PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

Contention launches commission meeting

Testy words were once again exchanged at Monday’s county commission meeting. This time the issue was whether the minutes of the Sept. 19 meeting accurately reflected an exchange between commission candidates and commissioners.

Fall grant cycle offers new funding source

Days are growing shorter, and so is the time for filing applications for grants from Peabody Community Foundation. Application are due to the foundation by Oct. 14.

City clerk announces retirement plans

Peabody City Clerk Stephanie Lago submitted an announcement to city council members Monday night of her intention to retire from her position effective Dec. 31. Lago has served as city treasurer as well as city clerk and has been employed in the front office of Peabody City Building for 16 years.

What's big, bright, and red all over?

Anyone spotting the new Ford pickup recently purchased by the Fourth Fire District in a parking lot or at the city building will have no doubt about the whereabouts of Peabody Fire Chief Mark Penner. “Yes, it definitely stands out,” Penner said. “But the service we’re in sort of requires that folks see us coming. No reason to be shy about who we are or what we are doing.”

Florence Chamber discusses bike run

Florence Chamber of Commerce met Sept. 22 in the Florence City Building. Organizer Ryan Goekler discussed final preparations for the Tour de Florence bike ride Saturday. The ride features a 60-mile route and a shorter alternate route. Preregistration starts at 8 a.m. in Grandview Park. The ride starts at 9 a.m.

Fate of Florence school demolition uncertain

After 45 years of no high school classes being taught in Florence, the fate of the community’s school building remains mired in uncertainty. County officials are eyeing a grant to help with the cost of demolishing the dilapidated former school building, but the application would require several conditions to be met.

Voter ID restrictions trumped by court

Some Marion County voters who registered when they obtained or renewed drivers licenses may be in limbo when it comes to counting their votes in November. In 2013, Kansas implemented a voter registration law requiring proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, to combat what secretary of state Kris Kobach claimed was widespread voter fraud.

Dickenson County to share cost of bridge

Marion County has been notified it’s eligible for a federal grant to pay 80 percent of the cost of replacing a steel truss bridge at 370th and Sunflower Rd. After county commissioners found out last week the grant is available, commissioner Dan Holub spoke to Dickenson County authorities, who agreed to pay 60 percent of the remaining balance, leaving Marion County to pay 40 percent.

HRK Variety Store sold to Augusta couple

After 33 years of providing customers with a cornucopia of items, HRK Variety Store owner Bernice Beach made one final, heart-wrenching sale. “I sold the store,” Beach, 78, said. “It breaks my heart to do it but it was the right thing to do. I’ve got some health issues, and I felt like it was time.”

Weatherization program available

Homeowners and renters can get help making their home weather-tight or upgrading their furnaces through a program that uses state and federal money to provide needed work for income-qualified applicants. The East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corporation’s Weatherization program is available to low-income, elderly, or handicapped renters or homeowners.

Purple truck honors daughters

Patrons of Marion’s Old Settlers’ Day parade likely saw Don Hasenbank’s 1965 Chevrolet half-ton C-10 pickup Saturday. With a “K-State purple” paint job, it was hard to miss. However, its paint job wasn’t always so royal.

Cooler weather means visit the car wash

Now that it is autumn, cooler weather is on the way, and with cooler weather, it won’t be long before snow and ice follow, which causes roads to get treated and can mean bad news for paint on cars. Arlie Overton of Arlie’s Collision Specialists in Marion said that the salt brine used to treat roads for ice and snow could start corrosion on car paint if not cleaned off properly.

Don't neglect auto service

The average age of a personal vehicle on the road today is more than 11 years, according to recent news reports. In tough economic times, it’s natural to rein in spending. But putting off routine auto maintenance or ignoring service intervals is false economy. Small issues can morph into more expensive repairs. For example, failure to replace worn brake pads or a faulty oxygen sensor – both relatively easy services for qualified auto technicians – can result in expensive brake rotor service or costly replacement of the vehicle’s catalytic converter. Frequently neglected items include oil changes, tire and brake service, wheel alignment, air and fuel filters, and transmission service.

IN MEMORIAM:

Accidents reported

Civil division

County jail

Deeds reported

Emergency dispatches

Marriage licenses issued

Offenses reported

Police reports

Traffic division

It's fall, ya'll

Here is a quick suggestion for those of you who find yourselves approaching the drowning point because of the sea of “stuff” in your home. This week is Peabody’s annual fall cleanup week. I bet there most certainly is a plethora of discarded household paraphernalia that can quickly disappear from your lives. All you need to do is make the effort to haul it to the curb in front of your home at some point before Saturday.

The beat goes on

I don’t know if this is universal or unique to me, but the older I get, birthdays have become less about celebration and more about reflecting on the past. This week’s thoughts hearken all the way back 1869, the year Jesse James robbed his first bank, and the year that set the stage for today’s credit card theft with the first patent for plastic.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS:

Expired Rx: When cocaine was legal

When Lanning Pharmacy clerk Chelsea Darrow was cleaning out the business’s attic the week of Sept. 12, she expected to find older treasures that dated to several years ago, but not a century. After finding old jewelry holders, Hallmark fixtures, and even an old pack of cigarettes, she saw a box in a back corner that held five smaller boxes of prescriptions dated as far back as 1902.

Rollover accident sends 17-year-old to Wesley

Three area teens were involved in a one-vehicle injury accident Tuesday that results in two of them being transported for emergency medical attention. Goessel first response, Goessel fire, and Peabody ambulance were called to a rollover accident about 8 miles southwest of Hillsboro on 140th Rd. between Falcon and Eagle Rds. at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to emergency transmissions recorded by the newspaper.

Estate planning topic at Lifelong Learning

Planned giving advisers with Mennonite Brethren Foundation Garvie Schmidt and Andy Shewey will speak at Lifelong Learning beginning at 9:45 a.m. Friday at Wohlgemuth Music Education building at Tabor College. “Most people think of writing a will or trust as a legal process,” Schmidt said. “However, it’s more than that. It’s part of Christian discipleship. When you consider that God is the owner of all and we are His stewards, the process is really about transferring stewardship.”

Moran offers congressional internships

Applications are being accepted through Oct. 28 for internships in U.S. Senator Jerry Moran’s offices in Washington, District of Columbia, Manhattan, and Olathe for the spring 2017 term. “I am proud to be able to offer this opportunity in my Senate office today, where I have interns year-round who have a unique opportunity to work closely with my staff on behalf of Kansans,” Moran said.

Senior center menu

BURNS:

Volleyball sub state to be at Peabody-Burns

For the first time in almost 20 years, Peabody-Burns will be the location on Oct. 27 for 1A divisional sub state tournament. “I believe it hasn’t been here since 1987,” coach Sheena Gann said. “I told the girls that last night and they were extremely excited.”

Tabor College adds Africa trip to interterm options

Tabor College assistant professor of social work Arden Schellert will take students, alumni, and friends on a trip to Africa in January as part of the college’s interterm trip options. Schellert grew up in Africa and looks forward to sharing this experience with students.

Area school menu

Calendar of Events

Ratzlaff to teach Tai Chi

A 6-week Tai Chi class taught by Gayla Ratzlaff will begin at 7 p.m. beginning Oct. 11 at Hillsboro City Hall. Tai Chi can be used for stress reduction and to improve key fitness components of muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility. It has also been shown to reduce anxiety and depression.

Free child screening will be Oct. 11

A free screening for children birth to 5 years of age will be from 9a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 11 in Marion. Vision and hearing, along with cognitive, motor, speech/language, and social/emotional development will be checked. The process usually takes at least one hour.

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