BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
A blue-green algae warning for Marion Reservoir went into effect Thursday, the first such warning of the season.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment provided the following guidelines for blue-green algae warnings:
A Nebraska woman died in a two-person, one-vehicle rollover accident that occurred at approximately 12:36 p.m. Friday on US-77 at an intersection near Centre High School, according to police.
Marion County Sheriff Robert Craft confirmed that the accident involved a fatality.
Would you trade a classic Lincoln Continental for a handmade wooden chair?
Rocky Hett of Marion did 35 years ago and has had a worthy conversation piece ever since.
Marion County Emergency Medical Service is looking to hire two full-time EMTs, which EMS director Ed Debesis hopes will be paid out of existing funds.
Debesis told county commissioners he’s sent emails to existing staff members to see if anyone is willing to work for the department full-time.
Everyone who applied to be part of a countywide economic development committee will be asked to join the discussion in the near future.
Marion County commissioners, after tabling formation of a long-discussed economic development committee last week in the hope that additional people would apply, reversed their stance this week in the hope of getting things moving. They voted unanimously to contact the applicants and set a date for an initial meeting.
USD 408 will get a second motor coach to use instead of a standard school bus for middle school students and other students.
Purchase of the 49-seat motor coach was unanimously approved at a special meeting of the school board Thursday morning.
Polite persistence paid off for Marion senior citizen Dorothy Conyers, who has won a trip to Nashville, next week for the 2016 Country Music Television Music Awards.
“I am very excited to go,” Conyers said, “It’s a three-day, two-night, all expenses paid trip. I always wanted to go to Nashville, but the funny thing is I just took a tour bus trip there six months ago.”
We all know that April showers bring May flowers (which, in turn, bring pilgrims). But May showers, it seems, brings pilgrims of another nature, including a regular ring of mushrooms at Marion County Park and Lake that is, well, mushrooming in size this year.
“That fairy ring appears every year in the same spot,” Lake Superintendent Steve Hudson said, “but this is the biggest I’ve seen them, and there are a lot more of them. I think they’re more pronounced because of all the moisture.”
With school out and residents gearing up for summer, Marion Parks and Recreation Department is in the midst of operating, planning for, and implementing myriad activities to possibly expand even further.
Director Margo Yates was joined May 23 by new assistant director Josh Clevenger 23.
A vandal who spray-painted city and county property with the moniker “XAK” in April struck again recently, stealing a sound adapter and tagging a wall inside the press box at Warrior Stadium.
“Whoever it was broke in and stole some equipment,” police chief Tyler Mermis said. “’XAK was tagged inside on a wall.”
Progress is steadily being made on a new restaurant and bar for downtown Marion.
Joe and EJ Pickett have been working since February to renovate the former Suffield’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing building at the southeast corner of Main and Third streets into an upbeat place for dining and live entertainment.
Tracy Brunner, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association president and rancher from Ramona, testified Thursday before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee.
The committee’s chairman, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), said in introducing him, “Tracy is not only a true leader for Kansas agriculture but also for the U.S. beef industry. Ranchers across America should be proud to have Tracy as a voice for cattlemen. I thank him for leaving the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas to testify before the agriculture committee.”
“Things are busy,” Vassar said. “We’re touring a lot, but right now I’m just sitting on the porch, drinking coffee before we go and cut some more tracks for our new album.”
Vassar’s band will likely play some of those new songs Saturday. However, he is not sure where they might appear in the set. His band doesn’t have a set list for performances. He said it helps spike shows with spontaneous energy.
Country music artists Lindsey Ell and Phil Vassar will headline Friday and Saturday nights, respectively.
Other musical acts include Christian rock band Cloverton on Friday and country music performers Pete Gile and Coco O’Connor on Saturday. Brody Caster also will play Saturday afternoon.
Grass it up with Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy as they headline Bluegrass at the Lake on June 18 at Marion County Park and Lake to find out.
Often singing about whiskey women, Civil War ballads, labor unions, and social satire, the five-piece, Wichita-based band performs an eclectic blend of punk, bluegrass, and Dixieland, with a driving rhythm section, blaring horns, and mandolin and banjo solos. Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy dips into rockabilly, ska, and New Orleans styles, too.
Chingawassa Days and Bluegrass at the Lake are just the first of many events this summer.
On June 25, the Marion Garden Tour offers an opportunity to explore diverse gardens around the community. The tour runs 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. More information is available by calling (620) 382-2442.
Harvey House in Florence, packed with a history that goes back almost 140 years, offers the opportunity to relive the early days of railroad travel.
Fifteen-year-old Fred Harvey became involved in restaurants in New York City after arriving in America in 1850.
Peggy Blackman, a 44-year Marion resident, was recently hired to take the helm at the museum, situated on Main St. in a historic Baptist church.
Blackman, Marion’s first woman mayor, is a longtime community volunteer who has worn many hats, including serving as statewide PRIDE chair and president of Kansas League of Municipalities.
Rumors and accounts of flying discs mysteriously vanishing in the whispering prairie grass and babbling waters of the disc golf triangle abound.
Although some golfers may blame paranormal activity, there is no documented scientific evidence that suggests supernatural forces are responsible for the discs’ disappearances.
N.M. Patton, a longtime vendor, resurrected Peabody Farmers Market this year after participation fizzled out last year.
