PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

Late plea calls off murder trial

A Marion man charged with first-degree murder struck a plea deal Monday, a day before his trial was to begin. At what had been scheduled as a final pretrial hearing, Robert B. Mans, 50, and prosecutors for the state attorney general’s office filed an agreement in which Mans pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and aggravated battery.

Changing life with a little help from her friends

When Draxa Langley moved to Peabody five years ago because it was the most economical town she could find, she had no idea townspeople would help her find a way out of stifling poverty she was in. Wichita, where she had lived before moving to Peabody, was no longer a place for her and her family. Family issues were only part of reason.

Turning heads and wheels

Flint Hills Counterpoint beat last year’s attendance for its Musical Bike Adventure, with 58 bikers taking the trail Saturday between Marion and rural Peabody. “One of my friends was going to it,” a biker from Kansas City said. “I saw it on Facebook and decided to sign up. We’ve been having fun with it.”

Student faces porn charges

Bane L. Spurlin, a Goessel high school senior, member of this year’s golf team, and FFA participant, was charged Thursday with four counts of sexual exploitation of a child. County attorney Joel Ensey said the charges stemmed from an investigation that unfolded over time.

Family finds body 11 days after wreck

Family members succeeded Saturday in what a day-long search by law enforcement officers earlier in the week failed to accomplish. Missing for 11 days, Florence resident Jason W. Hinton, 44, was found dead around 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the Cottonwood River near where his crashed Ford Ranger had been discovered April 5.

Unaware family buys dollar store site

A family in Cassville, Missouri, has bought Marion’s Dollar General store as a first retail investment. Matt Eichman, a Lawrence investor, previously owned the property as well as a lease with Dollar General Corp, which operates the store. When the store opened for business in 2016, Eichman said Dollar General had a 10-year lease and he would like to sell property before the lease ran out.

A quick hit: Freedom doesn't last long for meth suspect

Freedom was short-lived for a Florence woman arrested Friday on suspicion of possession of drugs. Kelsie S. Glenn, 40, posted a $5,000 surety bond to get out of jail at 10:49 a.m. Friday after she was arrested at 4:06 a.m. on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine and anhydrous ammonia with intent to make methamphetamine.

Deputies use stun gun in meth arrest

Deputies used an electronic stun gun on a Marion man who refused to comply with repeated orders to put his hands behind his back so he could be arrested Sunday morning. Sheriff Jeff Soyez said drug dog handler Matt Regier pulled over Dustin J. Luchi, 42, at Flying Eagle Truck Stop in Florence early Sunday.

Grant to help get books to kids

A $500 grant will help pay to mail free books monthly to children younger than 5. The Marion County chapter of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, working with Families and Children Together, will use the money from Goessel Community Foundation in hope of providing children stimulating literary experiences. Nearly 330 of the 570 children younger than 5 in Marion County have registered for the program, and more than 80 having graduated from it.

Wind farm coming closer to construction phase

County commissioners agreed Monday to accept letters of credit from Orsted, the Danish company developing Sunflower Wind farm in the southern portion of the county. Included are a $2 million road security deposit, $50,000 financial security for road maintenance costs, and $130,000 per turbine for decommissioning costs.

Firm hired to help find new administrator

Marion city council members cast a split vote Monday to hire Osenbaugh Consulting to recruit a new city administrator. Current administrator Roger Holter’s final day will be June 30.

A day at the pool to cost more

The cost of a day at Hillsboro’s swimming pool will go up this summer. Hillsboro city administrator Matt Stiles told city council members Tuesday that prices needed to be adjusted to keep the pool open.

Forget house calls; clinic now making town calls

A medical clinic on wheels parked Thursday in Peabody’s high school parking lot to provide service in a community that no longer has a medical clinic. Newton-based Health Ministries Clinic, with two clinics in Newton and a third in Halstead, began a mobile medical service for outlying towns this month.

New interest takes root for kids

Several students at Peabody-Burns High School tried to transform their lack of green thumbs by enrolling in a horticulture class. “I took the class because I wanted to get better with plants,” student Ryleigh Hunsucker said. “I wasn’t that good with them. Now I might try planting a few of my own.”

