Marion County RECORD

Owners of Big Scoop plan to reopen after fire

There was a fire at The Big Scoop restaurant in the early morning hours Monday. Marion Fire Chief Mike Regnier said the fire was spotted at 2:25 a.m. and it took until about 5 a.m. to extinguish the fire. Owner Rusty Stenseng said the damage was extensive including the dining room ceiling that collapsed.

180 people attend celebration

Amy Osteen got up from her balcony seat at the Celtic Celebration knowing one thing: she just had to dance. “It is so much fun,” the 4-year-old said as she danced down the aisle of the auditorium balcony. “I love the music. It makes me want to move my feet.”

Someone is filching food at Carlsons'

Roger Normand was aghast when he saw two cookies were missing from its plastic container at Carlsons’ Grocery store. “I just wanted some chocolate chip cookies,” the Pilsen resident said. “I can’t believe someone would stoop so low to open up a package of cookies, eat two of them and then put the package back on the shelf to be sold. Someone must be awfully hungry to go and do that.”

40% skip school in Peabody because of threat

Nearly 40 percent of junior and senior high school students in Peabody stayed home from school Friday because of a bomb threat scrawled on a restroom wall two weeks earlier. School officials chose not to notify the public of the threat but did notify parents via a letter sent a week after the threat was received.

Helen E. Costello

Helen E. Costello, 93, of Tampa died Sunday at Derby Health and Rehabilitation in Derby. She was born Dec. 15, 1919, at Pratt to L.F. and Marie Alexander Daughtry. She grew up and attended school in Pratt, graduating from Pratt High School. She attended Pratt College for two years, then Emporia Teachers College.

Carl E. Cyr

Carl E. Cyr, 71, of McPherson died Feb. 26 at Hospice House in Hutchinson. He was born May 18, 1941, in Como to Clarence E. and Lena E. (Biery) Cyr. He attended schools in Como, Mulberry, and Morganville and graduated from Clay Center High School in 1959. He attended Washburn University in Topeka. He was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in McPherson and St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Marion.

Frank J. Ediger

Frank J. Ediger, 91, of Hillsboro died Sunday at Parkside Homes. He was born Sept. 28, 1921, to Frank C. and Martha (Harms) Ediger in Henderson, Neb. He is survived by his wife, Elvina of Hillsboro; three sons, Dennis of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Mark of Junction City, and Garth of Overland Park; a daughter, Juanita Carter of Topeka; 10 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Alene R. Engel

Alene R. (McCoy) Engel, 93, of Hillsboro died Sunday at Salem Home in Hillsboro. She was born Jan. 31, 1920, to Frank and Laura (Rodes) Burdette, rural Herington. She married Dale McCoy in 1940; he died in 1955. She then married Charles A. Engel.

Betty A. Fetrow

Betty A. Fetrow, 90, of Cedar Point died Feb. 26 at Newton Medical Center. She was born Sept. 25, 1922, in El Dorado to Harry and Alma (Dorman) Wilson. She was a retired school teacher. She married H. Mason Fetrow on June 10, 1943.

Calvin Seadeek

Calvin Everett Seadeek, 70, of Council Grove died Feb. 27 at his residence. He was born Feb. 2, 1943, in Holland, N.Y., to Everett and June (Wheeler) Seadeek. He married Linda Kay Smith on Aug. 22, 1970, in Winter Park, Fla.

Vernon D. Stika

Vernon D. Stika, 67, of Tampa died Sunday at Hillsboro Community Hospital. He was born June 1, 1945, in Marion to Mike and Helen Stika. He lived in the Tampa community all his life and was a mechanic. He is survived by two brothers, LaVerne of Herington and Eugene of Lincolnville.

Ivan W. Wyatt

Ivan W. Wyatt, 83, of Clements died Feb. 25 at Holiday Resort in Emporia. He was born March 20, 1929, in Bazaar to Carl A. and Gladys J. Stout Wyatt. He graduated from Clements High School in 1947. He married Martha Mushrush on July 2, 1950. They later divorced.

