PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

Teens rescued from tree

Goessel firefighters were sandbagging their firehouse against Friday night’s rain when a situation far more important came up. Two Moundridge sisters, ages 17 and 18, were clinging to a tree after their car washed off 90th Rd. between Meridian and Alamo Rds. about 1:30 a.m. Saturday.

Storm erodes lake's dam

Last week’s heavy rain caused considerable damage to the dam at Marion County Park and Lake and led to frantic sandbagging in Peabody and Goessel. Fixing six large washouts on the south side of the dam will be “a pretty big project,” lake superintendent Isaac Hett told county commissioners Monday.

Officials in limbo over residency

A charter ordinance that would allow Marion city officers to live outside city limits failed on a split vote Monday. If passed, the ordinance would have permitted two current officers, city administrator Roger Holter and city treasurer Becky Makovec, to remain on the job.

Supply chain issues could make fireworks sales fizzle out

Customers stood in line at a cash register of Roxanne Dallke’s fireworks stand hours after it opened Sunday. She was glad to have something to sell. A supply chain crisis that has hit many business forced her to scramble for when her wholesaler bailed.

Vandalized website to be replaced

Two weeks after Marion city clerk Tiffany Jeffrey said she wanted a new website for the city, and one week after the existing one was vandalized, council members voted Monday to spend $16,766 on a three-year contact with a web hosting company. CivicPlus, based in Manhattan, will charge the city for website development costs in three installments. The fourth year will be less expensive because the development fees will be paid.

Preacher has all his wagons covered

Randy Boehmer’s life is a journey, but he’s not worried about his destination. If you ask where he is headed he will tell you it doesn’t matter.

Cross carver leaves no stone unturned

When pulling into Wendy’s in Hillsboro last week, hungry customers witnessed a truck bed filled with stone crosses. It was the work of Darin Nixon of El Dorado, also known as “The Rock Guy,” who has been carving for the past year.

County gets early look at budget

County commissioners had their initial budget meeting Monday with accountant Scot Loyd. Loyd presented a tentative timeline for the budget.

Undersheriff hangs up holster after 40 years

Undersheriff David Huntley is retiring today after spending 14 of his 40 years in law enforcement with Marion County and four of them with the city of Florence. When Huntley, a Florence native, returned to the sheriff’s office in 2009 after being in Harvey County for 22 years, he felt good about coming back to his home county.

Run to benefit police dog

A 5K run Sept. 11 in Marion will raise money for a Marion police dog who ate an electric cord. Officer Aaron Slater, Blue’s handler, told city councilmen that not much money was left from a 5K run last year because part of it had to be used to pay for emergency surgery after the Belgian Malinois ate an electric cord in February.

Trial postponed for 10th time

The trial of a Marion man charged with 12 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with children and one count of battery was postponed Wednesday for the 10th time in four years. According to John Milburn, public information officer for the state attorney general’s office, which is prosecuting the case, Thouvenell needed another lawyer before trial.

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

Accidents reported

County jail arrests and bookings

Criminal Division cases

Deeds recorded

Emergency dispatches

Police activity reports

Offenses reported

Learning about life on 200-year-old Santa Fe Trail

Susan Magoffin, an 18-year-old bride, reportedly was the first white woman to cross the trail. Her trip started at Independence in 1847, with a rendezvous at Council Grove, which Magoffin described as the dividing range between the civilized and the barbarous. “Now we may look out for hostile Indians,” she wrote.

Santa Fe Trail events July 24

Teenager was in wrong place at wrong time

The site, known as Jones Cemetery, is five miles west of Lehigh on US-56 and approximately 0.5 of a mile north. The July 24 event will provide an opportunity for people interested in the county’s history to visit the spot. The following summary of Ed Miller’s story is based on recollections, letters, and diaries written by old settlers and published in Marion County Record during 1911 and 1912.

Reopened pools are cool for summer

Randy Carlson, swim coach and pool manager at Marion’s Sports and Aquatic Center, is surprised at the number of daily visitors— especially now that outdoor pools have opened. “Everything has kind of gotten more relaxed as people have their vaccinations,” he said. “People are wanting to get back to their lives once more.”

