PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

HEADLINES

Housing tax credits denied again
An Overland Park company that applied for tax credits to build 28 low-income rental houses north of Marion’s ball park was notified last week that the grant was denied for a second consecutive year. MRE Capital planned to build the homes on a 250-by-900-foot lot on Timber Rd. The land would have been donated to MRE by Marion Advancement Campaign, which owns the property.
Their topic? Maybe this story
A men’s coffee group at Wendy’s in Hillsboro is one part comedy hour, one part therapy hour, and one part political hour — with requisite weather and farm talk thrown in for good measure. Technically, three groups meet there in the mornings. The coffee klatches are organized by age, which ranges from 70ish to 100. After they’ve ordered coffee and food, members gather at various tables for camaraderie and community.
Dad accused of torture: Warrant still out for mother
A Burns father was arrested Monday on a warrant alleging felony child abuse. Tylor D. Patterson, 26, Burns, formally was charged July 10 with torturing or cruelly beating, striking, or kicking his 4-year-old son using a deadly weapon June 8.
Video provides break in vandalism case
Surveillance video from an apartment complex two blocks away has identified two juvenile suspects in a BB shooting spree that caused an estimated $6,650 in damage last week to homes and vehicles in the 200 block of S. Date St. in Hillsboro. The shootings occurred between 7 p.m. July 9 and 8:25 a.m. July 10, according to offense reports.
Suspect hangs himself: Found alive after domestic dispute
A 68-year-old Lincolnville man was found hanging in his garage at 10:58 p.m. Friday after his former wife reported that he had choked her and put a gun to her face. Gary L. Steele was rushed unconscious and having trouble breathing to St. Luke Hospital, Marion, and then transferred by helicopter to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. He has since been released.
Oh, deer! Routine crash turns into inferno
It was a typical night for Kelly and Kim Kroupa of rural Marion. At 9:14 p.m. Thursday, they were heading home on K-15 with their 14-year-old son, Kole, after a baseball tournament at Rural Center Elementary School in Abilene.
Fair really gets her goat - in a good way
Happy Hustlers 4-H member Rylee Thomas, 13, has high hopes for performance of her two goats in this year’s Marion County Fair. Cletus and Norman will be shown the first time at this year’s fair, although she also showed them at the Tri-County Fair.

OTHER NEWS

Lawyer, banker, councilman to be missed in all his roles
Longtime Marion city councilman, bank president, and lawyer Chris Costello, 67, who died Thursday, will be missed by those who knew him. Costello served on Marion’s city council from April 11, 2016, to Feb. 21, 2023, when he withdrew for health reasons.
Peabody commits to big water project
After a few anxious moments of pondering worst-case scenarios, Peabody City Council voted unanimously Sunday to commit to a water infrastructure project costing at least $3.3 million. The council actually hopes to spend $6 million on the project, which would include improvements to 65 blocks of water lines in the city.
Meeting to discuss grant
A public meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Peabody Township Library will consider a plan to apply for a $300,000 community development block grant to rehabilitate housing of low-income Peabody residents. Peabody Community Foundation plans to apply for the grant from Kansas Department of Commerce. The foundation expects that nine homes could be rehabilitated.
Parade to kick off fair tonight
Exhibit check-in, a horse show, a dog show, and judging in several categories began Sunday, but Marion County Fair’s most public events begin at 6 p.m. tonight with a parade on Hillsboro’s Main St. A live music presentation will follow at 6:30 p.m.
New ambulance arrives for county
The county’s number of ambulances increased by one last week when a ready-built ambulance ordered in May and refurbished for Marion County arrived. Commissioners got their first look at the ambulance during a break in Monday’s meeting when ambulance director Curt Hasart took commissioners to the courthouse parking lot.
Rodeo, demolition derby to offer thrills
If seeing 4-H projects, watching judging, and enjoying watermelon and food from vendors isn’t enough fun, this year’s fair has four major entertainment events. Tonight and Thursday

DEATHS

Terri Fredrickson
Services for Terri Fredrickson, 64, Marion, who died July 12 at NMC Health, formerly Newton Medical Center, will be scheduled later. Born Jan. 19, 1959, in Mitchell, Nebraska, to Gary and Iris (Schofield) Kephart, she married Marty Fredrickson on Aug. 26, 2005, in Marion.
IN MEMORIAM:
Christopher Costello

FOR THE RECORD

HEALTH

Dementia patients aren't only ones to suffer
It was hard for Kim Smith to watch her parents’ journey through dementia, but not as hard as it was for her sister. Smith, who asked that her real name not be used, lived close enough to her parents to see them daily and had worked with dementia patients in a nursing home for years.
Heat, humidity not what doctor ordered
Hot weather zaps most of us, but it’s a significant challenge for people who suffer from lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, and asthma. High temperatures and humidity deliver a double whammy.

