PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

HEADLINES

Warriors and Trojans to unite under baseball's banner
After four months of batting around the idea of fielding a high school baseball team, Peabody-Burns school board said “play ball” Monday, and play it in Hillsboro. Superintendent Ron Traxson presented an option of a co-op with the Hillsboro High School baseball team.
Commission approves Christmas bonuses
Marion County employees will have a holly jolly Christmas this year, as commissioners approved Christmas bonuses of $150 for full-time and regular non-seasonal part-time workers at Monday’s meeting. Chairman Dan Holub said that the Christmas bonuses are what workers would have received from a two percent raise, and that if they didn’t have a good year, the bonuses wouldn’t have been given.
Two inches of rain give interim road superintendent plenty to do
Jesse Hamm officially got the title of interim county road and bridge superintendent last week, and this past weekend he got what goes along with the job: Rain-soaked roads. “I know there are a lot of folks out there that need attention, and we’re going to get out there and help them as soon as possible,” Hamm said.
Tips for parents with kids who refuse medicine
In their lowest, most desperate moments, some parents may curse Mary Poppins and her deceitful lyrics to “A Spoonful of Sugar” when attempting to make young children take horrible tasting medicine in the most delightful way. Some kids just spit the stuff out, sugar and all. Some run. Some hide. Most cry. Then there are the kickers and screamers, and the ones that accuse Mary Poppins of lying.
Peabody Christmas Eve candlelight service announced
Peabody ministers Rodger Charles, Angela DeFisher, and Jim Pohlman have announced a special Christmas Eve service to be at 10 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 402 N. Vine St. in Peabody. The service is non-denominational and all congregations of the community are invited to attend.
Trash pickup for the holidays
Christmas Day and New Year’s Day both fall on a Friday this year, causing a delay in regular trash pickup for Peabody residents. “Waste Connections will pick up trash on Saturdays after each holiday” city clerk Stephanie Lago said. “Regular trash is scheduled for Dec. 26. Both trash and recycling will be picked up on Jan. 2.”
Strangers help salvage 511 lbs. of bread for food bank
Rex Wilson and Cathy Henderson sat in the truck beside a Wichita on-ramp, flashers on, traffic piling up behind them, with 511 lbs of food strewn across two lanes of pavement. “Maybe we should call 911,” Henderson told Wilson.
MEDI discusses vision for county economic development
A letter to county commissioners from Marion Mayor Todd Heitschmidt calls for a new vision of county economic development. Speaking with Marion Economic Development Inc. members Thursday, Heitschmidt elaborated on that vision, which didn’t exactly include county economic developer Teresa Huffman. “Discussion’s probably going to hinge more on how could Hillsboro and Marion economic development folks actually work more in the county as well as our cities,” he said. “Basically, in theory, with one taking the west half of the county and one taking the east half.”

OTHER HEADLINES

Birders of a feather look for cheep thrills in wild
Birds are more than just scenery. It’s easy to forget that they’re wild animals living among people in greater numbers than perhaps any other animal species. It’s easy to forget they’re there — to under-appreciate them. Taking a moment to notice the birds — listen to them, look at them, observe what they do — has opened the eyes and ears of many in the area to the practice of birding.
Roundabout nearly ready to open
Years of lobbying and planning and months of construction are about to come to fruition, as the roundabout at US-56/77 at K-150 should be finished before Christmas, KDOT engineer Joe Palic said. “Obviously we’re not going to be done by Dec. 4,” Palic said, referring to the original target completion date. “I think the 23rd is the calendar completion date. At this time they’re fairly confident they’re going to make that.”
Tabor receives $600,000 ministry grant
Tabor College has received a $600,000 grant to establish Faith Front, which is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s High School Youth Theology Institutes initiative. Faith Front is designed to equip Mennonite Brethren and other Christian youth,ages 14-19 with theological competencies essential for ministry leadership, with special emphasis on pastoral ministry and other church vocations.
Area elves prep for Marion Community Christmas
An 18-foot trailer full of food and other items was parked outside of Marion City Building Monday, signaling the approach of Marion Community Christmas. “We loaded the truck this morning,” Greg Carlson of Carlsons’ Grocery said. “The food was special ordered.”
Westar warns customers of imposters
Westar Energy is warning of a scam in which imposters claiming to work for the electric company are calling customers with threats to disconnect service and demanding prepaid financial cards as payment. Several customers have contacted Westar after receiving suspicious phone calls.

