ed Sanders.

"The location address is: The Tutwiler Family 330 West 6th, Chapman, Kansas 67431. Spectator viewing locations of the project are available with shuttle transportation from the Kansas Auto Racing Museum.
KAKE will have live reports from Chapman this afternoon. "

What an amazing story of this family; definitely seems like a wonderful recipient for this experience and this home. We wish them all the luck and happiness that it sounds they deserve.

New School Year

School has been back in session in Marysville and other Marshall County schools for a week now. Some of the surrounding out of county schools started a little bit later, but I think all of the Kansas schools at least have now started. I'm not sure when Nebraska schools started.

The start of school was always an exciting time for me. But, I'm an odd one....I LOVED school...still do. I always said that I thought I could be a professional student. A college catalog came in the mail the other night, and I looked through it to see if there might be anything to take "just for fun."

A neighbor to the southwest, a fellow NCKL school to Marysville, suffered an enormous loss this summer. As I am sure you are aware, Chapman suffered from the effects of a tornado that ripped through its community in June, nearly destroying each of the school district's buildings (elementary, high school and district office). (It was as if the tornado had a thing against school!) As following any devastating event, there was a lot of speculation...what would happen? Would people return to the town of Chapman to rebuild? Would there even be a school? Would there be consolidation?

Chapman school superintendent Tony Frieze (and all others involved) should be applauded for the resolve because this past Monday school resumed in Chapman, with enrollment steady from previous year, if not increased.

Kudos to the Chapman community and to the school district for picking themselves up and working hard.

~Lesa
Your KNDY Blogger