Historic springs dot county, bubble up with memories

Six major springs in the county are Lee, City, Coyne, Robinson, Elm, and the Lost Spring. Flooding and human intervention have destroyed some historical streams, including the original spring in Marion’s Central Park. A man-made facsimile was restored in 2001 in memory of former mayor Charles Brooker.

Geocaching is modern treasure hunt with GPS

Geocaching, the hobby of creating “caches” and hiding them in nature, began in 2000 in Oregon and has spread across the world. Each geocache gives away its geographical coordinates within perhaps several hundred feet and occasionally a cipher or other hint from the hider. The vagueness of clues hasn’t stopped three million active geocaches from being found by the roughly seven million geocachers worldwide. Caches tracked by geocaching.com contain marbles, coins, and other trinkets as well as a log to track who has found the cache.

4 shots at catching fireworks this weekend

Peabody Peabody will pull out all the stops Saturday and Sunday for its centennial fireworks show.

Nothing to do? Biking may be the cure for what ails you

“I ride quite a bit just out of Tampa to Hillsboro and around the reservoir,” Steiner said. He prefers riding on paved roads. Because of balance issues, he changed from a recumbent bicycle to a recumbent tricycle.

Couple parks cares and woes

They now have a permanent place for their food truck and hope to give Marion somewhere to gather for live music, friends, and great food. So far, so good.

Willow Walk nature trail provides a break from hot sun

The dirt path winds under tree cover offering shade on hot summer days to hikers and their leashed dogs. The trailhead is northeast of showers at Cottonwood Point’s camping area and just west of campsite No. 93.

Creative, vintage stock make shop a destination

The Copper Shed, a popular destination for county visitors, grew from her father’s interest in tinkering with spare farm parts and turning them into something new. “He started out making animals and doo-dads, then people wanted to buy them,” Julie said. “Both my parents were very creative, and Mom would suggest something, and he’d have it done by noon.”

Bakery rises to the challenge

Sam Oborny has put 3 ½ years into her bakery, OK Bread Company, which cooks cinnamon rolls, bierocks, and extremely popular kolaches. Her coworkers, Anna Kristek and Brenda Medlin, help her put together 15 to 20 orders of varying sizes weekly. “I love working with dough. It’s alive,” Oborny said.

Uncertainty takes up residence

Is Marion now without a city administrator and a city treasurer? That’s the tough question the city faces now that council members have failed by one vote to reinstate a home-rule option waiving state requirements that top appointed officials live within the cities they serve. Opponents of the current city administrator undoubtedly view this as an opportunity to get what they thought they were getting in the last election: his ouster from office.

Tossing a bit of cold water onto an idea

With blisteringly hot summer weather, adding a bit of watery recreation to our community sounds like a cool idea. But both Hillsboro and Marion, which are considering adding splash pads for kids, need to exercise caution lest they create more of a splash they want.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

Kiwanis Club hears update on improvements, plans at lake

Improvements at the county lake hall and other lake updates were provided to Marion Kiwanis last week by county lake director Isaac Hett. Blue-green algae was at the top of Hett’s list and the top of most campers’ minds, Hett said.

Tabor student wins state honor

Abigail Sechrist of Hillsboro, a psychology major with a near-perfect 3.99 grade point average at Tabor College, last week was named one of 20 Maud Wyatt Scholarship recipients statewide by the Kansas Independent College Foundation. Recipients are full-time, degree seeking students on the cusp of graduation who have demonstrated excellence in academics, character, and integrity and a commitment to private college education in Kansas.

Exercise for elders offered

An eight-week exercise program to ensure muscle strength among older adults will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursday starting July 6 at Marion Senior Center. Participants may register for the program, sponsored by Chisholm Trail Extension District and Marion County Department on Aging, for $10 by calling (620) 382-3580.

Hillsboro chamber has tailgate

The Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce is having a tailgate party at noon Friday at the trail head on Main St. between Hillsboro State Bank and Central National Bank. The chamber will dedicate the trail with a ribbon cutting.

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