PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

HEADLINES

Rationale for borrowing to fix power grid termed 'insulting'
Anticipating a multi-million-dollar project to upgrade an aging and unreliable city power grid, Marion’s city council voted a decade ago to begin setting aside $200,000 a year to lessen the need for borrowing. A decade later, the $2 million set aside is gone.
Marion to give ballpark to school
City council members unanimously endorsed plans Monday to turn over youth recreation to Marion’s school district. David Mayfield plans to draft a letter of understanding with the district for a plan of cooperation, which would include turning over the city’s ball fields to the school district.
Won't you be my neighbor?
An unnamed landlord may have complained about foxes that have chosen to den in abandoned trailers in Hillsboro, but most of their neighbors enjoy them. Rodney Bolstad lives next door to dens of two families of foxes — two vixens and up to eight kits have been spotted.
US-50 'unforgiving' but 'safe' after pair of head-on crashes
A stretch of US-50 near Peabody was the site of two car -semi crashes this week, one causing injury and the other a fatality. A victim of an injury accident that occurred April 26 east of Limestone Rd. is still in surgical intensive care at Wesley Hospital in Wichita.
Oh, poo! Video IDs suspect in prank
Marion city police have tracked down and spoken to a male in his early 20s suspected of pulling a potentially dangerous prank. Late this weekend, a doorbell camera captured a man placing a bag of burning feces on the porch of a residence in the 200 block of N. Cedar St.
103 mph in city = $1,400 fine
A Marion man driving 103 mph in the 800 block of N. Cedar St. without a seat belt on Sunday got hit with a high price tag for his recklessness — a $1,400 traffic ticket. “It’s a $1,260 fine, plus he didn’t have a seat belt so $30, plus $110 court costs,” police chief Clinton Jeffrey said.

OTHER NEWS

Man reports own suicide
A 21-year-old Winfield man called emergency dispatch Friday to report his own suicide. Deputies arrived at Lost Springs Cemetery 20 minutes later and found a 2016 Honda parked on the south side of the cemetery. Keegan Moore had a single gunshot wound to the head but was still breathing.
Tabor names alumnus president
David Janzen, M.S., Ph.D., has been selected as Tabor’s 14th president, commencing July 1. He will succeed Jules Glanzer, who is retiring after more than 13 years.
First of 6 Tabor athletes charged
Charges were filed in court against the first of six Tabor basketball players arrested outside Hillsboro in an April 21 drug bust. Bobby I. Shanks, 23, a sophomore guard from Halls, Tennessee, was charged Friday with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and speeding.
Drive-in recovers from COVID
Hillsboro’s Sonic Drive-In has recovered from a surge of COVID-19 that sidelined nearly half of its staff, but its manager said he is still looking for help. Christian Walls was forced to close at 6 p.m. this past week after two of its crew members contracted the virus and three others were placed in quarantine.
COVID numbers dip from prom high
This past week brought relief after a steep uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases the week before. The county health department Tuesday reported 11 new cases of COVID-19. This was less than half the 28 new cases reported April 27.
Marion man bound over for murder trial
A man charged with murder in the first degree in the April 2020 death of a Wichita woman was bound over April 22 for trial. Robert B. Mans, 49, Marion, is scheduled for arraignment May 24.
Lake under algae warning
A blue-green algae warning was issued Thursday for Marion County Lake. Assistant lake superintendent Adam Benson said algae was present in coves and along the north side of the lake.
Newspaper wins 29 statewide awards
Competing not just against other weeklies but also against dailies in the third largest of seven circulation categories, the Marion County Record has won 29 awards for 2021 from the Kansas Press Association. The newspaper swept first, second, and third place in investigative reporting, won first place for overall news and writing excellence, and won another first for best front page.

