HEADLINES

  • Rain halts surprisingly good harvest

    Rod Just and his father, Eugene Just, said Friday they were pleased about how their wheat harvest had gone so far, with yields around 20 bushels per acre. The father-son duo typically farm together during the summer and average yields around 40 bushels per acre on a good year. “Last year it was a great year, so comparing it to this year is sad, but we’re happy because it could have been much worse,” Rod Just said.

  • Property values up 2.4 percent in county

    Property values in Marion County are up about $17 million, or 2.4 percent, appraiser Ray Cook said Monday. Included is $2.7 million in new construction. Another $2.7 million increase comes from property exempt in 2013 coming onto the tax rolls, Cook said. Appraised value of existing residential property increased by $2.3 million, less than 1 percent. Oil and gas values were up; personal property was down.

  • Family voids patient's ballot

    A provisional ballot cast by a nursing home resident who didn’t have identification was disqualified Monday after a relative of the voter refused to supply the voter’s identification. The ballot was cast in USD 410’s referendum on whether to increase local funding for the school budget. County Clerk Tina Spencer spoke with the nursing home about getting ID so the vote could be counted, but the nursing home wasn’t able to get ID from the voter’s family. Spencer told county commissioners at the canvass Monday that the relative thought the family member should not be voting.

  • Teens' racing costs cyclist his leg

    Curtis Girk, 31, of Peabody did not expect his life to change as he crested a hill on his motorcycle on June 11. However, it changed in a second when he was sideswiped by a car racing another at 120th and Eagle Rd. and Injuries sustained in the accident resulted in the amputation of Girk’s left leg.

  • County gives 8.7 percent pay raises

    Marion County Commission approved a new pay plan Monday that will raise 56 employees’ wages an average of 8.7 percent — but the approval is contingent on department heads’ confirmation that the changes will not put them over budget for 2014. The commission approved the changes after an hour in closed session. Commissioner Randy Dallke voted against the new pay plan.

  • Colburn returns to edit newspapers

    Marion native David Colburn rejoined the staff of Hoch Publishing Company on Monday. He is the new news editor of the Marion County Record, Hillsboro Star-Journal, and Peabody Gazette-Bulletin, taking over for Adam Stewart. Colburn has a long history in journalism that started while he was still a student at Marion High School. He was an intern as a high school senior and worked as a reporter for two summers in college and again from 2006 to 2007 and 2011 to 2012. He is a Marion High School graduate and has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kansas.

  • Florence nears decision on levee

    Florence residents could receive unforeseen flood insurance bills in the near future if the Federal Emergency Management Agency does not re-accredit the city’s levee. Without accreditation, insurance rates would be “significantly high,” according to county planning and zoning director Tonya Richards.

  • State challenges Holub's statements

    A state mental health official is challenging County Commissioner Dan Holub’s assertion last week that red tape and budget cuts for mental health providers “are setting these people up to fail.” In a letter to this newspaper one day after Holub’s comments were reported, Angela de Rocha, communications director to the secretary for aging and disability services, cited evidence that she said indicates Kansas ranks 20th among 50 states in funding for mental health, spending 71 percent more per resident than other states do on average.

  • Old maps may be only of their kind

    William Meysing has been a history buff since he was old enough to ride a bike, and since his grandpa told him stories of pioneers who settled in Marion County. So when he sent out several letters three decades ago, asking for historic information about the area, he was shocked at the history he received back.

DEATHS

  • Jona Baltzer

    Jona H. Baltzer, 89, a farmer, vocal music instructor, church musician, and for nine years director of the Kansas Mennonite Men’s Chorus, died Saturday at Via Christi Hospital on St. Francis in Wichita. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. Pastor Wally Kroeker and the Rev. Daryle Baltzer of Wichita will officiate.

  • Darlene Goering

    Darlene J. Goering, 82, who was a homemaker, Sunday school teacher, and church organist at Burns, died June 18 at Sunshine Home, Buhler. Services will be 10 a.m. Monday at Burns Countryside Church. Pastors Arlen Busenitz and Jeremy Goering will officiate. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

  • Lorene Jost

    Lorene E. Jost, 96, died Sunday at Parkside Home in Hillsboro. Services were to have been this morning at Parkview Church in Hillsboro. Jost Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

  • Geraldine Mills

    Former Marion resident Geraldine “Gerry” Mills, 82, died Tuesday at Life Care Center in Andover. A graveside service with Pastor Carl Helm officiating will be at 1 p.m. Friday in Marion Cemetery. Visitation will be from noon to 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Zeiner Funeral Home. She was born Aug. 31, 1931, in Mountainsburg, Arkansas, to George and Lillian Teague Peters. She married Lee Mills on June 13, 1967, in Newton. Together they owned and operated an auto body shop, with her as secretary and bookkeeper.

