Marion County RECORD

HEADLINES

Marion police chief takes job in Oklahoma
Marion Police Chief Josh Whitwell resigned as chief. His last day is Friday, and he is driving to Oklahoma on Saturday to start his new job next week. Whitwell has accepted a position as a special agent in the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. He will be stationed in Ardmore, a city about the size of Salina located between Oklahoma City and Dallas.
Family feels 'violated' over intruder in home
Editor’s note: The victim in this story is identified with a pseudonym to avoid publicizing the location of her family’s normally vacant guesthouse. “Jane Doe” arrived Dec. 26 at a guesthouse owned by her mother in Marion, along with three carloads of family. They were in town to visit her mother over the Christmas vacation.
Dreams keep historic farm in the family
As he approached his 65th birthday in 1990, Lincolnville-area farmer Don Buethe believed an era was about to end for the farm that had been in his family since 1885. A son, Dennis, and a daughter, Donita, had followed different pursuits. Another son, Eddie, died when he was 10. His youngest daughter, Kim, was living in Kansas City, working in the personnel department at Farmland Industries, and was building a business in leadership development.
College student puts camera to good use on break
He might have to hang out of an airplane or demonstrate rockin’ guitar strokes, but it is all part of making memorable senior portraits for photographer Isaac Fast, of Goessel. His goal is to create a memorable photo session for each person he meets. “One of the biggest things people remember about their senior pictures is if it was fun or not,” he said. “I try to get a feel for what their interests are, and then have a lot of energy and enthusiasm to do what they want.”
Local support buoys food bank in tough year
The Marion County Emergency Food Bank received a lot of crucial local support in 2011, volunteer Pat Smith said Tuesday. Many people, businesses, churches, schools, and other organizations donated dry goods, canned foods, and perishables like meat, butter, and eggs throughout the course of the year, allowing the food bank to help families going through tough times.
E-mail scam alleges customer complaints
An e-mail scam using the Better Business Bureau’s name and logo is proliferating across North America, using malicious software to access companies’ data and bank accounts. The e-mails claim to be from the Better Business Bureau and come with the subject line “Complaint from your customers.” The e-mails have a link or attachment containing software that steals information.

DEATHS

Mildred Lucas
Mildred Lucas, 86, of Marion died, Jan. 2, 2011 at Presbyterian Manor in Kansas City. She is survived by her husband, Clifford “Bud” of Kansas City; a son, Cliff of Peabody; four grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
LuEtta Frey
LuEtta June (Schmidt) Frey, 82, passed away Dec. 30 at North Newton. She was born June 23, 1929, to Abraham and Elizabeth Schmidt in Goessel. She married Raymond E. Frey on May 19, 1949, at Tabor Mennonite Church, rural Newton. He preceded her in death on Nov. 17, 2007.
Nicholas Higgins
Nicholas “Nic” Bartlett Higgins, 25, Hampstead, N.C., died Jan. 2, 2012. A native of Marion, he was the husband of Betsy Anne Higgins, and son of Bill Higgins and Teresa Hett Higgins, Burlington, N.C.

DOCKET

OPINION

Home intruder is a scary prospect
There was a rather unusual case of home intrusion that came to light between Christmas and New Year’s in Marion. A family getting settled in at their mother’s guest house while visiting found evidence that someone had been staying in the house, and for long enough that they needed to wash a load of towels. The unusual part is that the intruder bothered to wash the towels in the first place. Furthermore, the house wasn’t vandalized at all, nothing was stolen, and nothing was left behind.
COLUMNS:
2011 hurt but 2012 is brand new year, Start small to make community better
LETTERS:
Resigning chief, Supporting businesses, Roundabouts

GOVERNMENT

Sales tax receipts lead good news for county
Even without including the money raised by a special 0.5 percent sales tax to pay for a new jail, Marion County’s sales tax receipts increased 2.3 percent from 2010 to 2011. A report by Deputy County Clerk Tina Spencer to Marion County Commission on Friday indicated sales tax received — not including the jail sales tax — in 2011 was $645,562, an increase of $14,576 from the previous year.
City Council appoints new judge
Randy Pankratz, Newton, was appointed as Marion’s municipal court judge Dec. 28. Mayor Mary Olson made the appointment and council members Steve Smith and Chris Meierhoff voted for the appointment and Jerry Kline voted against it. Bill Holdeman was absent.
Data points to increased poverty in county
An abundance of children receiving health care options for low-income families is a concern for Families and Communities Together Coordinator Linda Ogden. According to the 2011 Kids Count data, 583 children in Marion County were enrolled in Medicaid and an additional 189 children were enrolled in the Community Health Improvement Program; the figures were compiled in 2010. While Ogden was providing some leeway for the method of data collection, the trend is alarming as an indication of poverty and the effect of the down economy on the county.