DEATHS

David Sheppard
Services for David Sheppard, 68, who died April 28 at his home in Hillsboro, will be this summer. He was born March 5, 1953, in Smith Center to R.G. and Eda (Lippitt) Sheppard.
Donald Voss
Private graveside services will be held for Donald Eugene Voss, 91, who died Sunday at Wheat State Manor in Whitewater. He was born Nov. 17, 1929, in Kingsdown, to Frederick and Dorothy (Sullivan) Voss.
IN MEMORIAM:
Harold Ehrlich

DOCKET

GOVERNMENT

Police called during commission meeting
Monday’s county commission meeting was interrupted by the appearance of a man who came to hear planning and zoning director Sharon Omstead despite a court order to stay 100 feet away from her. Omstead got a restraining order against Tom Britain after he angrily confronted her at a Florence convenience store in November.
County could update pay
County commissioners Monday once again pondered an employee pay rate study from three years ago that commissioners never acted on. Malayna Maes, of the McGrath HR Group, told commissioners new positions have been created for the county and that cost-of-living raises were three years behind other counties.
Little progress on disability parking
More than two months after downtown Marion’s absence of handicapped parking stalls was brought to the attention of the city, crews have painted accessible parking insignia on three Main St. parking stalls, but other requirements of federal law are not being met. One parking stall is in front of Webster’s Auto Service, with no curb cuts nearby.
Sludgy lagoon could require work
Too much sludge buildup in Hillsboro’s wastewater lagoon is likely to lead to work being done, but city council members Tuesday decided to monitor the situation before undertaking an expensive project. Alan Luttrell, with EBH Engineering, talked to council members and said baffles and an aeration system could be added to correct the problem.

FINANCE

Debt increases stress on students
Like many students from Marion County, Goessel graduate Katelyn Olson, 19, faces more than just the classroom stress of studying to become a social science teacher. Looming over her are student loans that, according to one national lending institution, average $32,045 for each Kansas student.
Familiar face comes to Marion bank
Marion residents will see a familiar face when they walk into Central National Bank and meet the new president. Brad Bartel spent several years at Emprise Bank at Hillsboro, and bAefore that was at Peabody State Bank. He started at CNB last Wednesday.
New scam targets survivors
A new scam is preying on people who haveA lost loved ones to COVID-19. The Federal Emergency Management Agency this month launched a proAgram to pay up to $9,000 for funeral expenses.

OPINION

Trust in government has been short-circuited
Four pages OF this week’s paper are in color. The rest, including this one, are black and white. That’s unfortunate in a symbolic sense. Issues we’s about to deal with are far from black and white. A few might even provoke colorful responses. For several weeks, we’ve been worrying about whether Marion’s city council and taxpayers are getting the whole story or just whatever part of it leads them to accept conclusions key officials already have reached.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
Living well
CORRECTIONS:
Hillsboro police, Peabody nursing home

PEOPLE

Answering the call: Birder keeps track of species as they arrive at reservoir
Bob Hoopes is a man of all seasons, but this time of year is a favorite. Every day is different for a devoted birder, but spring is a season of change and renewal.
Training offered for farmers markets
Gardeners and farmers who want to be part of a program that markets produce to seniors can learn more by taking an online training course. The Kansas Senior Farmers Market Program issues vouchers to seniors, who use them at farmers markets to purchase produce from authorized vendors.
SENIOR CENTER MENUS:
Hillsboro, Marion, Peabody
MEMORIES:
10, 25, 40, 55, 70, 100, 140 years ago

SPORTS

Track squads place in Friday meets
Baliel 2nd in pole vault for Marion Anne Baliel finished second in pole vault Friday during Beloit Relays and was fifth in 200 meter dash.
Hillsboro battles setbacks
Hillsboro High School’s baseball team is now 7-7 for the season after eking out a win over Lyons in its second doubleheader Friday. The Trojans have had a rough go this season battling injuries and quarantine.
Marion drops pair to end streak
Marion High School’s baseball team was on four-game winning streak until Tuesday, but the team is still enjoying a winning season. The Warriors dropped two to Little River with 21-6 and 22-5 losses in the double header. Coach Roger Schroeder said the team’s consistency has been key to their success. “Just being able to practice and play on a regular basis has been helpful to our development,” he said.
Hillboro tennis places at CKL
Hillsboro High tennis placed several at the CLK tennis meet Monday at Hesston High. Ethan Plenert came in fifth in singles and Noah Bartel placed seventh. Filow and Romero Cruz netted sixth-place in doubles and Hery Hein and Lane Rogers were in eighth place.
Bowling league results

PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

Anticipating a multi-million-dollar project to upgrade an aging and unreliable city power grid, Marion’s city council voted a decade ago to begin setting aside $200,000 a year to lessen the need for borrowing. A decade later, the $2 million set aside is gone.

City council members unanimously endorsed plans Monday to turn over youth recreation to Marion’s school district. David Mayfield plans to draft a letter of understanding with the district for a plan of cooperation, which would include turning over the city’s ball fields to the school district.

