Marion County RECORD

HEADLINES

USD 408 to have 3 new principals
Before the USD 408 Board of Education meeting was fully underway Monday, three resignations were announced in the consent agenda. Michael Ayers is resigning from the Marion Middle School English teaching position.
2-year-old dies tragically Saturday
A 2-year-old boy was found unresponsive at 1 p.m. Saturday at 2126 30th Road, Peabody. According to Marion County Sheriff Rob Craft, the child had been laid down for a nap and when the parents checked on him, he was not breathing. The sheriff’s personnel, county emergency medical personnel, and Butler County advanced life support personnel responded to the scene but were unable to revive the child. Marion County Coroner Don Hodson pronounced the child dead at 2:40 p.m.
ROZ is opportunity for County
State Rep. Bob Brookens sees the Rural Opportunity Zone as “a stroke of genius as an idea” and “a real opportunity for Marion County.” “We have always said, ‘If we can get them to move here, we can keep them here’,” Brookens said Monday after Gov. Brownback signed the bill.
County spay, neutering program to begin
Veterinarian Jessica Laurin of Animal Health Center of Marion County is working with a group of concerned Marion County residents and Caring Hands Humane Society of Newton to start a program to spay and neuter pets for Marion County pet owners who could not otherwise afford to pay for the procedure. Previously, Caring Hands Humane Society provided limited support services in Marion County but was forced to stop because there was not enough money. When Laurin and the group of citizens heard the news, they decided start a fundraising campaign for the Spay and Neuter Your Pets program in Marion County.
Deadline nears for non-compliant docks at county lake
The owner of one non-compliant dock at Marion County Lake corrected problems with their dock, Park and Lake Superintendent Steve Hudson told Marion County Commission on Monday. Another dock owner asked Hudson what needed to be done to bring their dock into compliance. The remaining two dock owners haven’t contacted Hudson at all, despite a letter mailed to them saying any non-compliant docks will be removed May 1 from the lake.
Lake cleanup Saturday
Volunteers are needed for the Third Annual Marion County Park and Lake Volunteer Work Day 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Volunteers should meet at the lake hall parking lot with gloves, rakes, shovels, branch clippers, and weed eaters.
Reservoir cleanup also Saturday
Volunteers are needed for the ninth annual Marion Reservoir Cleanup Day 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The cleanup, led by Mudpuppy Stream Team No. 2642, will remove trash and perform cleanup projects in the Cottonwood River basin centered on Marion Reservoir.

DEATHS

Walter Harder
Walter E. Harder, 99, of Newton, died April 6 at Newton Presbyterian Manor. He was born Oct. 4, 1911, in Brainard, to Gustav and Anna (Wiebe) Harder.
Lucas Hauck
Lucas Scott Hauck, 2, died April 9 in Peabody. He was born March 18, 2009, in Wichita, to Joshua D. and Autumn N. (Frazell) Hauck.
Cecile Kellenbarger
Cecile B. Kellenbarger, 55, Boeing analyst, died April 4. She was preceded in death by parents Frank and Betty Kellenbarger.
Paul Pankratz
Paul Pankratz, 87, Hillsboro, died April 6 in Hillsboro. He was born Jan. 31, 1924, in rural Durham to Abe and Minnie (Frantz) Pankratz.
Jesse Richter
Jesse Clayton Richter, 91, of Peabody, died April 10 at his home. He was born Nov. 18, 1919, on a farm northwest of Peabody to Alvin and Hester (DuBois) Richter.
Lorene Schlesener
Lorene Mae Schlesener, 90, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on April 2, after suffering a stroke. She had been in failing health for several years. She was born Sept. 21, 1920, in Hope, to Otto and Selma (Albrecht) Schimming. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. When she was 3, she lost her parents and was raised by her grandparents. Lorene graduated from Hope High School in 1938.
Delores Schmidt
Delores J. Schmidt, 70, of Lehigh, died April 6 at The Cedars, McPherson. She was born Oct. 1, 1940, in Newton to Edward and Ruby (Adrian) Kasper.

DOCKET

GOVERNMENT

Commission breaks election ties
After canvassing the April 5 election and counting write-in and provisional ballots Monday, Marion County Commission broke two ties. Jayme Linn Brunner and Kathy A. Matkins were tied for the final position on Ramona City Council with 32 votes each. Commissioner Dan Holub randomly selected Brunner’s name from a basket with the candidates’ names.
Commission sends sales tax to state
Marion County Commission approved a resolution Monday to impose a 0.5 percent sales tax to pay for a new jail, sheriff’s office, and 911 facility. Voters approved the measure, 1,704-969, April 5.
Huelskamp is coming to Marion County
As part of his “continuing the tradition” town hall tour, Congressman Tim Huelskamp will host 12 more town hall meetings in April including one in Marion County. The congressman representing the 1st Congressional District will meet with constituents at 4 p.m. April 29 at Marion County Courthouse in Marion.

