BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued blue-green algae warnings for both of Marion County’s lakes.
Marion County Lake was upgraded from a watch to a warning on Thursday afternoon. A warning issued for Marion Reservoir was also extended Thursday.
A Centre schools athlete is one of two county residents who tested positive for COVID-19. The new results were confirmed Tuesday evening.
The student and another person whose test results were reported the same day are now in isolation because of the virus. The county health department has declined to release ages, genders, or where the two live.
Mary and Francis Jirak are masters at finding grace and peace amid a climate of bad news.
The couple spent 14 days sheltering in place after finding out their son, Father John Jirak, had been exposed to a fellow priest who tested positive with COVID-19.
Even though a fire last week consumed almost everything Sherry King owned, she was overjoyed at the cool-headedness of her son, Trevin.
“I was really proud of him,” she said. “He could’ve frozen up and stayed in the house or run out and said, ‘Well, I hope everyone gets out.’ He didn’t, and I was just proud of him.”
Both Marion and Hillsboro are likely to help fill the budget hole caused by rising costs of recycling.
Although the $120-a-ton cost of taking recyclable material to a privately owned South Hutchinson recycling facility is $82 more than the $38-per-ton cost of taking it to a landfill, both cities seem willing to pay the difference.
With wheat turning in some areas, farmers began harvesting this week. The first truckloads were delivered to grain elevators in Marion on Monday and in Peabody and Hillsboro on Tuesday.
While harvest is just starting, seeing good wheat in the first couple days is promising, Marion Cooperative Grain and Supply manager John Ottensmeier said.
Door-to-door salespeople were a constant in police reports last week, with several complaints made in Marion and Hillsboro about a number of potential issues.
Incidents ranged from warnings for not having permits to complaints of rudeness by salespeople.
A dispute between neighbors over access to six acres of land has resulted in a lawsuit.
Byron P. and Luralee J. Lange of Marion and Wendy S. McCarty, of Hillsboro filed suit June 8 against Bradley J. Matz of Lincolnville.
Officials are tight-lipped about why two Kansas Bureau of Investigation teams came to Marion County on Friday to investigate the death of a Wichita woman.
Shalan Niccole Gannon, 27, was reported missing April 10. Her body was found June 7 in the Ninnescah River in Sumner County and was identified June 12.
Law enforcement took a spooky turn for Hillsboro police last week when officers were called to remove bats from a vehicle.
The animals were attached to a tire in the vehicle’s fender well, which was a new sight for police chief Dan Kinning.
Because COVID-19 has limited candidates’ opportunities for town hall meetings and meet-and-greets, the newspaper is interviewing state and federal candidates who avail themselves for in-depth local interviews as a way to help voters be informed.
By ALEXANDER SIMONE
Staff writer
As an ophthalmologist in Garden City, congressional candidate Bill Clifford sees a need for health care reform.
Swimmers’ prospects took a turn for the worse when members of the public reported seeing blue-green algae this week at Marion Reservoir.
A warning issued Tuesday by Kansas Department of Health and Environment advised against water-skin contact or going near areas of visible algae accumulation.
Marion farmers market will resume from 5-7 p.m. tonight at Marion’s Central Park and will continue every Wednesday through early fall.
Anyone interested in selling goods at the market is being asked to call Rachel Olsen at (620) 381-4404.
Deputies, firefighters, and ambulance attendants searched for nearly an hour last week for a passenger with a long arrest record who allegedly grabbed the wheel of a vehicle, causing it to crash just south of Marion County Lake.
Driver Lindsay E. Marshall, 44, Peabody, apparently walked a mile from the accident, at 10:30 p.m. June 9 on Turkey Creek Rd., to the county lake office to report the incident 45 minutes later. Her passenger did not accompany her.
Marion residents living in the southeast portion of the city will be affected by two planned power outages while work is done at the county transfer station.
County electric contractors will install new underground electric service to the transfer station being built next to the city substation.
A Camping Jam with local performers July 31 and Aug. 1 will take the place the county lake’s annual bluegrass festival.
Bands previously scheduled to appear at the festival canceled after two other bluegrass festivals in the region announced that they would not be staged this year because of COVID-19.
With one local bait shop closed, county lake visitors are having enough trouble finding fishing supplies that the county might begin stocking more items at the lake office.
Twila Legg, co-owner of Coyote Crossing Bait and Ammo shop in Marion said her business might reopen later this summer.
Even after 27 years, and two weeks until the event, Craig White Memorial fishing tournament co-founder Todd Henderson expects a good turnout of those looking to go catfishing.
Henderson sees importance in maintaining the annual Peabody tradition nearly three decades later, which is why there have been few adjustments over the years.