Accidents reported

Civil cases

County jail

Criminal cases

Deeds

Emergency dispatches

Hillsboro police

Marion police

Marriage licenses

Offenses

Peabody police

Traffic cases

Air-soft entrepreneur has a blast making money

Aaron Woelk, 15, did not start out trying to make money with his air-soft gun hobby; he just wanted a gun that worked so he could shoot his friends, all in fun, of course. “I had been saving my money for a while, looking online, and learning all I could about them before I bought my first one,” Woelk said. “Then I bought one and it broke right away. I tried to fix it, then figured out I could make more money just selling the parts online and using that to buy a new one.”

Resident pinches pennies

Lucy Mester of Marion filled up her gas tank Thursday, knowing that she was using every penny left in her checking account. “With the gas prices this high, it’s hard to make ends meet,” she said. “I’ve got to pinch every penny so I can get where I need to go. Being on a fixed income isn’t fun, but you do what you’ve got to do in order to get by.”

Tax forms have difficult lingo

When Jennifer and Mark Stevens got married last July, they thought life would be easier with a joint income. “Boy, were we wrong,” Jennifer Stevens said. “We honestly thought that having two incomes would give us more money to work with each month, but it’s not that easy. Especially now, during tax season, there is just so much you have to think about.

Bad credit happens

Sometimes, no matter how hard one tries to make bill payments on time and to avoid excessive debt, bad credit happens. Everyone with a credit record also has a credit score and lenders use these scores to determine loan rates and possibilities. A higher score is better than a lower score. Loan officer and Great Plains Federal Credit Union manager Elizabeth Wine said cleaning up bad credit is imperative to raising a lending score to acceptable status.

Noller named executive vice president

After more than 35 years of banking, Don Noller has been promoted to the position of executive vice president and cashier at Marion National Bank in Marion. “In a small bank like this, my duties don’t change too much,” Noller said in a phone interview. “I guess they thought that I had been here long enough that I deserved to be promoted, hopefully that will include a pay raise.”

CNB reports record earnings

The year 2012 produced the best earnings performance that Central National Bank has ever had in a single year with a net of $9.3 million. The bank had record earnings in the trust department as well as an outstanding year for the mortgage banking division. “We are very pleased with our results during 2012,” President and Chief Executive Officer Ed. C. Rolfs said. “We have weathered a challenging economic period in recent years, and it’s a significant milestone to finish the year with a record income total. In addition to strong earnings, our reserves and capital are also robust.”

Beware of phone scam

Another scam to part bank customers from their money is making its rounds. Don Noller of Marion National Bank said his bank has received notification from its data processor that four banks have called about scam attempts on debit cards. Cardholders receive calls on their cell phones telling them their debit cards have been blocked by their bank. They are asked to enter their debit card number to clear up the matter.

Derelict property owner has 45 days

Marion City Council agreed to give a derelict property owner 45 days to contact building inspector Marty Frederickson in order to comply with code violations for a house located at 401 N. Roosevelt St. A petition to bring the property up to code or have it demolished was signed by seven Marion residents living on Roosevelt. It was dated Oct. 25. The petition states the house “has been a haven for drug activity in the last several years, it is an eye sore and it devalues property.” Police Chief Tyler Mermis affirmed the drug den allegation at the meeting.

Taxable values increase in county

An increase in the value of farmland is driving an overall increase in Marion County assessed property values, County Appraiser Cindy Magill told the County Commission on Thursday. The assessed value of farmland in the county went up about 7 percent, while the total assessed value for the county went up 3.5 percent before the appeals process, Magill said after the meeting.

Legislators concerned about tax changes

State Sen. Jay Emler and State Rep. John Barker spoke about concerns they have with proposed changes to income, property, and sales taxes during a legislative coffee Saturday morning at Country Lakes Café in Marion. Emler said that a bill to extend property tax exemptions to a large class of industrial and commercial equipment would hurt tax revenue for local entities across the state and drive up taxes on homes. He said it would be especially difficult for small towns to absorb the tax hit.