OPINION

The more things change, the more they stay the same
We came across an editorial, written by the late editor and publisher Bill Meyer, that has prophetic undertones. The editorial was part of a series of comments Meyer wrote when the county commission gave every county employee a $40 per month pay increase during a slow economic time.
Hope in the Heartland
It is missing. It didn’t disappear suddenly ... or accidentally. It eroded over time — deliberately erased — generation by generation. The tragic irony is that the harder we fight to remove it from public thought, the more we force its absence into public view. The consequences have been enormous, but many people don’t seem to mind. In fact, our society celebrates this fight against prudes and prophets. Shame has been banished into the desert where skeletons of many other social mores jut out from the shifting sands as witnesses against the moral relativism that exiled them.
Legislative update
We’re still on break from the session, and we are awaiting the Governor’s approval or veto of bills passed so far by the Legislature. We reconvene April 27 for the veto session. In my Feb. 2 column and again two weeks ago, you read about the ROZ legislation that creates rural opportunity zones for many counties with decreasing population, and Marion County is one of the designated counties. If you want to read the bill, the ROZ bill is SB 198. Well, this week’s news is again great: Governor Brownback traveled to four Kansas locations Monday for ceremonies announcing his signing of the bill into law. This is great news for Marion County! The bill creates a five-year Kansas income tax exclusion (no state income tax) for out-of-state folks who move to a ROZ county to live. The bill also gives counties the opportunity in certain instances to forgive student loan debt up to $15,000 for those folks moving in; the program must be adopted by the county commission, and the debt forgiveness is shared 50-50 with the state.
Seeds of something fine
Those of you who know me (or have read anything I’ve written ever ... even a sticky note) know I am not one to struggle with finding enough words. In fact, if I can’t find the right ones, I sometimes I try them all just to see what feels right once it’s said — a practice that, by the way, works much better when drafting an e-mail or letter than in conversation. My daughter, too, has the gift of being “highly verbal.” Just ask her. She’ll proceed to tell you, almost without stopping for breath for 20 minutes, anything and everything she has encountered in her brief 2 years that she thinks relates to the topic of conversation you’ve presented. And if you think you can simply sit and nod in response you haven’t met many verbal toddlers.

OTHER NEWS

Brad Cady joins Marion police force
Brad Cady joined Marion Police Department at the beginning of March, after spending two years as a full-time police officer in Peabody and part-time stints in Sedgwick County and Marion. Cady has a strong family connection to Marion. His parents moved to Marion in 1990, he moved to town four years ago, and he has a sister and a brother in town.
Kayaking trips lead to adventure business
Barbara Anderson of Burns got her first experience kayaking while visiting her son, Nick Myers, in Cyprus. The family went kayaking in the Mediterranean Sea. That was a challenging first experience, Anderson said. But she gave kayaking another try, this time in rivers around Lawrence with her son, Drew Myers. It was a much more leisurely experience.
LETTERS:
Visitors take shopping to new height, Organization steps up, Let's be smart in how we spend money for jail

PEOPLE

Antlers add to interior decor at the Williams' home
Teeny Williams of Marion County Lake determined years ago to enjoy life no matter what came her way. In 1999, she had open-heart surgery. Then she went through two bouts with cancer and two regimens of chemotherapy treatment which threatened to destroy her. “I cried a lot,” she said. “But one day I decided to stop feeling sorry for my life, accept what it brings me, and enjoy life.”
BIRTH:
Elijah Versch
CORRESPONDENTS:
Burdick, Senior Center
ENGAGEMENTS:
Soyez-Peterson
MEMORIES:
10, 25, 35, 50, 60, 100, 125 years ago

SCHOOL

MHS exchange students overcome culture shock
Although all three of the Marion High School foreign exchange students longed for the experience of traveling to another country and learning its culture, the shock of the cultural differences was immense for each of them. Vu Nguyen learned he was going to live with Sarah Waddell this past summer. The only information he had about his future host parent was a piece of paper with clinical details about the family.
MHS student heading to D.C. for award
After she was told in December that she would be receiving national recognition for her academic achievements, Marion High School senior Ariel Depler planned to attend the Council for Exceptional Children award ceremony to receive a “Yes I Can!” award April 27 in Washington D.C. Depler will fly to Washington D.C. April 26 with her mother Dana and MHS Principal Brenda Odgers to attend the award rehearsal and banquet the next day. On April 28, students will be taken for a sightseeing tour.
MHS FFA wins greenhand competition
Members of Marion-Florence FFA chapter won the greenhand division of the South Central District FFA Livestock Evaluation Career Development event April 6 at Hutchinson Community College. Other teams from MHS placed in the top of the freshman division.
MMS scholars place third in league
The Marion Middle School eighth-grade scholars’ bowl team posted a 5-4 record to place third in the Heart of America League meet April 5 at Remington. The Wildcats defeated Canton-Galva, 70-20; Inman, 70-40; Moundridge, 100-30; Remington, 70-60; and Sedgwick, 80-60. Their losses were against Ell Saline, 65-60; Bennington, 50-40; Berean Academy, 70-55; and Trinity, 80-45.