DEATHS

Merle Funk
Merle Funk, 61, died Dec.10 at his home in Hillsboro. Visitation will be 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at First Mennonite Church, Hillsboro.
Lewis Hagen
Electrician Lewis Hagen, 86, died Dec. 8, at Parkside Home, Hillsboro. He was born June 5, 1929, in Hillsboro to John and Carrie Hagen.
Bob Hein
Bob Hein, 78, former county commissioner, died Dec. 14 at Salem Home in Hillsboro. A funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Hillsboro United Methodist Church.
Gerald Houser
Gerald Houser, 61, died Dec. 9 at Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita. A funeral service was Friday at Holy Family Parish, St. Mark Church, Marion. It was preceded by a Rosary.
Domingo Sanchez
Domingo “Joe” Trujillo Sanchez, 89, died Dec. 11 in Plano, Texas. He was born February 7, 1926 in Peabody. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m., Saturday in the Chapel of Hixson Brothers, Pineville, Louisiana.

DOCKET

OPINION

Lets appreciate what students give to us
Christmas events and student programs end during the next week. I hope you have stayed on top of the schedule and have made an effort to be involved in our students’ holiday experiences. Every year our school, church, and community youth groups spend hours practicing their parts to bring you something special for the holiday season. They are proud of the time and effort they put in. If you have children or grandchildren participating in a play or a vocal or instrumental music program, be there to see them perform. If they contact you to help provide food or personal items for families in need, share with them.
A healthy spin on jobs
News releases are a journalist’s junk mail. We’ll snare story ideas from some, and for those few that have local angles, we’ll rewrite and publish them. The rest are dispatched to the realm of irrelevant oblivion.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Transgender issue

PEOPLE

Higgins family holds reunion
Twenty-three people attended the Higgins reunion Sunday at Marion Senior Center. Those who attended from Marion County included Shirley Bowers, Randy and Rachel Collett, Charles Stinchcomb, and Howard and Beth Collett, all of Marion; Ralph Janzen, Ray and Ann Janzen, and Cory and Jared Janzen, all of Hillsboro.
Senior menu
BURNS:
Plummers attend family events
WONSEVU:
Snellings have Thanksgiving get-together
DAYS OF YORE:
10, 25, 50, 100, 125 years ago

SCHOOL AND SPORTS

Peabody-Burns basketball teams compete in Marion Classic
Peabody-Burns Warriors played at the Marion Classic this week and lost their three contests. In their first game of the tournament, the lady Warriors lost 40-25 to the Eureka Tornadoes.
Marion County natives candidates to graduate from KU
Three natives from Marion County are candidates to graduate from the University of Kansas in December. Caroline Collett and Alicen Whitaker, both of Marion will receive bachelor’s degrees in theatre and exercise science, respectively. Shannon Beckman of Peabody will receive a bachelor’s in nursing.
Hillsboro native graduates from Butler
Paula Wiebe, Hillsboro, was among 61 students who graduated from Butler with nursing degrees Dec. 10 in El Dorado. Besides receiving their graduate nursing pens, some graduates also were recognized by members of the American Red Cross Central Plains Division for volunteer efforts, and by Butler for participating in a new program that had third- and fourth-semester nursing students mentoring first- and second-semester students.
School menu

SENIOR LIVING

Retired farmer creates walking sticks as a hobby
Stewart Hammond and his wife, Virginia, of Marion were at Art in the Park one year when they came upon a booth selling walking sticks. Virginia needed one, but when Stewart saw the price tag, $15, he decided he could make one cheaper.
KanCare shift shouldn't affect seniors
Knowing where to find assistance in the maze of government programs can be daunting for anyone, particularly seniors who have never before dealt with such processes. Most Kansas programs for seniors have been administered through the Department for Children and Families, including KanCare, a program that provides medical assistance to persons 65 or over.