“There just wasn’t anybody that wanted to do it last year,” Patton said. “People had been asking if there was going to be one this year. Maybe it’s a different attitude, but we’ve got 14, maybe 15 vendors signed up so far.”
Bonnie Rindt and her husband built their house at the lake in 2000.
The beauty of the lake area and the peaceful setting drew the Lincolnville couple to live there.
McCoy’s title is assistant lake manager, but that’s a bit misleading, as his responsibilities also include El Dorado Lake.
He started last October, coming from eastern Oregon and a 25-year stint with the federal Bureau of Land Management. McCoy is looking forward to his first full recreational season at the reservoir.
Nine of every 10 drowning victims on Corps of Engineers lakes and waterways nationwide were not wearing life jackets, the Corps reported last week.
The Corps urges the wearing of proper fitting, certified life vests whenever near water.
The Department of Agriculture urges picnickers not to let perishable food sit without heat or cooling for more than two hours. When the weather is above 90, the safe time is reduced to one hour.
Hillsboro is hoping to spice up its fall block party Sept. 20 with a chili cook-off.
Individuals, groups, and businesses will provide free samples and may offer larger bowls for sale.
Or, perhaps, Holub-care, Lalouette-care or maybe even Debesis-care? None have quite the ring of Obamacare, but whatever you choose to call what the county is trying to do with emergency medical services, it shares one thing in common with what the president tried to do with the nation’s health insurance system.
While laudably addressing serious problems about delivery of health case, both seem to have as their main accomplishments little more than massively increased prices and steadily swelling government payrolls.
I do not know how many of you are plugged into social media and share your daily lives with friends and family all over the globe, but our little corner of Oz got plenty of play during the up and down weather scenario that plagued us this past week.
Oddly enough, when I posted a picture of a young woman in western Kansas showing off a grapefruit-sized chunk of hail, friends in Nevada, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Florida, and California had already seen it. Imagine that.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
Survival instinct is a survivor
A total of 162 alumni, guests and teachers attended Florence’s 120th annual alumni banquet Saturday at Florence gymnasium.
Alumni traveled from Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, and 22 towns in Kansas.
A queen with Marion County roots is returning June 9 to share her experiences in reaching her weight-loss goal.
Rani Rivas, 2015 Kansas TOPS queen from Wichita, will be in Marion to speak at TOPS KS 1075 Marion’s weekly meeting at 9:30 a.m. June 9 in the community room at Hilltop Manor.
Two Marion churches got the chance to visit Sunday with a pastor from Zimbabwean churches they help.
Daniel Chitsiku, superintendent for the 26 United Methodist Churches of the Mutare District in eastern Zimbabwe, is visiting some of the Kansas churches that support his district’s work.
Chat and Dine Club will meet at 6:30 p.m. June 11 at Marion County Lake’s north shelter house for a potluck dinner and outdoor games.
Jim and Karen Egts and Jerry and Marjorie Richmond will be hosts. More information is available from Judy Priest at 382-8904.
Children of all ages are invited to the Marion City Library for Lego Day from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Monday in the Santa Fe room.
Children will be able to build and design with Legos, as well as build marble runs and other various activities.
MEMORIES:
10,
25,
35,
50,
60,
100,
125 years ago
SENIOR CENTER:
Schmidt family dancers perform,
Senior menu
Like birds headed out of the nest to make homes of their own, 2016 graduates of Marion High School are about to spread their wings and go off to find their futures.
Reann Hamm will go to University of Kansas to study atmospheric science. It’s a fascination she’s had since she was a youngster.
Elizabeth Meyer, daughter of Mark and Marsha Meyer of Tampa, is among 18 candidates for statewide office at this week’s Kansas FFA convention in Manhattan.
More than 350 delegates will select six officers Friday after a series of interviews, tests, speeches, and workshops by the candidates.
Registration for Marion City Library’s summer reading program began today.
Children from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade can win prizes for reaching reading goals June 13 through July 15.
Ron Vinduska, a Centre High School graduate and brother to Terry Vinduska of Marion, has retired from Seaman school district after 41 years. He had served as high school principal since 2002.
Although state track was rained out Friday afternoon, Marion Warriors showed up Saturday to bright skies and two team members placing in the top three in their events.
Marion senior Kristen Herzet placed second in girls discus, while Tyler Palic placed third in boys.
Competing with 16 other throwers, Centre sophomore Kate Basore medaled in javelin Saturday with a seventh-place finish at the state track meet in Wichita.
Although the Wheat State League champion’s best throw of 121 feet, 9 inches was good enough to earn a medal, it was not good enough for her.
Senior pitcher Dylan Pippin and junior outfielder Mason Pederson of Marion were named first-teamers Monday on Heart of America all-league baseball team.
Four other Warriors made the second team: junior pitcher Nathan Baldwin, junior third baseman Peyton Heidebrecht, sophomore outfielder Jacob Vondenkamp and sophomore utility player Cole Srajer.
Certified instructors will teach fishing basics, water safety, and techniques for inexpensive bonding with children at a free family event from 9 a.m. to noon June 11 at the Boy Scout campground at Marion County Lake.
Children must be accompanied by an adult. No fishing license or equipment is needed. However, pre-registration is required.