SPORTS

MHS track team takes 1-2-3 in pole vault, javelin
The Marion High School boys track and field team finished second out of 11 teams Friday at the Marion Relays track meet. Led by sophomore Zach Hammond who cleared 11 feet, the Marion High School pole vaulting team won the top three spots in the event. Seniors Randy Regnier and Dillon Richmond both cleared 10 feet, 6 inches to finish second and third respectively.
Warriors baseball off to impressive 7-1 start
Marion High School baseball coach Roger Schroeder was not entirely happy with his squad after two wins Tuesday in Galva. “It’s easy to get relaxed when you have a lead,” Schroeder said. “They’re not going to roll over and quit. We need to work hard behind our pitcher and not give them free bases.”
Eagles offense overpowers MHS softball team
The Marion High School softball team lost both games Tuesday against Canton Galva. The Warriors lost the first game, 11-4. All but two Warriors had a hit in the contest. Outfielder Raelene Allen went 2-for-4 with a run. First baseman Sarah Guetersloh went 2-for-3 with a run.
Centre, Goessel finish in top 5 at Hillsboro, Herington
The Centre and Goessel high school golf teams finished second and third respectively Friday at the Hillsboro Invitational Tournament. Cougar golfer Adam Matz won the tournament with a score of 76, shooting a 35 on the front nine holes. Tyler Klenda was the next highest Centre golfer with a score of 85, 41 on the front nine. Dylan Svitak finished 19th with a score of 93, 46 on the back nine.
Kassebaum, Kristek set personal records in high hurdles
The Centre High School track team competed Friday in the Marion Relays track meet. Theo Kassebaum finished third in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.90 seconds, and fifth in the 300 hurdles, 52.81.

Marion County RECORD

Before the USD 408 Board of Education meeting was fully underway Monday, three resignations were announced in the consent agenda. Michael Ayers is resigning from the Marion Middle School English teaching position.

State Rep. Bob Brookens sees the Rural Opportunity Zone as “a stroke of genius as an idea” and “a real opportunity for Marion County.” “We have always said, ‘If we can get them to move here, we can keep them here’,” Brookens said Monday after Gov. Brownback signed the bill.

Volunteers are needed for the Third Annual Marion County Park and Lake Volunteer Work Day 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Volunteers should meet at the lake hall parking lot with gloves, rakes, shovels, branch clippers, and weed eaters.

Volunteers are needed for the ninth annual Marion Reservoir Cleanup Day 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The cleanup, led by Mudpuppy Stream Team No. 2642, will remove trash and perform cleanup projects in the Cottonwood River basin centered on Marion Reservoir.

Walter E. Harder, 99, of Newton, died April 6 at Newton Presbyterian Manor. He was born Oct. 4, 1911, in Brainard, to Gustav and Anna (Wiebe) Harder.

Lucas Scott Hauck, 2, died April 9 in Peabody. He was born March 18, 2009, in Wichita, to Joshua D. and Autumn N. (Frazell) Hauck.

Cecile B. Kellenbarger, 55, Boeing analyst, died April 4. She was preceded in death by parents Frank and Betty Kellenbarger.

Paul Pankratz, 87, Hillsboro, died April 6 in Hillsboro. He was born Jan. 31, 1924, in rural Durham to Abe and Minnie (Frantz) Pankratz.

Jesse Clayton Richter, 91, of Peabody, died April 10 at his home. He was born Nov. 18, 1919, on a farm northwest of Peabody to Alvin and Hester (DuBois) Richter.

Delores J. Schmidt, 70, of Lehigh, died April 6 at The Cedars, McPherson. She was born Oct. 1, 1940, in Newton to Edward and Ruby (Adrian) Kasper.

Marion County Commission approved a resolution Monday to impose a 0.5 percent sales tax to pay for a new jail, sheriff’s office, and 911 facility. Voters approved the measure, 1,704-969, April 5.

We came across an editorial, written by the late editor and publisher Bill Meyer, that has prophetic undertones. The editorial was part of a series of comments Meyer wrote when the county commission gave every county employee a $40 per month pay increase during a slow economic time.

LETTERS:

BIRTH:

CORRESPONDENTS:

ENGAGEMENTS:

MEMORIES:

Members of Marion-Florence FFA chapter won the greenhand division of the South Central District FFA Livestock Evaluation Career Development event April 6 at Hutchinson Community College. Other teams from MHS placed in the top of the freshman division.

The Marion High School softball team lost both games Tuesday against Canton Galva. The Warriors lost the first game, 11-4. All but two Warriors had a hit in the contest. Outfielder Raelene Allen went 2-for-4 with a run. First baseman Sarah Guetersloh went 2-for-3 with a run.

The Centre High School track team competed Friday in the Marion Relays track meet. Theo Kassebaum finished third in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.90 seconds, and fifth in the 300 hurdles, 52.81.