UPCOMING

Calendar of events
Christmas walk-through scheduled
Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church will present a hands-on experiential walk-through of the Christmas story from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight. Visitors will be self-guided through eight stations with live actors. Each station will provide a different part of the story.
Lego Day and movie to be offered at Marion library
Marion City Library has two days of youth-centered events planned for late December. All children are welcome to construct whatever vehicle, building, creature, or other creation they desire on Lego Day from 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 28 in the Santa Fe Room.
Disability organization to meet Monday
Harvey-Marion County Community Developmental Disability Organization board will hold its regular monthly meeting 4 p.m. Monday in the meeting room at 500 N. Main St., Suite 204, Newton. A public forum is scheduled at the beginning of the meeting.

PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

After four months of batting around the idea of fielding a high school baseball team, Peabody-Burns school board said “play ball” Monday, and play it in Hillsboro. Superintendent Ron Traxson presented an option of a co-op with the Hillsboro High School baseball team.

Peabody ministers Rodger Charles, Angela DeFisher, and Jim Pohlman have announced a special Christmas Eve service to be at 10 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 402 N. Vine St. in Peabody. The service is non-denominational and all congregations of the community are invited to attend.

Rex Wilson and Cathy Henderson sat in the truck beside a Wichita on-ramp, flashers on, traffic piling up behind them, with 511 lbs of food strewn across two lanes of pavement. “Maybe we should call 911,” Henderson told Wilson.

An 18-foot trailer full of food and other items was parked outside of Marion City Building Monday, signaling the approach of Marion Community Christmas. “We loaded the truck this morning,” Greg Carlson of Carlsons’ Grocery said. “The food was special ordered.”

Westar Energy is warning of a scam in which imposters claiming to work for the electric company are calling customers with threats to disconnect service and demanding prepaid financial cards as payment. Several customers have contacted Westar after receiving suspicious phone calls.

Merle Funk, 61, died Dec.10 at his home in Hillsboro. Visitation will be 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at First Mennonite Church, Hillsboro.

Electrician Lewis Hagen, 86, died Dec. 8, at Parkside Home, Hillsboro. He was born June 5, 1929, in Hillsboro to John and Carrie Hagen.

Bob Hein, 78, former county commissioner, died Dec. 14 at Salem Home in Hillsboro. A funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Hillsboro United Methodist Church.

Gerald Houser, 61, died Dec. 9 at Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita. A funeral service was Friday at Holy Family Parish, St. Mark Church, Marion. It was preceded by a Rosary.

Domingo “Joe” Trujillo Sanchez, 89, died Dec. 11 in Plano, Texas. He was born February 7, 1926 in Peabody. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m., Saturday in the Chapel of Hixson Brothers, Pineville, Louisiana.

News releases are a journalist’s junk mail. We’ll snare story ideas from some, and for those few that have local angles, we’ll rewrite and publish them. The rest are dispatched to the realm of irrelevant oblivion.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

BURNS:

WONSEVU:

DAYS OF YORE:

Peabody-Burns Warriors played at the Marion Classic this week and lost their three contests. In their first game of the tournament, the lady Warriors lost 40-25 to the Eureka Tornadoes.

Stewart Hammond and his wife, Virginia, of Marion were at Art in the Park one year when they came upon a booth selling walking sticks. Virginia needed one, but when Stewart saw the price tag, $15, he decided he could make one cheaper.

Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church will present a hands-on experiential walk-through of the Christmas story from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight. Visitors will be self-guided through eight stations with live actors. Each station will provide a different part of the story.

Marion City Library has two days of youth-centered events planned for late December. All children are welcome to construct whatever vehicle, building, creature, or other creation they desire on Lego Day from 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 28 in the Santa Fe Room.

Harvey-Marion County Community Developmental Disability Organization board will hold its regular monthly meeting 4 p.m. Monday in the meeting room at 500 N. Main St., Suite 204, Newton. A public forum is scheduled at the beginning of the meeting.