PEOPLE

Elvis doll reminds fan of good times, great music
It may be just a 21-inch vinyl doll, still attached by plastic cording to his box, but for Marilyn Hill Jones, Marion County Lake, her “Burning Love” Elvis Presley memento brings back thoughts of good times and great music. “His music was just the best ever. I loved him,” she said. “All the girls loved him, and all the boys wanted to look like him.”
When losing is winning, TOPS weight loss plan
While many residents started New Year’s resolutions this past week, Taking Off Pounds Sensibly members have a head start. “We want a loss to start the New Year,” Marion TOPS founder Lucille Bitner said.
Acrylic garden blooms in auditorium basement
In a basement in winter, poppies and sunflowers sprang to life last week in Marion, nurtured by a North Carolina artist with a local connection. Nikki Cherry loves to paint. The Asheboro, N.C. artist credits her grandmother Ollie for that. As a student at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., Cherry devoted her attention to oil painting, graduating in 2005.
ANNIVERSARY:
Farmerettes celebrate 70th
BIRTH:
Maddie Joyce Bowers
CORRESPONDENTS:
Marion Senior Center, Tampa
MEMORIES:
10, 25, 35, 50, 60, 100, 125 years ago
REUNION:
Hett family gathers

SCHOOL

MHS graduate earns master's degree
Jessica Bernhardt of Omaha, Neb., received her Master of Arts degree in communications from the University of Nebraska at Omaha on Dec. 17, graduating with a 4.0 grade point average. She was joined at the graduation ceremony by her parents, Dennis and Donna Bernhardt of Marion; her sister, Jamie Norris of Richmond, Va.; and her fiancé, Tyson Heidebrecht.
Students win prizes in VFW essay contest
Every year students at Marion Middle School and Marion High School get an opportunity to try their hand at writing essays for scholarships offered through the Veterans of Foreign Wars and sponsored by the Marion VFW Post 6958 and its Ladies Auxiliary. Patriot’s Pen was the middle school essay contest, with 72 seventh- and eighth-grade students participating. The theme of the essaywas: “Are You Proud of Your Country?” The essays were judged by members of the staff of the Marion County Record.
Local students on Washburn honor roll
Washburn University announced its fall semester Dean’s Honor Roll on Thursday, and six students from Marion County were included. To be named to the honor roll, a student must be enrolled in at least 12 graded credit hours and attain a grade point average between 3.4 and 3.99.

SPORTS

Warriors fall to Remington, 54-35
Marion High School hoopsters were ice cold Tuesday against Remington, who took advantage of numerous miscues to post a 54-35 victory over the Warriors. Marion missed their first four shots from the field, but two Jordan Hett free throws followed by a spinning layup by Jacob Harper gave Marion its only lead of the game, 4-2, at 6:18 of the first quarter. A 3-point shot by Ethan Hett at 1:29 would be the last points scored by the Warriors until late in the second quarter.
Lady Broncos trample Marion, 47-22
The Marion High School Lady Warriors were plagued by turnovers and sluggish offense Tuesday at Remington, losing 47-22. Whitney Gordon got the Lady Warriors off to a promising start with a 3-point shot from the left side and a jumper in the lane for a 5-0 Marion lead two minutes into the game.

Marion County RECORD

Mildred Lucas, 86, of Marion died, Jan. 2, 2011 at Presbyterian Manor in Kansas City. She is survived by her husband, Clifford “Bud” of Kansas City; a son, Cliff of Peabody; four grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

LuEtta June (Schmidt) Frey, 82, passed away Dec. 30 at North Newton. She was born June 23, 1929, to Abraham and Elizabeth Schmidt in Goessel. She married Raymond E. Frey on May 19, 1949, at Tabor Mennonite Church, rural Newton. He preceded her in death on Nov. 17, 2007.

Nicholas “Nic” Bartlett Higgins, 25, Hampstead, N.C., died Jan. 2, 2012. A native of Marion, he was the husband of Betsy Anne Higgins, and son of Bill Higgins and Teresa Hett Higgins, Burlington, N.C.

COLUMNS:

LETTERS:

Randy Pankratz, Newton, was appointed as Marion’s municipal court judge Dec. 28. Mayor Mary Olson made the appointment and council members Steve Smith and Chris Meierhoff voted for the appointment and Jerry Kline voted against it. Bill Holdeman was absent.

While many residents started New Year’s resolutions this past week, Taking Off Pounds Sensibly members have a head start. “We want a loss to start the New Year,” Marion TOPS founder Lucille Bitner said.

ANNIVERSARY:

BIRTH:

CORRESPONDENTS:

MEMORIES:

REUNION:

Washburn University announced its fall semester Dean’s Honor Roll on Thursday, and six students from Marion County were included. To be named to the honor roll, a student must be enrolled in at least 12 graded credit hours and attain a grade point average between 3.4 and 3.99.

The Marion High School Lady Warriors were plagued by turnovers and sluggish offense Tuesday at Remington, losing 47-22. Whitney Gordon got the Lady Warriors off to a promising start with a 3-point shot from the left side and a jumper in the lane for a 5-0 Marion lead two minutes into the game.