An unnamed landlord may have complained about foxes that have chosen to den in abandoned trailers in Hillsboro, but most of their neighbors enjoy them. Rodney Bolstad lives next door to dens of two families of foxes — two vixens and up to eight kits have been spotted.

A stretch of US-50 near Peabody was the site of two car -semi crashes this week, one causing injury and the other a fatality. A victim of an injury accident that occurred April 26 east of Limestone Rd. is still in surgical intensive care at Wesley Hospital in Wichita.

Marion city police have tracked down and spoken to a male in his early 20s suspected of pulling a potentially dangerous prank. Late this weekend, a doorbell camera captured a man placing a bag of burning feces on the porch of a residence in the 200 block of N. Cedar St.

A Marion man driving 103 mph in the 800 block of N. Cedar St. without a seat belt on Sunday got hit with a high price tag for his recklessness — a $1,400 traffic ticket. “It’s a $1,260 fine, plus he didn’t have a seat belt so $30, plus $110 court costs,” police chief Clinton Jeffrey said.

A 21-year-old Winfield man called emergency dispatch Friday to report his own suicide. Deputies arrived at Lost Springs Cemetery 20 minutes later and found a 2016 Honda parked on the south side of the cemetery. Keegan Moore had a single gunshot wound to the head but was still breathing.

David Janzen, M.S., Ph.D., has been selected as Tabor’s 14th president, commencing July 1. He will succeed Jules Glanzer, who is retiring after more than 13 years.

Charges were filed in court against the first of six Tabor basketball players arrested outside Hillsboro in an April 21 drug bust. Bobby I. Shanks, 23, a sophomore guard from Halls, Tennessee, was charged Friday with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and speeding.

This past week brought relief after a steep uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases the week before. The county health department Tuesday reported 11 new cases of COVID-19. This was less than half the 28 new cases reported April 27.

A man charged with murder in the first degree in the April 2020 death of a Wichita woman was bound over April 22 for trial. Robert B. Mans, 49, Marion, is scheduled for arraignment May 24.

A blue-green algae warning was issued Thursday for Marion County Lake. Assistant lake superintendent Adam Benson said algae was present in coves and along the north side of the lake.

Services for David Sheppard, 68, who died April 28 at his home in Hillsboro, will be this summer. He was born March 5, 1953, in Smith Center to R.G. and Eda (Lippitt) Sheppard.

Private graveside services will be held for Donald Eugene Voss, 91, who died Sunday at Wheat State Manor in Whitewater. He was born Nov. 17, 1929, in Kingsdown, to Frederick and Dorothy (Sullivan) Voss.

IN MEMORIAM:

Like many students from Marion County, Goessel graduate Katelyn Olson, 19, faces more than just the classroom stress of studying to become a social science teacher. Looming over her are student loans that, according to one national lending institution, average $32,045 for each Kansas student.

Marion residents will see a familiar face when they walk into Central National Bank and meet the new president. Brad Bartel spent several years at Emprise Bank at Hillsboro, and bAefore that was at Peabody State Bank. He started at CNB last Wednesday.

A new scam is preying on people who haveA lost loved ones to COVID-19. The Federal Emergency Management Agency this month launched a proAgram to pay up to $9,000 for funeral expenses.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

CORRECTIONS:

Bob Hoopes is a man of all seasons, but this time of year is a favorite. Every day is different for a devoted birder, but spring is a season of change and renewal.

Gardeners and farmers who want to be part of a program that markets produce to seniors can learn more by taking an online training course. The Kansas Senior Farmers Market Program issues vouchers to seniors, who use them at farmers markets to purchase produce from authorized vendors.

SENIOR CENTER MENUS:

MEMORIES:

Baliel 2nd in pole vault for Marion Anne Baliel finished second in pole vault Friday during Beloit Relays and was fifth in 200 meter dash.

Hillsboro High School’s baseball team is now 7-7 for the season after eking out a win over Lyons in its second doubleheader Friday. The Trojans have had a rough go this season battling injuries and quarantine.

Hillsboro High tennis placed several at the CLK tennis meet Monday at Hesston High. Ethan Plenert came in fifth in singles and Noah Bartel placed seventh. Filow and Romero Cruz netted sixth-place in doubles and Hery Hein and Lane Rogers were in eighth place.