BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
Beaches at Marion County Park and Lake and Marion Reservoir are open again, but both lakes remain under a blue-green algae advisory. Kansas Department of Health and Environment downgraded the status of the lakes from “warning,” which triggered the closing of beaches at both lakes.
The beach area at Marion County Park and Lake and beach areas at Marion Reservoir are closed because of blue-green algae after testing by Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Both bodies of water are open for fishing and boating. Reservoir office administrator Torey Hett said small children and dogs should stay out of the reservoir water.
Burlon Shepherd, 76, of Wichita was found dead in his camper May 15 at Marion Reservoir. Neighboring camping friends at Cottonwood Point called Shepherd’s son after they were unable to make contact with Shepherd that morning, according to a press release from Marion County Sheriff Robert Craft.
With three No. 1 hit singles and 11 top-100 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the span of three studio albums from 1985 through 1989 and a compilation album, Starship featuring Mickey Thomas is arguably the most decorated band to appear at Chingawassa Days since the festival’s inception. “I like so much about touring,” lead singer Thomas said Monday. “I just like traveling.”
An army sergeant was facing the troops gathered before him. “Does anybody here know how to type?” he asked. “I need someone who can type.”
Central Station youth center in Marion has found a niche providing a place to hang out for children, mostly in fifth through eighth grades. A typical Friday or Saturday night has about 40 children in attendance, but there is much more of a shortage of adult volunteers to supervise the evenings. Week after week, the same handful of families volunteer to keep an eye out and make sure the children stay safe.
A life-threatening head injury in 2006 left Washburn Rural High School senior Joe White with permanent partial paralysis and speech problems. White has become a popular speaker on the school assembly circuit, sharing his story of how alcohol and bad decision-making led to the injury that forever changed his life. More than 600 students heard his presentation at Marion High School. What White doesn’t share in his school presentations is the key role his Christian faith has played in his miraculous recovery and ongoing work.
Memorial Day is Monday, and there will be many services throughout the area honoring members of the armed forces who paid the ultimate price to defend their country. Hillsboro
Paul Lewis Atkins, 77, of Peabody died May 17, 2012. He was born Aug. 20, 1934, to Clinton Edgar Atkins and Jessie Luella (Hess) Atkins in Peabody. He graduated from Emporia State University and served in the U.S. Army. He was a retired finishing carpenter.
MARION — Della E. Coe, 85, passed away May 16, 2012, at Via Christi Village — Broadmoor of Wichita. She was born in Herington, April 28, 1927, to Adolph and Tina (Martinez) Escobar. On Oct. 28, 1948, she was united in marriage to A.J. Coe. She was a homemaker. She was preceded by her husband, A.J., and a son, Bruce.
John R. (Jack) DiFelice, 67, of Marion, died suddenly, on May 17, 2012 at his residence. He is formerly of Blackwood, New Jersey. He was preceded in death by parents, Rocco and Genevieve DiFelice, and a sister, Lorraine DiFelice.
Robert F. Hagans, 85, of Overland Park died Monday. He was a 1944 graduate of Marion High School, and his sister, Jean Case, lives in Marion. Services are pending.
Irene M. Nienstedt, 104, of South Hutchinson died May 21, 2012, at Hospice House in Hutchinson. She was a longtime resident of Florence, but had lived in the care of her daughter for the past five years. She was born July 2, 1907, in rural Florence to G.F. and Mary (Meirowsky) Waner. She graduated from Florence High School in 1925. She married Frank Nienstedt on Nov. 11, 1930. She was a homemaker.
Martha Willems, 86, of Hillsboro died May 20, 2012 at Parkside Homes. She was born April 24, 1926, in Corn, Okla., to Peter and Marla (Ens) Willems. She was a missionary teacher.
Like many Marion County farmers, Dallas Jost of rural Hillsboro sometimes wonders if the struggle to keep up with the farm, the full-time job, the land payments, etc. is worth it. “I don’t know if the kids ‘get it’ yet, what makes this place special,” he said. “It’s hard to put into words, but it’s more than working the ground, planting and harvesting. There is a heritage here. When I find things like this arrowhead, it makes me wonder what went on here before our time; and I feel connected to it. I want my kids to feel that too.”
