PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

HEADLINES

9 apply to be Marion city administrator
Nine people have applied to be Marion’s city administrator, Mayor David Mayfield said Tuesday. “We’ve gotten quite a few in the last couple weeks,” he said of applications. “I’m pretty impressed with some of them we’ve got.”
Strategic survey results unveiled
Just more than 400 people responded to a strategic planning survey, and 30 or so gathered Monday night to discuss Marion’s future. In the admittedly non-scientific survey, the majority ranking economic development and workforce as top priorities.
Rock-chalk one up to estate sale
Clifford Carlson loved KU basketball. He bought a 13-by-13-inch piece of floor from the University of Kansas’ storied Allen Fieldhouse many years ago as part of his vast collection of KU memorabilia. A Hillsboro resident, he died in 2021.
No freaking out, Musical's cast embraces challenging roles
Alyera Koehn and Sadie Lange interchange as lead characters in “Freaky Friday,” Marion High School’s spring musical — a challenge they’re both enjoying. A mother and teenage daughter swap bodies in the musical, allowing each to understand the other a little better.
LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS:
"A lot of people suddenly didn't want anything to do with me.", "The church accused me of a lot of things I know I didn't do.", Treatment in Kansas

OTHER NEWS

County's cities handle their legal affairs differently
How cities across the county handle legal matters differs. Marion consulted its attorney almost every day in January, spending $1,335 to do so.
Student's spelling skills show no subsidence
Spell-check has nothing on Marion middle-schoolers Alexandra Carlson and Kayleigh Pacelli. The two seventh graders took first and second place respectively at a countywide spelling bee for elementary and middle school students Feb. 15. They competed against students from Centre, Goessel, Hillsboro, and Peabody-Burns.
Hillsboro narrows wish list
Hillsboro city council members Tuesday reviewed a prioritized list of equipment city administrator Matt Stiles said two weeks ago should be considered for replacement. He recommended all be obtained on a lease-purchase.
County approves plans for ranch event venue
A rural Burns couple’s plan to open a wedding and event venue on a historic ranch got a blessing from county commissioners Tuesday. Mary and Darryl Sledd, who own the historic Keystone Ranch, told commissioners they were renovating the ranch’s home and two story sheep barn to provide a place for events.
Wind farm zoning trial set
Trial has been rescheduled for May 1 in a lawsuit filed 2½ years ago by a company that lost its bid to install wind turbines south of US-50 in an area within a Flint Hills wind farm moratorium. Trial was postponed from Dec. 5 because a lawyer for the plaintiffs had surgery.
Ramona woman honored for having a barrel of fun
Lori Lockhart wanted to be a jockey when she grew up. When it looked as if that wasn’t going to happen, she turned to barrel racing. A Ramona resident, she has competed since the late ’90s.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Harvey House lecture Saturday
A Kansas State University professor will speak about “The Harvey Girls: Women’s Roles in Railroads, Kansas, and U.S. History” at 6 p.m. Saturday at Harvey House Museum in Florence. Michaeline Chance-Reay’s talk will focus on the mythology of the Harvey Girls. The Fred Harvey Co., a concessionaire along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway gave young women jobs as waitresses and tour guides.
Hub to sell St. Patrick's shakes
The Hub in Peabody will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 17 with lucky shakes and music. Shakes will be available in green mint and green vanilla topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Shakes are $3 for 8 ounces, $5 for 12 ounces, and $10 for 24 ounces in a color-changing cup.
Students to tour with choir
Nine Goessel students will be part of Bethel College Concert Choir’s spring tour. The choir will sing March 3 to 9 at venues in Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri, including at the Field Museum in Chicago. An on-campus concert will kick off the tour at 7 p.m. Sunday in Memorial Hall at Bethel.
Peabody plans blood drive
Peabody-Burns High School will sponsor a blood drive from 8:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. March 8 at the school. Contact Heidi Hittle or any National Honor Society member to sign up.
Legislative forum planned
Rep. Stephen Owens will meet with constituents at 9 a.m. March 18 in the Ann Potter room at Peabody Township Library.

AUTO

Biggest car trouble? Finding a mechanic
Hiring skilled help has been difficult for auto repair shops in the county and has become worse. Hillsboro Ford has had luck trying to find people, but it’s definitely hit and miss, general manager and co-owner Michael Hagen said.
From police chief to car salesman
Selling cars is a lot different than being a police chief, but Clinton Jeffrey says there’s one important overlapping skill: the ability to talk to people. Marion’s police chief for four years and a police officer for about 10 years before that, Jeffrey began working Jan. 2 at Midway Motors in Hillsboro after resigning from his city job in December.
Gas prices inch downward
Gas prices continue to fall in Kansas, averaging $3.11 a gallon last week, according to a GasBuddy survey. Still, that’s 6.9 cents higher than a month ago though 10.0 cents lower than a year ago. Prices have fluctuated in the past decade. For the same week, average prices per gallon were $3.21 in 2022, $2.41 in 2021, $2.19 in 2020, $2.13 in 2019, $2.37 in 2018, $2.16 in 2017, $1.46 in 2016, $2.18 in 2015, $3.24 in 2014, and $3.69 in 2013.

DEATHS

IN MEMORIAM:
John Griffith
IN MEMORIAM:
Thomas Klenda
IN MEMORIAM:
Stanley Manahan

DOCKET

OPINION

Investing or borrowing trouble?
A quick check of cell phone GPS this week revealed a cold, hard truth: We’re still in Marion County. Scotty hasn’t been resurrected from reruns and beamed us into Coffey County. Our reality check was needed after we learned about proposals for a multimillion-dollar sports facility and a potentially as costly new health department building.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
Keep asking questions

PEOPLE

Herzets to celebrate 50th anniversary
James and Janet Herzet will celebrate their 50th anniversary March 3. They were married in Emporia at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. A reception followed at First United Methodist Church in Emporia.
Ambulance service retirees honored
Two emergency medical services retirees were recognized Feb. 15 for years of service. Volunteer James “Dick” Carr, was certified as an emergency medical technician in 1974. He responded with ambulance units and on first responder calls, generally out of Hillsboro, until his retirement in December.
Senior center menus
MEMORIES:
15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 115, 145 years ago

SPORTS

Hillsboro stays hot; Lanning puts on a show in Marion loss
If there’s any truth to the belief you want to be playing your best toward the end of the season, Hillsboro’s basketball teams are doing just that. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams stayed hot entering the final week of the regular season with home finales against Lyons.
3rd-ranked Trojans win 7th straight
The third-ranked Trojan girls are setting themselves up for a top seed at next week’s sub-state, reeling off seven straight wins. Hillsboro hasn’t lost since the third-place game of the Trojan Classic last month, and Friday’s visitor, the Lyons Lions, weren’t able to challenge them.
5 Trojans, 1 Warrior head to state
Marion played host Saturday for a Class 3-2-1A regional wrestling tournament. In team competition, Hillsboro placed 6th and Marion 19th out of 24 teams, but each had wrestlers qualify for the state. Five Trojans and one Warrior punched their tickets to Hays.

PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

Nine people have applied to be Marion’s city administrator, Mayor David Mayfield said Tuesday. “We’ve gotten quite a few in the last couple weeks,” he said of applications. “I’m pretty impressed with some of them we’ve got.”

Just more than 400 people responded to a strategic planning survey, and 30 or so gathered Monday night to discuss Marion’s future. In the admittedly non-scientific survey, the majority ranking economic development and workforce as top priorities.

Clifford Carlson loved KU basketball. He bought a 13-by-13-inch piece of floor from the University of Kansas’ storied Allen Fieldhouse many years ago as part of his vast collection of KU memorabilia. A Hillsboro resident, he died in 2021.

Alyera Koehn and Sadie Lange interchange as lead characters in “Freaky Friday,” Marion High School’s spring musical — a challenge they’re both enjoying. A mother and teenage daughter swap bodies in the musical, allowing each to understand the other a little better.

LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS:

How cities across the county handle legal matters differs. Marion consulted its attorney almost every day in January, spending $1,335 to do so.

Hillsboro city council members Tuesday reviewed a prioritized list of equipment city administrator Matt Stiles said two weeks ago should be considered for replacement. He recommended all be obtained on a lease-purchase.

Trial has been rescheduled for May 1 in a lawsuit filed 2½ years ago by a company that lost its bid to install wind turbines south of US-50 in an area within a Flint Hills wind farm moratorium. Trial was postponed from Dec. 5 because a lawyer for the plaintiffs had surgery.

Lori Lockhart wanted to be a jockey when she grew up. When it looked as if that wasn’t going to happen, she turned to barrel racing. A Ramona resident, she has competed since the late ’90s.

Nine Goessel students will be part of Bethel College Concert Choir’s spring tour. The choir will sing March 3 to 9 at venues in Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri, including at the Field Museum in Chicago. An on-campus concert will kick off the tour at 7 p.m. Sunday in Memorial Hall at Bethel.

Peabody-Burns High School will sponsor a blood drive from 8:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. March 8 at the school. Contact Heidi Hittle or any National Honor Society member to sign up.

Rep. Stephen Owens will meet with constituents at 9 a.m. March 18 in the Ann Potter room at Peabody Township Library.

Hiring skilled help has been difficult for auto repair shops in the county and has become worse. Hillsboro Ford has had luck trying to find people, but it’s definitely hit and miss, general manager and co-owner Michael Hagen said.

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

James and Janet Herzet will celebrate their 50th anniversary March 3. They were married in Emporia at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. A reception followed at First United Methodist Church in Emporia.

MEMORIES:

If there’s any truth to the belief you want to be playing your best toward the end of the season, Hillsboro’s basketball teams are doing just that. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams stayed hot entering the final week of the regular season with home finales against Lyons.

The third-ranked Trojan girls are setting themselves up for a top seed at next week’s sub-state, reeling off seven straight wins. Hillsboro hasn’t lost since the third-place game of the Trojan Classic last month, and Friday’s visitor, the Lyons Lions, weren’t able to challenge them.

Marion played host Saturday for a Class 3-2-1A regional wrestling tournament. In team competition, Hillsboro placed 6th and Marion 19th out of 24 teams, but each had wrestlers qualify for the state. Five Trojans and one Warrior punched their tickets to Hays.