Sparse group listens to congressman

Rep. Tracey Mann, whose congressional district soon won’t include Marion County, which is moving to Rep. Jake LaTurner’s district, was met by only 11 listeners when he spoke last week at the Marion County Park and Lake hall. He criticized government spending on COVID-19 programs.

New trail site planned

Cottonwood Crossing chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association is planning construction of an interpretive site near K-15 and 320th Rd., north of Durham. It will have four panels, one describing the Santa Fe Trail, which is visible from the site, and another describing the Diamond Vista wind farm project, with turbines close by.

Larry Cushenbery

Services for Larry Joe Cushenbery, 63, who died Oct. 20 at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. Born Feb. 15, 1958, in Wichita to John and Laveta (Toole) Cushenbery, he married Yvonne West on Nov. 4, 1978, in Wichita. She survives along with son Chad Cushenbery of Wichita, brother Dirk Cushenbery of Wichita, and four grandchildren.

Alan Coxen

Services for Alan Coxen, 91, of Marion, who died April 12 at Salem Home in Hillsboro, were Friday at Marion Cemetery. He was born Sept. 15, 1930, in Osage City to Manuel and Helen Coxen and married Donna Dyck on July 7, 1954.

James Green

Services for James Green, 81, who died April 14 at his home in Lincolnville, will be scheduled later. Born March 13, 1941, in Oak Hill to Adelia Hanson and John William Green, he was in the Navy and worked at Hillsboro Industries and at Hess and Son Salvage.

'Jim' Goering

Services for Theodore “Jim” Goering, 86, who died Wednesday at his home in North Newton, will be scheduled later. Born May 3, 1935, to Peter and Frieda Goering near Pretty Prairie, he married Shirley Ann Suderman on May 31, 1957, at Trinity Mennonite Church. She survives along with children Shirley Ingram, Timothy Goering, Thomas Goering, Susan Leahy, and Trevor Goering; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Dorothy Hagen

Services for Dorothy Hagen, 93, of Hillsboro, who died Jan. 23 at Parkside Homes, will be 11 a.m. Friday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church with committal at 10 a.m. in the church cemetery. Born April 27, 1928, in Balko, Oklahoma, to Edwin and Alma (Karber) Neufeld, she is survived by children Gary Hagen of Minnetonka, Minnesota, and Roger, Randy, and Terry Hagen of Hillsboro; sibling Gaylen Neufeld of Hesston; nine grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren.

Jeraldine Klose

Services for Jeraldine Klose, 87, who died April 13 at Salem Home in Hillsboro, were Tuesday at Zion Lutheran Church in Hillsboro. Born Dec. 30, 1934, southeast of Peabody to Edward and Freda (Dohner) Hess, she married Albert Klose on May 29, 1952. He preceded her in death along with son Duane Klose and daughter Jo Ann Rose Klose Hicks.

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

Accidents reported

Civil division cases

County jail arrests and bookings

Criminal division cases

Deeds recorded

Emergency dispatches

Police activity reports

Offenses reported

Me too vs. not me

As Happens all too frequently these days, the serenity of a mild but breezy spring evening was interrupted a few days back by an unusually animated call, punctuating otherwise banal chatter on a droning police scanner. On the line with county dispatchers were two young children, pleading that the woman of their modest home, quaintly nestled in one of the county’s smaller, rural communities, was being choked by the man of the house, who also seemed to be slamming her head into doors.

Cleaning up the place

Not only is the unholy alliance of council members Ruth Herbel, Zach Collett, and Chris Costello to be celebrated for their willingness to invest in trying to find the best and brightest candidates for Marion city administrator — candidates who might actually clean up the place. Current city crews are to be congratulated for a literal act of cleanliness in allowing multiple return visits by a familiar fixture that somehow seemed to make fewer and fewer appearances in recent years — Marion’s aging street sweeper. With less frequent visits by the Rube Goldberg contraption, a certain unnamed editor had more luck growing things in ever-more-clogged curbs and gutters than he had in yards adjacent to them.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS:

Club meets for 1st time since pandemic

After a several-month hiatus because of COVID-19, Marion’s 20th Century Club met April 4 at That One Place. Hostesses were Margaret Pickering and Kathy Henderson. Twelve active and two honorary members were present. Guest Pam Byer shared information about the community garden. Last year’s harvest included 8,035 pounds of produce donated to Marion County Food Bank.