When Erik Runge can hear the mechanical rumble of a half track crunching along in the distance, when he feels the cool wood of a Gewhr rifle as he lines up to advance, leading his men into certain slaughter, he feels fear; it feels real enough. “There are moments in a reenactment when you’re totally immersed and you feel fear — it looks real, it sounds real,” Runge said.
The Kansas Supreme Court on Monday canceled statewide court furloughs that were scheduled for Thursday and Friday, as well as two in June. The furloughs were canceled because the Kansas Legislature passed a budget that included a supplemental allocation to prevent the furloughs in this fiscal year. Gov. Sam Brownback hadn’t yet signed the budget, but the Supreme Court expected approval. The furloughs were originally scheduled because the court system had a revenue shortfall caused by a drop in filing fees collected statewide.
Mayor Tim Svoboda informed Tampa’s city council at their meeting May 7 that a new culvert is needed at the ballpark entrance. Paul Backhus volunteered to pick up a culvert. Wilbert Backhus moved, and Don Zaideman seconded to buy the new culvert for the ball field. The motion carried. Svoboda asked Russell Kerbs about the condition of the culvert next to his place.
Plans for renovation and use of the east wing of the Marion County Special Education Cooperative offices in Marion were a primary topic of discussion Monday at the MCSEC Board meeting. MCSEC Director David Sheppard told the board that required environmental testing by Jantzen Construction had not been done.
Marion County Commission approved a cell phone plan for the Road and Bridge Department with U.S. Cellular on Monday. Half the department is already using a U.S. Cellular plan along with sheriff’s and appraisers offices. The commission approved a plan to include all the phones in the department, which is slated to cost $3,240 for a two-year contract. The phones themselves cost a penny apiece.
A curiosity about the names of World War I soldiers on the 7-by-4-foot painting in the Peabody Township Library has set Virginia Skinner on a path into the past. Skinner took up the somewhat daunting challenge of finding out what happened to the 176 service men from the Peabody area who survived the war. She has conversed or corresponded with descendants of 66 of them.
The unusual damage stood out, even amidst the crumpled, dilapidated remains of a farm outbuilding in central Marion County. Two 1 inch x 6 inch boards were shredded, clawed and gnawed to clear the way to a hole underneath the rubble. Muddy impressions of paw prints covered the piece of tin laying on top. A short distance away, atop a piece of fiberglass, was one solitary print, larger and different from the rest.
Marion Chamber of Commerce Secretary Margo Yates gave a presentation to the chamber about events at Chingawassa Days. New events on Saturday include two performances by a magician, a performance by Wild Women of the Frontier, a presentation by Kansas City Chiefs broadcaster Kendall Gammon, a performance by cloggers from McPherson, a frozen T-shirt contest, and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament.
Westar Energy is warning customers to be aware of a scam that has affected other utility customers in several states across the country. The scam claims the federal government is providing credits or applying payments to customers’ utility bills. According to reports, scammers are handing out flyers, using social media, and sending text messages. They ask for personal information, including Social Security numbers, saying the information is needed to apply payments to customers’ utility bills.
Marion Kiwanis Club will host a hospitality room at Marion Elementary School following the Memorial Day ceremony at Marion Cemetery. “It’s a service we do for people to have a place to go, chat and get reacquainted,” Kiwanis member Pauline Holub said. “It’s very well attended.”
At 7 p.m. on Sunday, the First Baptist Church of Durham is hosting an evening of Gospel music featuring SONrise, a husband and wife team — the Rudolphs, from Dallas, Ore. They are members of the Pacific Gospel Music Association. A free-will offering will be receieved for the ministry of SONrise. First Baptist Chruch is located at 725 Abilene St., Durham, one block west of the Red Barn Café.
Marion PRIDE will have a public meeting at noon June 18 at the Marion City Library to discuss downtown beautification. Engineer Darin Neufeld will present ideas and information at the meeting. It will be the second meeting on the topic. The first meeting was Monday.