  • Lawrence Winkley

    Retired farmer and stockman Lawrence W. Winkley, 93, died Sunday at Marion Assisted Living. Services will be at 9:30 a.m. Friday at Eastmoor United Methodist Church. Interment will be in Marion Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Zeiner Funeral Home. He was born July 31, 1920, in rural Marion County to John W. and Maude (Waite) Winkley.

  • IN MEMORIAM:

    Roselma Griggs, Maynard Janzen

DOCKET

EXPLORE MARION COUNTY

  • Fiddle player enjoys mellow lake

    Finish carpenter Kim Schmidt, former fiddle player for the Greenhorns, traveled from his home in Goessel to Marion County Park and Lake on Friday for a relaxing weekend of camping and music. “I don’t get out here enough,” Schmidt said. “It’s a really nice place to come. It gets busy but it’s not overrun with people.”

  • Many attend Picnic on the Lawn in Florence

    Several gathered Saturday at the Harvey House to take part in the annual Picnic on the Lawn. Mountain oysters, fish, and side items were heaped onto plates and enjoyed under a newly constructed paved patio built in honor of Neva Robinson.

  • Bluegrass at the lake draws record attendance

    Bluegrass at the Lake plus blue-green algae at Marion Reservoir possibly led to record attendance this weekend at Marion County Park and Lake. “It was probably the busiest weekend I’ve worked since I started eight years ago,” Lake Superintendent Steve Hudson said Monday. “We sold over 91 camping permits this weekend alone, and that did not include the 10 to 12 campers that registered earlier in the week.”

  • Redneck in Ramona serves as venue for creativity, laughter

    Redneck. The name itself conjures imagery of less-than-clever country folk who probably wouldn’t understand the definition of their own stereotype, if they were able to sound out all those big words. However, those who organize and participate in the Redneck in Ramona Independence Day celebration not only understand the pigeonhole, they turn it upside down, celebrate it with creativity, and flaunt it as a venue for social interaction, camaraderie, and good-spirited laughter.

  • Fireworks schedules vary by area

    Independence Day is coming, and that means many people will want to celebrate with fireworks. When people may legally discharge fireworks depends where the person is in Marion County. Rural areas of the county have a longer period for fireworks sales and discharge than cities. county
  • June 27 and 28 — 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
  • June 29 through July 3 — 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • July 4 and 5 — 8 a.m. to midnight. Fireworks may be discharged at Marion County Park and Lake inside Lakeshore Dr. They may not be discharged at Marion Reservoir. Hillsboro Fireworks may be sold in Hillsboro June 27 through July 5. Times for use:
  • July 1 through 3 — 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
  • July 4 — 10 a.m. to midnight. Marion Fireworks may be sold in Marion July 1 through 4. Times for use:
  • July 1 and 2 — 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • July 3 and 4 — 9 a.m. to midnight. peabody Times and dates for firework discharge and sale will be published next week after Peabody city council discusses the issue at next week’s meeting.
  • Peabody park no stranger to big events or crowds

    Members of the Peabody Fourth Fest committee think that Peabody’s population will swell by 3,000 to 5,000 by the time the lights at Peabody City Park are turned off July 4th and the 93rd annual fireworks show begins. A crowd that size will comfortably fill the viewing area normally occupied by the football field, stone bleachers, and grassy area inside the park’s sports complex.

  • Button designer shares memories of July Fourth and family

    Sarah Robinson Hebert is a descendant of several early day Peabody families. She is a lifelong Wichita resident whose close relationship with her grandparents brought her to Peabody for many holidays. The annual July Fourth celebration was a great family event for Hebert and her extended family — her parents, both sets of grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, and all of her great-grandparents.

  • Garden tours an adventure for guests

    Visitors to Julie and Dwight Nelson’s home during Saturday’s fifth-annual Flint Hills Garden Tour will see many items re-purposed from different kinds of farm-related machinery. “It’s definitely rustic out here,” Julie Nelson said.

  • Business climate heating up, county developer says

    Economic development in Marion County has been trending upward since the recession of the late 2000s, officials say. “I think we’re through the darkest days,” county developer Teresa Huffman said.

  • Ice cream comes in many flavors and unusual places

    Right around the time someone realized there was nowhere in Marion that sold soft serve ice cream, Jeff Methvin, owner of Methvin’s Prairie Oak Alpaca Farm Store, installed an ice cream machine in his small shop on Main St. across from Central Park. Unlike other machines in town, his can deliver eight flavors, which can be rotated to include 30 additional flavors.

OPINION

  • Time to gussie up

    You all have a week and two days to get things under control for the July Fourth Celebration taking place in our community. It is time to tidy up the old home place, mow one last time, and hang the bunting from the front porch. Cast an eye around your neighborhood and see who is doing the best job — then do a better one. It is time for the 93rd annual Peabody July Fourth Extravaganza. The Fourth Fest Committee anticipates a crowd of about five thousand people this year since the holiday falls on a Friday. Mercy me! That is a big jump from past years and in my most humble opinion, we should be ready to show off our best. So decorate, fly the flag, have a party in the yard, take part in the parade, and be sure to show up at the park to watch the best homemade celebration in the state.