Democrats hear about governor's campaign

Marion County Democrats heard April 9 from the state party’s communications director about Governor Laura Kelly’s re-election campaign. At their meeting at Peabody Township Library, party members also were encouraged to register by June 1 with the county elections office for precinct committeeman and committeewoman positions on the Aug. 2 primary ballot.

Free concert planned

The Switchgrass String Quartet will present a free concert 7 p.m. Friday at the Shari Flaming Center for the Arts as part of Tabor College’s concert series. The four-part program includes music inspired by the soundscapes of Kansas’ wild environments. Emporia State University orchestral conductor Ramiro Miranda and Wichita native Rob Loren will play violin; Friends University orchestra director Lillian Green will play viola; and Flint Hills Counterpoint organizer Susan Mayo will play cello.

Arc to observe prayer day

Several hours will be devoted to prayer for the nation May 5, the National Day of Prayer, at The Arc, 230 E. Main St. in Marion. The come-and-go hours will be 6 to 8 a.m., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 4 to 6 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

Senior centers menus

MEMORIES:

Keeping pace: Runner still active at age 82

Jim Christensen, 82, of Marion has been running competitively for at least 39 years. He now competes in the 80-to-84–year-old age group. His latest achievement was a first-place finish in the mile run on the Fourth of July at the Fire Cracker race at Derby.

No commodities? Low-income families left to wonder

Free food commodities for low-income families, including many elderly on fixed incomes, aren’t available for April and won’t come again until May, according to senior centers and churches throughout Marion County. “At first, they said we would have them April, May, and June,” food distribution volunteer LouAnn Bowlin said. “Now they’re just saying May, and I’m not sure if there’ll be any in June.”

A penny saved can become several dollars earned

Consciously saving money can be difficult, especially if it requires putting money into a separate account. Several banks, including Central National Bank in Marion and Hillsboro, offer roundup savings plans to help. Central introduced its roundup plan, “It Makes ¢ents,” five years ago. Every purchase an account owner makes with a debit card is rounded up to the nearest dollar or to any amount up to $10, as designated by the owner. The extra money is put into a separate savings account — either personal or business.

An alarming trend: False alarms afflict responders

A series of fire alarms dragged Hillsboro firefighters to Container Services earlier this month only to find that Container Services was not having a burst of arson but rather issues with its alarm system, which that caused repeated automatic notifications. Faulty alarms have cried wolf for emergency services at least once a week and as often as six times a month since the start of 2022.

Taking the plunge: Diver joins swim team, quickly qualifies for state

Marion High School swim team has added diving to the events in which its athletes can compete. The team is now known as Marion Swim and Dive. Olivia Carlson, a Centre freshman, joined the dive team 2

Student receives scholarship

Goessel High School graduate Luke Wiens, now a student at Hutchinson Community College, was one of 22 recipients statewide chosen this week to receive $500 scholarships from Kansas Farm Bureau.

Trojans 'unearn' walk-off wins

Mistakes proved valuable last week for Hillsboro High School’s baseball team, which after a couple of opening-day losses to Haven seems to have found its groove in putting together a 7-3 record midway through the season. The Trojans tooks advantage of a passed ball and a throwing error to record two walk-off victories Thursday in a doubleheader against Larned.

Musicians qualify for state

Area schools participated in regional music festivals this month. Those receiving I rating qualify for state April 30: Hillsboro Groups — mixed vocal ensemble and girls vocal ensemble. Vocal soloists — Gabbie Arnold, Landry Duerksen, Malorie Hein, Trudy Hein, Annaliese Jorgenson, Jaylin Latham, Lilly Major, Hailey Miller, Aaron Paulus, Isabelle Whorton, Maria Pohlmann, and Colton Rempel. Instrumental —Trudy Hein, percussion solo. Marion Groups — instrumental ensemble, Singers, men’s ensemble, women’s choir, and wind ensemble. Vocal soloists — Christian Albin, Tristen Dye, Sara Groening, and Alyera Koehn. Centre Vocal soloist — Leah Brunner. Baritone soloist — Anthony Rziha.

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