Mid-Kansas Cooperative Community Involvement Committee is organizing a food drive to support local food pantries. The collection of non-perishable food items will begin June 1 and end on June 30. Donation sites will be located at each MKC co-op — Florence, Goessel, Peabody, and Burns. Bags will be provided to those traveling to and from the elevators during the harvest to bring items in. A collective goal of 1,000 pounds of non-perishable food items has been set.
Recent Tabor College graduates Aaron Phillips and his brother, Levi Phillips, grew up in Thailand, where cultue and family played an important role in daily life. For the past four years, culture and family also contributed to the brothers’ educational challenges and success, culminating in two worlds brought together in Hillsboro, the weekend of their commencement exercises. “We lived in Thailand for 23 years, so all five of our children grew up there,” father Michael Phillips said. “Three are our blood children and two we adopted because they were with us all the time and just became a very important part of our family.”
The Happy Hustlers 4-H Club met on May 7, led by President Nicholas Meyer. Community leader Angie Stika announced the club’s responsibilities for the Marion County Fair. She also shared information on the Ambassador program, Kansas 4-H Foundation, and Tri-County Fair.
CORRESPONDENTS:
Marion Assisted Living,
Marion Senior Center,
TampaENGAGEMENTS:
Robinett-Geis,
Lewis-NottinghamMEMORIES:
10,
25,
35,
50,
60,
100,
125 years agoWEDDING:
Korte-Hauser
Erin (Korte) Hauser graduated from Washburn University in Topeka on May 12, receiving a master’s degree in business administration. Gary and Karen Korte of Emporia are her parents. Forrest and Marie Anderson of Burdick are her grandparents.
Jeffery Jones, Mercedes Love, and Brittany Love, three graduates of the Kansas Online Learning Program sponsored by USD 397, walked across the stage Sunday at Centre High School to receive high school diplomas with the 13 CHS graduates. Seven other online students also received diplomas. Among the graduates were Max Kemble, son of Superintendent Jerri Kemble, and Shane Methvin, son of board of education president Brent Methvin.
After a potluck supper May 15 at Centre High School, staff members presented numerous scholarships and other awards to students. Sponsor Cindy Riedel announced new National Honor Society officers. They are Tom Oborny, president; Carrie Carlson, vice president; Makenzie Deines, secretary; Justin Deines, treasurer, and Ty Simons, student council representative.
Sunshine Country Preschool had its graduation ceremony May 16 in the basement of the Marion City Building. Ten students performed a musical program before being presented with their diplomas. Upon completion of the ceremony, graduates were honored with a reception hosted by their parents, their teacher, Michele Regnier, and her family.
Justin Garrard of Ottawa received a master’s degree in business administration May 5 from Ottawa University at a Hooding and Commencement Ceremony. He graduated with highest honors. While working on his degree, Garrard was an assistant cross-country and track coach for Ottawa University.
It was a good day Friday for Centre High School at the 1A regional track meet in Burlington. With the top four finishers in each event qualifying for the state track meet Friday and Saturday in Wichita, Centre qualified nine athletes in seven events. “This is the most athletes and events we have qualified for in several years,” coach Alan Stahlecker said. “I was very pleased with the way our athletes competed for top placings.”
Centre High School golfer Kodey Johnson finished 33rd out of 87 golfers Monday at the 1A state golf tournament in Hutchinson. Johnson shot a 104. Teammate Dylan Svitak finished just behind in 36th place with a score of 105.
Marion High School athletes scored personal bests and two school records Friday as the Warriors captured state meet berths in 14 events during regional track and field competition at Warrior Stadium. Sophomore James Jones uncorked the best long jump in school history, erasing a mark that had stood for 41 years when he soared 22 feet, 3.75 inches to take second place in the event. The effort was almost two feet farther than Jones’ previous best.
Eleven solid innings May 16 brought Marion High School within three outs of a first-ever regional championship and a ticket to the Class 3A state baseball tournament. One inning later, the Warriors found themselves on the outside looking in, as Sacred Heart scored 3 runs in the top of the seventh inning to clinch a 3-0 win. Marion hitters were on fire in the semifinal, smashing 14 hits in a 10-0, 5-inning rout of Moundridge.