Marion County RECORD

Sheriff secretly among record tax delinquents

County taxpayers — secretly including Sheriff Jeff Soyez — owe a record $569,110.64 in delinquent real estate taxes for 2024, up 11.5% from 2023. Unlike 620 other parcels, Soyez’s two delinquent parcels do not appear under his name on the delinquent tax list, officially published in this week’s newspaper.

Deputy runs over dead body at wreck

A Marion County sheriff’s deputy ran over a body at an accident July 12 on US-77, and has left the county’s employ. However, Caleb Tomlinson’s departure from the sheriff’s department was “because of other issues,” Undersheriff Larry Starkey said Tuesday.

A sticky situation: Paving fails to bond to two roads

Problems with Remington Rd. are causing no shortage of headaches for drivers, county authorities, and road and bridge employees. A blade patch recently applied to the road from US-56 to Pilsen is not sticking to a micro surface applied about a year ago.

State orders THC drinks off shelves

Agreeing with concerns that led Marion police to seize 130 THC-infused drinks last month, Kansas Bureau of Investigation is giving retailers an unspecified amount of time to remove all such beverages, which the agency contends are illegal. “Most, if not all, of these beverages are suspected to be illegal,” KBI communications director Melissa Underwood said. “They are only legal if they are hemp-derived and contain less than 0.3% THC. This is a very narrow category of beverages, and the burden is on the retailer to make certain the product is legal if it’s on their shelves.”

Peabody broke law by not printing reports

Peabody violated state law when it failed to publish its annual treasurer’s report for two years. An audit by Loyd Group revealed that the city did not file a report this January.

It's a hard day's night for sidewalk beetles

Entomophobes — people scared of insects — probably shouldn’t be taking nighttime strolls anytime soon. Nocturnal, red-brown bugs that flock to artificial light sources are abundant on porches and sidewalks across the Flint Hills. Walk down Marion’s Main St. on a warm night, and you’ll come across a few under every lamppost. Stray cats swat them around, and nightwalkers tip-toe around their shells.

Bluegrass at the Lake: A colorful adventure

A jangle of guitars and mandolins and a scent of cigars and “herbal” cigarettes filled the cool evening air during the first night of Bluegrass at the Lake. Huffy and the Night Train, a sextet from Lawrence, Kansas City, and Wichita, got spectators to their feet with a mixture of Grateful Dead-style rock and bluegrass.

Two parts of county rocked by shootings

Peabody police are asking for the public’s help identifying a person who shot a gun into a house at 2 a.m. Tuesday. Although the house, in the 900 block of Vine St., was occupied by one adult, the occupant was not injured.

Marion picks canine officer as new police chief

A familiar face in county law enforcement was promoted Monday to chief of the Marion Police Department. Aaron Slater, a canine officer for Marion Police Department since November, 2023, has worked nine years in Marion County law enforcement.

Wendy's replacement may come by year's end

Wendy’s departure from Hillsboro left a void — and a vacant property — in November, 2024. That void may be filled before the year is up.

Bent out of shape: 18 downtown flagpoles damaged by storms

High winds during two recent thunderstorms mangled 18 flagpoles in downtown Marion, but the flags themselves appear to be OK. Police gathered the flags and bent or broken metal poles and took them to city hall. They now are at the city shop, where they will be repaired or replaced by public works employees, city treasurer Becky Makovec said.

Resident questions planned Hillsboro fire station

Some proposed renovating city buildings, and others expressed worries about those being built at a Hillsboro City Council meeting Monday. Resident Robert Herzet expressed concern about the price of a new Hillsboro fire station, which is expected to be constructed within 18 months.

Car, motorcycle crash on K-15

Two people were injured Thursday when a southbound car crossed the center line on K-15 and collided with a northbound motorcycle. Zane Alver Stephens, 18, Goessel, drove a 2002 Honda Civic into oncoming traffic north of 70th Rd. and hit a 2019 Indian Chieftain Horse motorcycle driven by Elisha Dawn Guest, 50, Newton.

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History comes alive at Threshing Days

Visitors to Goessel’s Country Threshing Days over the weekend got a look at equipment used by early area farmers and had a chance to explore other old-time experiences. This year’s featured tractors were Massey Ferguson and Massey Harris.

Corn harvest could be 'special'

Corn harvest is more than a month away, but extension agent Rickey Roberts is willing to go out on a limb: “This year, the corn has a chance to be special.” Conditions have been good for corn, with rain throughout the summer, according to Nathan Barney, who works at Agri Trails Co-op in Tampa and Durham.

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Why name delinquent taxpayers?

Why embarrass people and businesses for failing to pay property taxes on time? It’s a question we at the newspaper have been pondering all week. We did not take lightly our decision which entries to highlight in our news story reporting on the more than 600 delinquent parcels listed, as required by law, in this week’s paper.

'Take Back the Courts' for whom?

Last night in Wichita marked the kickoff of what’s sure to be another big-money, shove-it-down-our-throats campaign to weaponize every element of the justice system for crass and transient political reasons. As with other recent attempts to force radical political agendas, it has a deceptively pleasant moniker. Like the failed “Value Them Both” movement that sought to restrict women’s rights while saying it was protecting them, the “Take Back the Bench” movement has a similar hidden agenda.

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Peabody chief goes from retirement to center stage

Matt Neal is not your typical police chief. Apologetic and polite, he resembles a guidance counselor more than a man tasked with leading a law enforcement department. When Neal entered his first Peabody City Council meeting July 28, he couldn’t get the door open.

New superintendent wants Centre to be 'best it can be'

Daniel Acklund, new superintendent at Centre School, is in his 20th year in education and his first year as a superintendent. His goal is to help students, teachers, staff member, and the community make the district “the best it can be,” he said last week.

Hetts to have 107th reunion

The Hett family will have its 107th annual reunion at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Marion County Lake hall. Attendees are being asked to bring a covered dish for lunch. Drinks will be provided.

Program to feature state's early music

Music historian Derrick Doty will use music and storytelling to explore musical traditions from territorial Kansas up through the age of radio at a free presentation at 7 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Goessel city building, 101 S. Cedar St., Goessel. His presentation, sponsored by the Cottonwood Crossing Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association as part of the Kansas Humanities Speakers Bureau, will include demonstrations of various instruments and music from early 19th and 20th century Kansas.

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