PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

HEADLINES

Coyote hunters are back in business
Marion County hunters and trappers now have a market for their coyote pelts through a buyer who visits Marion twice a month. Several hunters and trappers brought pelts, coyotes, and even a bobcat and fox to the parking lot of Ace Hardware in Marion Sunday to sell to a buyer for Lincoln, Nebraska-based Lincoln Fur.
Cattle dog adjusts to life on the sidelines
Meggi, a registered border collie, gazes longingly over the pastureland from Rex and Carolyn Savage’s truck emitting the occasional whine from the back seat as she spies the cattle she used to herd so well. Multiple health problems have forced the 13½-year-old Welsh Scottish herder into a retirement she is still adjusting to.
Commissioner angered by at-large appointment
County commissioner Dianne Novak had angry words for fellow county commissioners Tuesday after she alone voted against appointing Derek Belton to an at-large position on the planning and zoning commission a week after she removed him from the board. Commission chairman Jonah Gehring nominated Belton Tuesday for the position and Novak cast the lone “no” vote.
Laundromats still valued in an age of convenience
A washer and dryer are conveniences often taken for granted, but both Marion County’s coin laundry businesses provide a vital service for those without their own appliances, Hillsboro resident Bob Patterson said. Sticker shock over appliance costs spurs Patterson to make a weekly trip to Marion Dry Cleaning and Laundry.
Ambulance gets stuck on call, again
For the second time in two weeks, a Hillsboro ambulance crew got stuck on muddy roads while on a call. The crew was transporting a patient home from Newton Medical Center at 12:53 a.m. Saturday when the vehicle became mired in mud on Falcon Rd. between 140th and 150th Rds.

OTHER NEWS

Hitting the skids: Response to threat of slick streets varies
Area road departments took differing approaches in responding to the threat of severe weather caused by last week’s ice storm. Kansas Department of Transportation started staggering employees’ shifts around noon Thursday. The move allowed KDOT to keep workers on standby in case of bad weather overnight, said Ashley Perez, public affairs manager for Kansas Department of Transportation District 2, which includes Marion County.
County might buy what it could have for free
The county is discussing the possibility of buying a Hillsboro building for living quarters for ambulance staff and constructing a two-bay garage for ambulances at an estimated cost of $150,000. In four to five years, it could have ambulance and employee housing free. The main ambulance at Hillsboro is stored free of charge in the Hillsboro firehouse.
Junked cars, homes worry Florence residents
Florence Council needs to crack down on the number of decrepit vehicles in the city, community member Phil Baldwin said during Monday’s council meeting. “Just going from the restaurant to my house, I bet I drive by 10 or more cars that haven’t been moved for a long time,” he said. “Some of them are jacked up without tires and they don’t run. For some reason we’ve given them the ability that by paying money, they can keep them there.”
Foundation to give cash, cook pancakes
Peabody Community Foundation will host its annual pancake day from 7 to 11 a.m. Feb. 1 at Peabody Senior Center. A sausage and pancake breakfast will be by donation as a fundraiser for the foundation.
Wind farm lawsuit loses more plaintiffs
A second group of plaintiffs have withdrawn from a lawsuit over a conditional use permit granted to a planned wind farm. Court documents filed Friday show 19 have withdrawn from the suit, originally filed Aug. 14 by Peabody farmer Randy Eitzen and 70 other plaintiffs.
Hospital auxiliary nets highest-ever profit
St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary made its highest-ever profit during 2019, bringing in $97,162 and donating $66,403 to St. Luke Hospital, St. Luke Living Center, and St. Luke Home Health. The money given to St. Luke during 2019 exceeds the grand total of contributions from 1973 through 2018.
Sheriffs' deputy graduates from law enforcement training center
Marion County Sheriff’s deputy Joshua Melizawas named last week as one of 22 December graduates of Kansas Law Enforcement’s training center near Yoder. Meliza has been working at the sheriff’s department seven months, according to sheriff Bob Craft, but now has his official registration.