Hillsboro residents, denied access to the community swimming pool this summer because of COVID-19, at least will be able to fill stock tanks in their yards for swimming fun.
City administrator Larry Paine, at his last meeting before retirement, said that while building codes require any pool taller than 24 inches to be permanently installed, he wanted council members to temporarily amend city codes so children could have some access to water play.
The six-member Butler County Brass will present a free outdoor concert of patriotic music at 1 p.m. June 27 at Pioneer Bluffs, a mile north of Matfield Green on K-177.
Concertgoers are being urged to bring a chair, beverage, and facemask, though a limited supply will be available for those who do not.
A former country school moved to Marion in the 1940s still stands on Lincoln St. where it is used as a home.
The former Bixler School, originally located three and a half miles northwest of Marion, was purchased by Lonnie and Betty Tidwell in the 1940s and moved to 110 N. Lincoln St. in Marion to serve as a home, which it does to this day.
Many would scuttle plans for opening a new restaurant amid the chaos of a pandemic, but owner Analisa Defiesta says the PickUp Line’s first day was perfect.
The Defiestas filled nearly 300 takeout orders from a Main St. barn that formerly housed Norel Farm Bakery in Hillsboro. It has sold out every meal service since.
Paul and Gladys Klassen have high hopes for their first season as vendors at Hillsboro Farmers Market.
As the couple, recently relocated from Oklahoma City, set up wood creations at their display table in Memorial Park, they set out a display board of earrings crafted from exotic woods, crosses, and inlaid wall hangings.
Parents and children in four towns can stroll downtown to enjoy children’s stories when Story Walk begins June 29.
Four books will be displayed page by page in downtown windows at Hillsboro, Marion, Peabody and Tampa.
If you’ve ever felt as if tax dollars you pay are simply being thrown away, you’re quite literally right.
The near-religious fervor with which small but extremely vocal minorities have insisted on recycling is costing Marion, Hillsboro, and Marion County taxpayers thousands of dollars every month.
For the past 13 weeks, we’ve been combining our three newspapers into a bigger, better, combined edition to serve all our communities equally well during the COVID-19 crisis.
The crisis hasn’t ended, of course. We’re all quite literally holding our breath in hope of avoiding a second wave of the disease. And school, social, and community events, which normally provide unique content for each of our three separate publications, have yet to fully resume.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
Royal order of chickensCORRECTION AND CLARIFICATION:
Wrong photo
Marion Kiwanis club met June 10 for the first time in 13 weeks.
Sixteen people turned out to hear Mickey Lundy, executive vice president, and Emily Kannady, vice president, of Tampa State Bank talk about Payroll Protection Program forgivable loans processed through the bank.
A drive-through ceremony last week honored the 22nd graduating class from Sunshine Country Preschool, 520 S. 3rd St., Marion.
A parade of vehicles took turns pulling up to the building June 10 as each graduate received a diploma, a gift, and a squirt gun — which graduates used to spray each other and family members as they exited the drive.
Precinct committee men and women for Marion County Democrats will be listed on ballots in upcoming primary elections, but many seats are open. Those not filing need five write-in votes to win, county Democrats were told June 13.
Chairman Eileen Sieger led the group’s business meeting by video conference. Communication with county Democrats was discussed, and more information will be gathered by Jan Helmer and Gary Lyndaker.
Singing, acting, stage makeup, and choreography will be among the topics July 12 through 18 at Tabor College’s musical theatre camp for grades 7through 12.
The camp also will include devotions, worship, games, and activities.
Marion Country Club golfers will get back in the swing of things with a two-person scramble for golfers age 50 and older starting at 10 a.m. Saturday. Registration costs $40.
Other events tentatively planned for this year include:
June 27 — Two-person scramble starting at 1 p.m.
ANNIVERSARY:
Couple to celebrate anniversaryCALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Calendar of eventsSERMON FOR THE WEEK:
Making the most of opportunitiesSENIOR CENTER:
Hillsboro,
Marion,
Peabody menuMEMORIES:
10,
25,
40,
55,
70,
100,
140 years agoMEMORIES IN FOCUS:
Santa Fe Trail nears its bicentennial
Martin Bina’s career as a barber didn’t start on a good note in 1962.
He was to graduate from barber school the same day his brother got married, so Bina skipped work that Saturday on the assurance that he would be fine.
JR Ewing has been retired only 10 weeks, but the former St. Luke radiology manager is already looking to move into a new venture: entrepreneurship.
Ewing and friend Bruce Skiles, who is approaching his eventual retirement as an anesthesiologist between local hospitals, recently bought an empty lot in Hillsboro with plans to turn it into a business venture.