PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

Peabody city council votes to wade in the water issue

Tired of being blamed for the actions of city councils from decades past, Peabody City Council members voted to increase taxes by 4.7 percent and begin a course of reclaiming the city’s 100-year-old water and sewer system. “I know we talked about trying to keep the mill levy close to where it has been the past few years,” Councilman Travis Wilson said, “But we have said at almost every meeting since I’ve been on here that we need to start doing something about our water.

County addresses solutions to roads

County road workers were assigned to 10-hour workdays starting Tuesday as the first step in addressing concerns aired at a public meeting last week. Road and bridge superintendent Randy Crawford verified that a temporary work schedule would start immediately after county commissioners suggested it Monday.

Kapaun Museum fails hours test for highway tourism sign

Picture, if you will, a young family about to embark on a summer vacation; an excited father facing his eager children, about to reveal their destination. “Kids, we’re not going to Disney World this year,” he says. “We’re going to visit the hometown of Kansas’ 17th governor!”

Officials close Eisenhower to stymie truck traffic avoiding US-56 re-route

Eisenhower Dr. will be closed effective today. Truck drivers looking to eschew what KDOT lists as a less-than-15-minute detour are bringing more traffic onto the road than it’s equipped to handle, roads superintendent Randy Crawford said. The portion of the road that will be closed is between Kellison Dr. and US-56, which is where the city road turns into a county road.

Riderless motorcycle turns heads

A motorcycle without a rider has been cruising in and around Marion the past two weeks, but it does have a driver inside its bright red sidecar. “A few people have looked back and had that look on them of, ‘What was that? Where’s the driver?’” Torey Hett said.

Good deed thwarts child abduction

A state trooper pulled off US-50 near Peabody to assist a stranded motorist July 17, but instead took the driver, Patrick McHenry, 22, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, to county jail on allegations of kidnapping, aggravated endangerment of a child, and other charges. After the trooper requested a routine license plate check, a dispatcher responded that Tahlequah police had reported the 2010 Ford as stolen, public information officer Chad Crittenden said.

Threshing Days to feature antique farming fun

Over 100 exhibitors from seven states will present old-fashioned farm equipment at Country Threshing Days this weekend in Goessel. “It’s a large show with a small rural town atmosphere,” said Russ Hamm, president of Wheat Heritage Engine and Threshing Company, Inc. “Most of the machinery dates between the 1910s and the 1950s.”

Jeanetta Farr

Former beautician Jeanetta E. Farr, 79, died Saturday at Asbury Park in Newton. Services were to be this morning at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Peabody, with inurnment at Prairie Lawn Cemetery, Peabody.

Leona Friesen

Leona Friesen, 86, died Tuesday at Salem Home, Hillsboro. A celebration of life service will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church.

Charlene Janzen

Charlene Ann Janzen, 70, died July 26, 2015 at Manor Care of Wichita. Services were to be this morning at Hillsboro United Methodist Church.

Douglas Patry

Douglas J. Patry, 66, died July 21 at his summer home in Winter Park, Colorado. He lived in Wichita. Services were to be today at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Wichita. Inurnment was to be at Marion Cemetery.

Joan Stroda

Joan Stroda, 84, who had relatives in Marion County, died Monday at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita. Rosary will be 7 p.m. Friday at St. John’s the Evangelist Catholic Church, Herington. Relatives will receive friends afterward in the parish hall.

Henrietta Waner

Henreitta M. Waner, 81, died Monday at St. Luke Hospital. Rosary will be 7 p.m. Thursday and funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. Friday, both at Holy Family Parish in Marion.

IN MEMORIAM:

Accidents reported

Civil Division

County jail

Deeds recorded

Emergency dispatches

Police reports

Traffic division

Superintendents theorize what future education will look like

The classroom of tomorrow may not be a classroom. As technology continues to revolutionize communication, the teacher-student dialogue is affected as much as any other.

Parents key to successful students

Teachers and students aren’t the only ones responsible for education, teachers say. “Parents need to reinforce to students how important education is,” Marion High School history teacher Grant Thierolf said. “If parents place a high value on education and schools and see this as a way to have their kids better themselves, then kids start to understand that.”

Finding a place for kids

At a time when six out of 10 mothers with children under 3 years old are working or looking for work, childcare is more necessary than optional. Some turn to relatives for help, but finding childcare can be difficult for those without that option.

Students not alone in facing transition as they head to college

Just because you’ve spent 18 years preparing for something doesn’t mean you want to do it. Parents of recent high school graduates can relate. As members of the class of 2015 prepare to take the next step in their lives, their parents prepare for the bittersweet goodbye that accompanies it.

Butler expands TSA training

Butler Community College has launched a partnership with the Transportation Security Administration agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Butler will create customized curriculum for training TSA employees, who provide security across airports across the country.

School supply drive planned

Donations of school supplies are being accepted through Aug. 9. Supplies include crayons, colored pencils, washable markers, glue sticks, scissors, notebook paper, and backpacks. Prepared packs are available from Lanning Pharmacy.

4-H results

Open class results

Sharing our events

If you read this column in the past issue of the Peabody Gazette-Bulletin, you also should have wandered downtown Sunday morning to see the turn out for the third Peabody Cruise. We didn’t knock anyone’s socks off in the vintage automobile category, but there were about 75 motorcycle riders who showed up to look around, shop, eat, and explore downtown Peabody before heading on to other parts of Kansas on their weekend ride. I understand the folks who organized Peabody Cruise call themselves the “Dream it, Do it” group. It is a band of like-minded people trying to do something positive for the community and businesses. In my opinion, just about every small town has a Downtown Whiner’s Association, but not many are blessed with a group that wears T-shirts that say, “Dream it, Do it.”

Off to a rocky start

We’d love to take the high road and proudly proclaim that Marion County is plowing full speed ahead toward a viable long-term solution to its road problems. While it’s true that old policies, charitably characterized as robbing Peter (gravel and dirt roads) to pay Paul (paved roads), seem to have been abandoned, what appears to have replaced them is a policy of robbing Paul to pay Peter.

LETTERS:

Tabor's graduate program features trip to Thailand

Six Tabor College students recently visited Thailand for Tabor’s newly developed master’s program in entrepreneurial ministry leadership. Rick Bartlett, Tabor College’s director of theological education, accompanied them.

Senior Center menu

Democratic women recite cowboy poetry

Democratic women Marion County Democratic women read cowboy poems July 24 in observance of the National Day of the Cowboy at Marion Senior Center.

Diabetes classes to be offered

Marion County will offer a six-week class on living with diabetes 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays beginning Aug. 11 at Hilltop Manor. A tai chi exercise class for diabetics class also will be offered 1 p.m. Tuesday at Marion Senior Center.

BURNS:

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DAYS OF YORE:

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