Transparency is best defense

I got a call late Thursday night about a bomb threat at Peabody-Burns Junior/Senior High School that had been discovered two weeks earlier. We found out just in time to cover the last of the response, as the threat said the explosion would be Friday (there was no explosion, thankfully). Interviews revealed that the only people who were notified of the threat through official channels were school and law enforcement personnel and the parents of students — not the fire department, not the county commission, not the gas company, not the press, and not the general public. At least some of that seems to have stemmed from confusion of who was going to notify whom about the threat. Peabody Police Chief Bruce Burke thought the fire department and gas company had been informed. But part of it was a decision to only notify those the decision-makers determined needed to know.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

LETTERS:

Melting snow gives wheat a chance

If it takes 11 or 12 inches of snow to make an inch of water, most Marion County wheat fields are in the process of soaking up just over an inch or two of the coveted moisture. “I don’t think we can say we’ve broken the drought, but this moisture has eased the situation,” said K-State research and extension agent Rickey Roberts on Tuesday. “We have the top soil moisture we need and there is enough for wheat to break dormancy and start growing, but we still need more moisture to replenish the subsoil losses we’ve had over the past several years.”

World Day of Prayer involves 4 local churches

Women from four Marion churches and Burdick United Methodist Church observed World Day of Prayer on Friday at Valley United Methodist Church. Welcoming “The Stranger,” portrayed by Jackie Volbrecht, were Mary Ford, Cathy Henderson, Carol Broadstreet, Linda Ogden, Helen Reznicek, Margaret Wilson, Connie Fisher, Donna Kreutziger, Ann Carr, Jan Helmer, and Kay Lindsey.

Child screening is March 12

Marion County Special Education Committee services will offer a free screening for children birth through five years old on March 12 at the Marion Presbyterian Church. Parents can schedule appointments from 3 to 5:30 p.m. At the screening children will be checked for learning, motor, language, and social development. Vision and hearing tests will also be offered.

Serenity Gardens to give auxiliary program

St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary will host a program Thursday presented by Serenity Gardens. Coffee will be served at 9:30 a.m. and the meeting will be at 10 a.m.

Happy Hustlers 4-H club reports on county decisions

Nick and Elizabeth Meyer told Happy Hustler 4-H Club members at their Feb. 4 meeting that the county council will let fair participants sell one project each at the auction this year. This will allow all members, not just livestock project members, to earn money for their work. The Meyers also told their club members that the council was working on a fair theme and might shorten the fair week by one day with schedule changes.

Improvised musical next at McPherson

“Broadway’s Next Hit Musical,” an improvised musical comedy, will be at the McPherson Opera House at 7 p.m. Saturday. “I love to book shows that involve audience participation, and this one does it in spades,” said John Holecek, opera house executive director. “Each person in the audience is asked to make up a song title and write it down on a paper slip we provide. The six performers then randomly pull song titles out of a fishbowl and make up songs to go with the titles. The audience then votes on the song they like best, and right before their eyes, the cast delivers a full-blown, improvised musical comedy based on the song.”

Rain barrel class offered

Marion County Economic Development and Kansas State University Research and Extension are sponsoring a rain barrel and composter class from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 28 at the Marion County Lake Hall. Cheri Miller of the Wyandotte County Conservation District will present demonstrations on rain barrel use and composting, as well as information on storm water, watershed, backyard conservation, and native plants.

Spring storytime starts

Marion City Library’s spring storytime will be from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Fridays, beginning Friday and continuing through April 19. Storytime is for children ages 3 to 5 and includes stories, crafts, and snacks. Space is limited. Call (620) 382-2442 to reserve a space or for more information.

Brunch to raise money for cancer research

The Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6958 in Marion will have a breakfast and brunch of biscuits and sausage gravy, sausage links, bacon, juice, and coffee from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the post home, 420 W. Santa Fe St., Marion. Donations will be collected for cancer aid and research. Since 1947, the Ladies Auxiliary has raised more than $100 million nationwide.