DEATHS

Delores Cook
Services were Dec. 26. for Delores M. Cook, 74, Newton, who died Dec. 20 at Newton. Born Dec. 15, 1945, in Marion, to Willis Linn and Gertrude (Schill) Linn, she married Chilson Cook in 1964 in Marion.
IN MEMORIAM:
Stephen Davis

DOCKET

FARM

Family takes advantage of no-till farming
Lewis Unruh started using no-till farming with his father in 1996 and he has watched the practice grow in popularity since then. “It’s more than niche farming at this point,” he said. “In the mid-1990s was when it, all at once, became more practical.”

OPINION

Going the distance
Driving an all-too-familiar 551 miles — the exact same number as our old pre-dial home phone number more than half a century ago — is both literally and figuratively a pain in the backside. But it also provides a welcome opportunity for reflection, especially when traveling with a feline companion who views an Algonquin roundtable as something to jump up and sleep upon, not as a location for stimulating conversation.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
The volcabulary has changed

PEOPLE

CALENDAR:
Calendar of events
SENIOR CENTER:
Peabody menu

SCHOOL AND SPORTS

College degree and honors
Honor roll
Community turns out for Warrior Welcome Home
Peabody-Burns’ Friday home games against Herington featured special recognition of alumni from the school’s 1953 state championship basketball team, and 1963 Class BB championship team. The support fed into the Warriors’ play on the court, girls coach Travis Schafer said.
Peabody-Burns boys lose close game at Centre
Peabody-Burns High School basketball teams came up short in makeup games Saturday at Centre. The boys lost, 63-56, and the girls lost, 55-19. The boys’ game was a nail-biter. The Warriors led after three quarters but the lead changed several times. Centre led 29-28 at halftime.

PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

For the second time in two weeks, a Hillsboro ambulance crew got stuck on muddy roads while on a call. The crew was transporting a patient home from Newton Medical Center at 12:53 a.m. Saturday when the vehicle became mired in mud on Falcon Rd. between 140th and 150th Rds.

Peabody Community Foundation will host its annual pancake day from 7 to 11 a.m. Feb. 1 at Peabody Senior Center. A sausage and pancake breakfast will be by donation as a fundraiser for the foundation.

A second group of plaintiffs have withdrawn from a lawsuit over a conditional use permit granted to a planned wind farm. Court documents filed Friday show 19 have withdrawn from the suit, originally filed Aug. 14 by Peabody farmer Randy Eitzen and 70 other plaintiffs.

St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary made its highest-ever profit during 2019, bringing in $97,162 and donating $66,403 to St. Luke Hospital, St. Luke Living Center, and St. Luke Home Health. The money given to St. Luke during 2019 exceeds the grand total of contributions from 1973 through 2018.

Marion County Sheriff’s deputy Joshua Melizawas named last week as one of 22 December graduates of Kansas Law Enforcement’s training center near Yoder. Meliza has been working at the sheriff’s department seven months, according to sheriff Bob Craft, but now has his official registration.

Services were Dec. 26. for Delores M. Cook, 74, Newton, who died Dec. 20 at Newton. Born Dec. 15, 1945, in Marion, to Willis Linn and Gertrude (Schill) Linn, she married Chilson Cook in 1964 in Marion.

IN MEMORIAM:

Lewis Unruh started using no-till farming with his father in 1996 and he has watched the practice grow in popularity since then. “It’s more than niche farming at this point,” he said. “In the mid-1990s was when it, all at once, became more practical.”

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

CALENDAR:

SENIOR CENTER:

Peabody-Burns’ Friday home games against Herington featured special recognition of alumni from the school’s 1953 state championship basketball team, and 1963 Class BB championship team. The support fed into the Warriors’ play on the court, girls coach Travis Schafer said.

Peabody-Burns High School basketball teams came up short in makeup games Saturday at Centre. The boys lost, 63-56, and the girls lost, 55-19. The boys’ game was a nail-biter. The Warriors led after three quarters but the lead changed several times. Centre led 29-28 at halftime.