OPINION

Taxing politicians' credibility . . .
It happens every year around this time. The weather becomes muggy, and taxpayers get mugged. It’s not “liar, liar, pants on fire.” But it’s close. As hot weather settles in, so do cold, hard facts about government budgets. And with new budgets comes an all-too-frequent tendency for otherwise dedicated and honest officials to pull the wool over voters’ sweat-drenched eyes.
. . . and how they spend our money
Rejecting revenue-neutral rates isn’t the only way governments behave in a less-than-frugal manner when talking about budgets. Many speak about setting a “mill levy.” Truth is, the only thing any government can do at this time of year is set the “levy” portion of a tax bill — the total amount of money it wants its taxpayers to pay.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
This little light of mine
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS:
Clarifications

PEOPLE

Splash pad to be dedicated
Hillsboro’s splash pad will be dedicated at noon Friday in honor of former city administrator Larry Paine. The event will include a hotdog cookout. Marion County Parents as Teachers will sponsor kids’ games and offer splash pad packs to parents.
Happy Hustlers
Noah Schmidt gave a project talk entitled “Meat Cuts of a Steer and Fun Facts,” and Trent Summervill gave a project talk about sport fishing when Happy Hustlers 4-H club met July 10 at Marion County Lake Hall. Fifteen members, four leaders, and five parents answered roll call with their favorite sport to play or watch.
Cards sought for anniversary
The family of Audie and Jeanne Pierce Strotkamp of Bel Aire are requesting a card shower in honor of the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary July 28. Audie grew up in Burns and Jeanne in Peabody. They were sweethearts at Peabody High School and married in 1973 at Church of the Immaculate Conception in Burns.
Senior center menus
MEMORIES:
15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 110, 145 years ago

PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

A Burns father was arrested Monday on a warrant alleging felony child abuse. Tylor D. Patterson, 26, Burns, formally was charged July 10 with torturing or cruelly beating, striking, or kicking his 4-year-old son using a deadly weapon June 8.

It was a typical night for Kelly and Kim Kroupa of rural Marion. At 9:14 p.m. Thursday, they were heading home on K-15 with their 14-year-old son, Kole, after a baseball tournament at Rural Center Elementary School in Abilene.

Happy Hustlers 4-H member Rylee Thomas, 13, has high hopes for performance of her two goats in this year’s Marion County Fair. Cletus and Norman will be shown the first time at this year’s fair, although she also showed them at the Tri-County Fair.

Longtime Marion city councilman, bank president, and lawyer Chris Costello, 67, who died Thursday, will be missed by those who knew him. Costello served on Marion’s city council from April 11, 2016, to Feb. 21, 2023, when he withdrew for health reasons.

Exhibit check-in, a horse show, a dog show, and judging in several categories began Sunday, but Marion County Fair’s most public events begin at 6 p.m. tonight with a parade on Hillsboro’s Main St. A live music presentation will follow at 6:30 p.m.

If seeing 4-H projects, watching judging, and enjoying watermelon and food from vendors isn’t enough fun, this year’s fair has four major entertainment events. Tonight and Thursday

Services for Terri Fredrickson, 64, Marion, who died July 12 at NMC Health, formerly Newton Medical Center, will be scheduled later. Born Jan. 19, 1959, in Mitchell, Nebraska, to Gary and Iris (Schofield) Kephart, she married Marty Fredrickson on Aug. 26, 2005, in Marion.

IN MEMORIAM:

It was hard for Kim Smith to watch her parents’ journey through dementia, but not as hard as it was for her sister. Smith, who asked that her real name not be used, lived close enough to her parents to see them daily and had worked with dementia patients in a nursing home for years.

Hot weather zaps most of us, but it’s a significant challenge for people who suffer from lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, and asthma. High temperatures and humidity deliver a double whammy.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS:

Hillsboro’s splash pad will be dedicated at noon Friday in honor of former city administrator Larry Paine. The event will include a hotdog cookout. Marion County Parents as Teachers will sponsor kids’ games and offer splash pad packs to parents.

MEMORIES: