Marion County RECORD

HEADLINES

Collett appointed Marion attorney
In a surprise move Monday afternoon, Marion City Council did not reappoint city attorney Dan Baldwin. In weeks prior to the council meeting, the council had placed a classified advertisement, seeking applicants for the position.
Explosion levels barn in minutes
Skylar Sullivan rose from her couch at 4:50 p.m. April 13 inside her home at 1910 240th Road to a sound she described as someone popping gum, only 10 times louder. She walked outside and saw the barn about 20 feet northeast of her house engulfed in flames that reached about 15 feet in the air.
County reviews bond options for jail
Bond counsel David Arteberry of George K. Baum & Co. reviewed options for issuing bonds for construction of a new jail Monday with Marion County Commission. He said there are three main options, and that the main differences are in timing. All three have benefits and drawbacks.
Attorneys shore up arguments before rape trial June 20
Terry L. Bowen, Lora J. Gay, and Kenneth Frederick were in Marion County court Thursday. They sat clad in orange jumpsuits, their wrists bound in handcuffs and they passively listened as their attorneys pieced together some of the details of their defense before their rape trial which will commence June 20. If the trial is not continued and runs for its scheduled seven days, it will coincide with the dates the alleged events occurred in 2010. Bowen, Gay, and Frederick were arrested July 22.
Smile! You may be on video camera
It’s smaller than a cell phone but it is one of the most important pieces of equipment Marion police officers carry — a video camera. The small video camera can be placed on an officer’s belt, shirt, or vest.
Transforming lives through love
Former Hillsboro resident Brian Partridge has experienced the worst that life has to offer. Partridge’s mother, 16 and a single mother, could not take care of Partridge and he grew up in foster care in Tacoma, Wash.
Florence approves police spending
The Florence City Council approved two motions Monday related to police enforcement. At the request of Police Chief Michael Stone, the council approved the purchase of a TASER for $939.

DEATHS

Walter Johnston
Walter Eugene Johnston, 80, of Grove, Okla., died April 16. He was born July 16, 1930, in Marion County, to Clark and Martha (Schlotthauer) Johnston.
Oliver Mohn
Oliver W. Mohn, 85, of Hillsboro died April 16 at Kansas Heart Hospital, Wichita. He was a retired farm machinery salesman.
Rowena Olsen
Rowena J. Olsen, 74, of Marion, died April 14 at St. Luke Hospital, Marion. She was born July 29, 1937, in Marion to Earl F. and Tena “Lucille” (Rempel) Olsen.
Gilbert Smith
Gilbert Michael Smith, 76, retired Iowa Beef Processors butcher, died April 14. Gilbert was born Sept. 20, 1934, in Douglass, to Carl and Bernadine (Ellis) Smith. He graduated from North High in Wichita and served in the U.S. Army.

DOCKET

OPINION

Parking lot or saving a building? The choice is clear
I certainly appreciated the Letter to the Editor from Jessica Laurin regarding what the Centre school district did during some lean times in the 1980s. Using resources available to us is important. There has been some discussion regarding the use of the older jail after a new jail is built. I’m sure the idea of moving the health department to the former jail will come up in conversation if it hasn’t already.
Marion cannot continue to lose
There are a number of Marion residents who are tired of watching things go away — one business or one person at a time. I’m among those people. I appreciate the power of a small but mighty group of residents who got behind the sales tax issue to support the construction of a new county jail. This newspaper set out as much information as possible about the issue, so voters would be able to make an informed decision. I believe with these efforts, the issue passed — overwhelmingly.
Another Day in the Country
My mother, at the age of 90, had lived in the country, in her own little world, for so long that when she came to Ramona she felt out of sync. In her part of the country, she’d lived in a church world with people who believed the way she believed and worshipped the way she did. She’d lived on a little farm with my Dad for the last 30 years, far away from hustle and bustle. Once a week, Dad drove them into a nearby town to “shop.”
Hope in the Heartland
If He didn’t rise from the dead, then Jesus was a wacko. Respectfully, though, we could play nice and play up His positive qualities rather than His personal quirks. He was, after all, kind and charismatic. And, reportedly, this Rabbi from Nazareth had a powerful way with words.
Legislative update
We start the wrap-up (veto) session April 27. The primary issue at hand will be the budget. This is always a pull and tug among four competing concepts: The need to cut spending or increase revenue, the desire to cut spending, the need to spend on services, and the desire to spend on services. Our duty is to balance them, as each elected official believes he or she is called to do in representing the needs and desires of the legislator’s district.
Seeds of something fine
We recently renovated our lone full bathroom. The process of the renovation, like any project around the house, uncovered more issues needing to be resolved than I had planned on, which required more money to be put into the project than I had budgeted. First, we found out we needed all new flooring. I was frustrated, but thankful that I knew the County Seat Decorating Center would do wonderful work.
LETTERS:
Past lessons could be used now, Plans revealed, An open letter to USD 408 patrons

PEOPLE

PAT class teaches parents fast, healthy meals for young families
Providing nutritious meals for young children is a consistent worry Parents as Teachers director Lori Soo Hoo and PAT teacher Becky Suderman encounter from parents. With a 4-year-old and a 1-month old, Amelia Breugem of Hillsboro does not have a lot of time to prepare meals.
BIRTHS:
Brie and Brook Jones, Daniel Kruse, Eva Wildin
CORRESPONDENTS:
Burdick, Senior Center
MEMORIES:
10, 25, 35, 50, 60, 100, 125 years ago

SCHOOL

Elementary schools split cost of theater performance
Marion and Hillsboro elementary school students gathered Friday in USD 408 Performing Arts Center in Marion for a theatrical presentation by Great Plains Theatre Group of Abilene. The students nearly filled the 550-seat capacity auditorium. The play was, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” based on Laura Numeroff children’s book of the same name.

SPORTS

Both MHS teams split on diamond
The Marion High School softball team split two games with Bennington Tuesday at Bennington. The Warriors lost the first game, 15-13. Bennington recorded nine hits on pitcher Raelene Allen.
Kassebaum, Shields win two events Tuesday
The Centre High School track teams finished second and third at their home track meet Tuesday in Marion. The Centre girls finished second.
Leiker places 14th in tourney
The Marion High School golf teams competed April 12 in the Northern Heights Invitational Golf Tournament in Emporia. Warrior golfer Landon Leiker finished 14th with a score of 85, 40 on the front nine.
MHS sprinter defeats bone disease to run track
Marion High School sophomore Justin Barr wanted to run track to return to normalcy. “I just want to be treated like everyone else,” he said.
CENTRE:
Kassebaum goes out of her league to compete, Klenda takes second, team fourth in invitational, CHS track team competes at Galva

SPRING FEVER

Campers for nearly half a century
Forest and Betty Reavis, of Augusta, spent the weekend at Marion County Park and Lake with several other members of the Kansa Travelers chapter of the Kansas Campers Association. Forest said he likes the lake because it’s clean, quiet, and has good fishing. And the Reavises should know about camping spots — they are charter members of the Kansa Travelers, founded 46 years ago. In the intervening years, they have seen some changes in how people go camping.
Cottonwood expansion underway
Despite signs saying otherwise, Cottonwood Point at Marion Reservoir isn’t closed, but it will be. A two-phase project at the campground will eventually increase the number of campsites at Marion Reservoir by more than one-third, and those campsites will be the best quality at the reservoir.

Marion County RECORD

In a surprise move Monday afternoon, Marion City Council did not reappoint city attorney Dan Baldwin. In weeks prior to the council meeting, the council had placed a classified advertisement, seeking applicants for the position.

Skylar Sullivan rose from her couch at 4:50 p.m. April 13 inside her home at 1910 240th Road to a sound she described as someone popping gum, only 10 times louder. She walked outside and saw the barn about 20 feet northeast of her house engulfed in flames that reached about 15 feet in the air.

Bond counsel David Arteberry of George K. Baum & Co. reviewed options for issuing bonds for construction of a new jail Monday with Marion County Commission. He said there are three main options, and that the main differences are in timing. All three have benefits and drawbacks.

It’s smaller than a cell phone but it is one of the most important pieces of equipment Marion police officers carry — a video camera. The small video camera can be placed on an officer’s belt, shirt, or vest.

Former Hillsboro resident Brian Partridge has experienced the worst that life has to offer. Partridge’s mother, 16 and a single mother, could not take care of Partridge and he grew up in foster care in Tacoma, Wash.

The Florence City Council approved two motions Monday related to police enforcement. At the request of Police Chief Michael Stone, the council approved the purchase of a TASER for $939.

Walter Eugene Johnston, 80, of Grove, Okla., died April 16. He was born July 16, 1930, in Marion County, to Clark and Martha (Schlotthauer) Johnston.

Oliver W. Mohn, 85, of Hillsboro died April 16 at Kansas Heart Hospital, Wichita. He was a retired farm machinery salesman.

Rowena J. Olsen, 74, of Marion, died April 14 at St. Luke Hospital, Marion. She was born July 29, 1937, in Marion to Earl F. and Tena “Lucille” (Rempel) Olsen.

Gilbert Michael Smith, 76, retired Iowa Beef Processors butcher, died April 14. Gilbert was born Sept. 20, 1934, in Douglass, to Carl and Bernadine (Ellis) Smith. He graduated from North High in Wichita and served in the U.S. Army.

If He didn’t rise from the dead, then Jesus was a wacko. Respectfully, though, we could play nice and play up His positive qualities rather than His personal quirks. He was, after all, kind and charismatic. And, reportedly, this Rabbi from Nazareth had a powerful way with words.

LETTERS:

Providing nutritious meals for young children is a consistent worry Parents as Teachers director Lori Soo Hoo and PAT teacher Becky Suderman encounter from parents. With a 4-year-old and a 1-month old, Amelia Breugem of Hillsboro does not have a lot of time to prepare meals.

BIRTHS:

CORRESPONDENTS:

MEMORIES:

The Marion High School softball team split two games with Bennington Tuesday at Bennington. The Warriors lost the first game, 15-13. Bennington recorded nine hits on pitcher Raelene Allen.

The Centre High School track teams finished second and third at their home track meet Tuesday in Marion. The Centre girls finished second.

The Marion High School golf teams competed April 12 in the Northern Heights Invitational Golf Tournament in Emporia. Warrior golfer Landon Leiker finished 14th with a score of 85, 40 on the front nine.

Marion High School sophomore Justin Barr wanted to run track to return to normalcy. “I just want to be treated like everyone else,” he said.

CENTRE:

Despite signs saying otherwise, Cottonwood Point at Marion Reservoir isn’t closed, but it will be. A two-phase project at the campground will eventually increase the number of campsites at Marion Reservoir by more than one-third, and those campsites will be the best quality at the reservoir.