  • Days of Yore

    Two accidents in two days on a deadly stretch of Highway 50 have claimed at least five lives. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Potter, Mitchell Potter, Megan (Potter) Morgan, and Dr. and Mrs. Matt Davis, Shaen, Jackson, Isabel, and Henderson from Alabama, visited Friday with the Fred Berns family and Joan Berns.

PEOPLE

  • Hymn sing planned at MB church

    An evening of singing, scripture reading, and prayer, with attendees having the opportunity to select their favorite hymns, is planned for 7 p.m. Sunday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. Theme for this month’s community hymn sing is God’s faithfulness. Tim Cassidy will lead the evening’s music.

  • 16 from county earn K-State degrees

    Kansas State University announced Monday and 16 students from Marion County were among the 3,000 who received degrees this spring. One of them, Jaclyn DeForest of Florence, also was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society for liberal arts students.

  • 18 on Hutch honor roll

    Eighteen students from Marion County were listed on the spring semester honor roll released last week by Hutchinson Community College: 4.0 grade-point averages Hillsboro: Peter Bartel, LeaAnn Knaak, Wendy McCarty, Jehoiada Schmidt, and Lucas Sinclair. Lincolnville: Brandy Kidd. Marion: Lori Goodman, Zachary Lewman, Andrew Regalado, and Julie Starks. 3.5 to 3.99 grade-point averages Hillsboro: Jacob Herrel and James Moore. Marion: Sean Buchanan, Symba Cleeton, Tracey Long, and Thomas Oborny. Peabody: Linda Bach and Christopher Terronez.

  • Democratic women to meet

    Marion County Democratic Women will meet at noon Thursday at Marion Senior Center. Members are being asked to bring pasta for Marion Food Bank.

  • Pork producers plan blood drive

    Kansas Pork Association will co-sponsor a blood drive this week at First Church of the Nazarene fellowship hall, 1000 N. Main St., Newton. Donors will receive free pulled-pork sandwiches and pig-shaped stress relievers as well as being entered in free drawing for two $25 grocery gift cards.

  • Super Swimmers finish 4th at Abilene

    Four swim teams competed Saturday at Abilene. The Peabody Super Swimmers placed fourth with 269.5 points. Lindsborg won the meet with 479.5 points. Abilene was second with 422, and Marion was third with 343. The Super Swimmers will compete next at home against Abilene and Solomon. Top three finishers by event included: Boys 8 and younger 100-meter medley relay: 2. Christopher Spencer, Thomas Craig, Kael Hutchison, and Jefferson Glover. 25-meter butterfly: 1. Glover. 25-meter backstroke: 1. Glover. 25-meter freestyle: 1. Glover. 100-meter freestyle relay: 2. Hutchison, Craig, Spencer, and Glover. 9 and 10 100-meter medley relay: 2. Corbin Marple, Lukas Spencer, Hunter Navrat, and Josh Bergman. 25-meter butterfly: 1. Noal Reynolds, 2. Johnathan Glover. 25-meter freestyle: 3. Reynolds. 100-meter freestyle relay: 1. Navrat, Glover, and Reynolds. 100-meter individual medley: 3. Alex Young. 13 and 14 50-meter backstroke: 2. Austin Reynolds 50-meter freestyle: 3. Reynolds. 50-meter breaststroke: 1. Reynolds. 15 through 18 100-meter freestyle: 2. Nicholas Preheim. 100-meter medley relay: 2. Austin Reynolds, Jaydin Hutchison, and Preheim. 50-meter butterfly: 2. Preheim. 50-meter backstroke: 1. Preheim. 50-meter freestyle: 3. Preheim. 50-meter breaststroke: 2. Preheim. 100-meter freestyle relay: 2. Reynolds, Hutchison, and Preheim. 100-meter individual medley: 2. Preheim. Girls 8 and younger 25-meter butterfly: 2. Janessa Sutton. 9 and 10 25-meter breaststroke: 3. Lexi Davis. 11 and 12 100-meter medley relay: 3. Jane Timm, Hadlye Clark, and Kaete Johnson. 13 and 14 100-meter medley relay: 3. Kallie Hutchinson, Adriana Newman, Kayla Page, and Raegan Schreiber. 50-meter breaststroke: 3. Schreiber. 100-meter freestyle relay: 3. Page, Newman, Hutchison, and Schreiber. 15 through 18 100-meter medley relay: 3. Mackenzie Young, Anna Lubbers, Lily Harris, and Mallory Harris. 50-meter backstroke: 3. Young. 50-meter breaststroke: 3. Lubbers. 100-meter freestyle relay: 2. Young, April Newfield, L. Harris, and M. Harris. 100-meter individual medley: 3. M. Harris.

  • BURNS:

    Cody Koehn celebrates 1st birthday

MORE…

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