BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
Local officials are warning that rolling blackouts are expected in Marion county until temperatures warm up enough to reduce consumption.
“We are warning our customers that this will occur,” Marion city administrator Roger Holter said. “We have no advance notice.”
On Monday, Marion city council members flatly refused to pay the school district’s January invoices for the city’s half of pool expenses for the second half of 2020. This is the second time in three months the city has bucked on payment.
School board president Nick Kraus, present at the meeting, later said he was astonished.
Herington Hospital has changed its mind about closing its Hillsboro Clinic.
The hospital announced Jan. 7 that it would close the embattled clinic effective April 30, blaming federal legislation that reduces the amount of money paid by Medicare.
If you think you haven’t been this cold in decades, you might be right.
The 11-day cold snap blasting the county is the longest streak of freezing temperatures recorded in nearly 38 years, said Mick McGuire, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Wichita.
Four new cases of COVID-19 were disclosed Tuesday by county health officials, marking the lowest seven-day total since Oct. 29.
The county’s pandemic death toll stands at 12, but officials have said previously that reports of deaths often are delayed for weeks or months.
A farm now owned by Gordon and Shirley Groening has passed through several generations of family.
It once was owned by Dallas Rogers, whose family lost it in the Great Depression.
A bathing swan long ago removed from a fountain in Central Park will be replaced after Marion residents saw a photo of the fountain as it used to be in the July 31, 2019, edition of the Marion County Record.
City parks and recreation director Margo Yates told council members Monday that Bob Good contacted her in September to say his family was interested in replacing the swan as a memorial for his mother, Bula Good.
Two grain cooperatives among six that own Team Marketing Alliance say they are supportive of TMA despite a Feb. 2 lawsuit filed by three other owner cooperatives that seeks to dissolve TMA.
“Mid-Kansas Cooperative and Producer Ag are fully supportive today of the mission and strategy of TMA, a grain marketing and risk management company serving agricultural customers,” said Nichole Gouldie, communications director for MKC.
The historic Donaldson and Hosmer building in downtown Marion was chosen for an $89,700 historic preservation grant from the state Heritage Trust Fund.
The 1887 building at 318 E. Main St., now owned by Randy and Rachel Collett, was first the home of First National Bank, then used for offices and cafes. It has been remodeled a number of times over the years.
Business has been slow the past few months at Café 256, but owners Tim and Barbara Melendy are in it for the long haul.
They are in the process of setting up an online ordering system that will provide pickup and delivery.
Marion police department’s drug dog, Blue, returns to duty today after swallowing an extension cord and being rushed to emergency surgery.
Officer Aaron Slater, who serves as Blue’s handler, noticed the cord was missing and took the 2-year-old Belgian Malinois to Spur Ridge Vet Hospital.
Hillsboro’s school board voted Monday evening to continue the hybrid classes model for its middle and high school students until after spring break.
District superintendent Max Heinrichs changed his recommendation because of ongoing safety concerns.
Extraordinary stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and commissioners’ belief it will drive up demand for mental health treatment, prompted them to increase funding to help defray its cost.
Prairie View requested the county give $93,798 this year. The agency’s request letter said behavioral health interventions are important to avoid preventable hospitalizations and unnecessary visits to emergency departments.
County commissioners got a pleasant surprise Monday when they found out employee insurance premiums won’t rise much this year.
“This is going to be one of the best years in the last several years,” commissioner Randy Dallke said. “Ordinarily it’s been a sky-high increase.”
County commissioner likely will shift their meetings to Monday afternoon instead of Morning starting in March to allow county council Brad Jantz to attend.
Jantz has often been unable to attend commission meetings, or unable to be at the meeting when it began.
Technology has blown up bookkeeper’s spreadsheets in favor of software that manages routine work such as payroll tax deduction with a few keystrokes.
But many are finding out the consequences of clicking on the wrong field can be expensive. especially when mistakes can lead to tax penalties.
Lawmakers and bureaucrats can’t make up their minds on policy for a loan program that helped small businesses with COVID-19 related losses and business owners and even bankers are confused.
The Paycheck Protection Program’s first round of loans began last spring.
Seniors looking for help filing income tax forms, claiming tax rebates for COVID-19 stimulus payments that did not arrive, filing for Homestead refunds, and applying for utility assistance can make an appointment with Marion County Department on Aging.
“We will not be doing in-person appointments for assistance this year,” director Gayla Ratzlaff said. “We will do Homestead and Low Income Energy Assistance Program applications over the phone.”
It’s time for a time out in the newest sport to hit Marion County politics: a “you-know-what”-ing match over what’s supposed to be a cooperative venture between the city and the school district in Marion.
We don’t mean a time out in the sense of players regrouping on the sidelines and conferring with those urging them on. There’s been too much of that already. What we mean is a time out like when a bratty preschooler is ordered to sit in a corner after whaling on a sibling.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
Considering the essentials
As an impeachment trial for former president Donald Trump loomed, a group of Marion County Trump supporters held a secret meeting Thursday evening.
The meeting was supposed to be secret. A reporter was at first welcomed to the meeting, but a few minutes later told to leave.
Government commodities will be available Feb. 17.
Pickup sites on Wednesday include Burns Community Center, morning; Goessel Mennonite Church, 5 p.m.; Lincolnville Community Center, 11 a.m. to noon; Lost Springs, 11 a.m.; Marion Senior Center, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Peabody Senior Center, 10 to 11:30 a.m.; Pilsen, 11:30 a.m.; Ramona Community Center, morning; and Tampa Senior Center, 3 to 4 p.m.
Senior Citizens of Marion County will have its monthly meeting at 10 a.m. Feb. 19. Marion Seniors will be serving lunch. Reservations, needed by Feb. 17, can be made by calling (620) 382-2942 or (620) 382-3580. Mask wearing is encouraged, and everyone will sit at least six feet apart.
MEMORIES:
10,
25,
55,
70,
100,
140 years ago
Marion county teams struggled and triumphed at home and on the road as Hillsboro High enjoyed a hot streak, Goessel High’s boys picked up two wins, and Peabody one more for the season.
Both Marion and Centre High teams posted losses as Marion struggled on the road against Sterling and Centre fell to Herington during homecoming.
Covid protocols made the path to Class 3-2-1A’s state wrestling tournament both longer and tougher for area teams this weekend with the district field being added to cut back on spectators.
The district field also marked the end for any wrestling finishing outside the top 4.
Dale and Loretta “Tootsie” Snelling met when they were teen-agers and became high school sweethearts.
Nearly 61 years, four children, and 13 grandchildren later, they are still going strong.
Valentine’s Day is the second most popular day of the year for sending cards. Christmas is the most popular.
About 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year.