10 YEARS AGO

JULY 27, 2016

More than 60 Straub’s International customers met Tuesday in the business’ showroom to express concern about the company’s decision to close its Marion store this week.

County commissioners spent 2½ hours Friday talking to emergency medical services director Ed Debesis and 3 hours Monday talking with an accountant about scraping together money to fix the lack of timely availability of ambulance crews.

Commissioners mulled over hiring full-time emergency medical technicians and a paramedic, having two stations with full-time EMTs, and possibly paying EMTs for ambulance runs instead of hours on call.

Kollin Klenda, 2-year-old son of Leann and Phillip Klenda, dressed the part Tuesday night as he prepared for the opening of Marion County Fair in full cowboy garb.

It was a Saturday morning much like any other for Carl Helm, pastor of Marion Christian Church, until his wife, JoAnn, blindfolded him and tucked him in a car. When the blindfold came off at the city ball diamonds, a bewildered look stole across his face as his congregation sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

Elder members of the church got the idea for a surprise softball game, with Helm, who played baseball in college, pitching, after he delivered a sermon titled “The Bucket List” a couple of weeks earlier.

Two incumbents and four challengers are seeking seats as county commissioners in the Republican primary Tuesday. Mike Beneke and Brett Hajek are challenging Dan Holub, and Stephen Rose and Amy Soyez are challenging Randy Dallke.