Grandstand headliners set for State Fair

The Kansas State Fair announced its lineup for its 100th birthday celebration this September. Kansas, Eli Young Band, Jars of Clay and Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers with Billy Dean are the first acts confirmed for the 2013 Kansas State Fair, running Sept. 6-15.

Author to speak at library

Author Robert Collins will give a presentation on “Kansas County Seat Conflicts” at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Marion City Library. Since the establishment of the Kansas Territory in 1855 well into the 20th century, communities have fought over being named the county seat. More than 60 of the state’s 105 counties have seen some attempt, successful or not, to move the county seat from the original site. Some conflicts were brief, like a two-month effort in Reno County, and others have been long, like the eight-decade struggle over the seat of Logan County. Some have been notorious for violence, like the conflict between Woodsdale and Hugoton in Stevens County.

Spencer plans MOPS appearance

The spring speaker for Marion Mothers of Preschoolers will be Becky Spencer. Spencer is a singer-songwriter called “the fight lady” not because she likes confrontation but because life’s hardships taught her to be a “scrapper in the Spirit.”

Blood drive is Monday

There will be a blood drive for the American Red Cross from 2:15 to 6:45 p.m. Monday at Eastmoor United Methodist Church, Marion. Appointments may be made by calling (800) 733-2767, and walk-ins are welcome. Blood donors are encouraged to drink extra fluids before donating and to be aware of any low-iron conditions. People who can’t donate blood but wish to help can contribute to the canteen fund to provide staff, blood donors, and volunteers with food at the blood drive.

Kiwanis hears about Gideons' mission

Greg Bowers spoke Tuesday to Marion Kiwanis about Gideons International, of which he is a member. The organization is best known for placing Bibles in hotel rooms, but it also places them in hospitals, nursing homes, physicians’ offices, and distributes them at schools, colleges, jails, and to military, emergency response, and police personnel.

Nikkel to speak at Lifelong Learning

Former Tabor College President Larry Nikkel will be the keynote speaker Friday at Lifelong Learning in Hillsboro. He will speak about his recently published autobiography, “Leading and Following — The Path of Service,” and share insights from his family life and leadership experiences. A special musical presentation by a new Tabor College music teacher, soprano Janie Brokenicky, is also on the program.

ANNIVERSARY:

BIRTH:

CORRESPONDENTS:

MEMORIES:

Aluminum pour shows whole process

Marion High School art teacher Janessa Wood likes to show her students every detail that goes into a work of art. She had her advanced art students build their own canvases for the same reason she wanted to do an aluminum pour on Friday. Students from MHS and Marion Middle School crowded into the vocational agriculture building to observe aluminum scraps melted in a crucible furnace and then poured into more than 30 square sand molds.

Marion school play is Thursday and Friday

Marion High School will have performances of “If a Man Answers” Thursday and Friday for its spring musical. JayDee Schafers and Isaac Baldwin star in the three-act comedy. In the play, a wife receives the secret to a happy marriage from her mother — a dog training manual. The wife proceeds to train her husband until he is tipped off by her friend.

Police to enforce seatbelt law at school

Marion Police Department and other law enforcement agencies will step up enforcement of seatbelt requirements around schools starting March 11.
In 2012, 43 teenagers lost their lives in car crashes in Kansas; 74 percent of those killed were not using a seatbelt. The fine for not using a seatbelt is $10 for adults.

Marion grad receives scholarship

Kaylyn Spencer, a 2010 Marion High School graduate and a junior at Tabor College, recently was named co-recipient of the John J. Killian Scholarship. Awarded by the Kansas Society of CPAs Education Foundation, the $1,250 was the fifth awarded to a Tabor student.

TEEN meeting is March 13

The Technology Excellence in Education Network will have its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. March 13 in the USD 408 District Office, 101 N. Thorp St., Marion. For more information, contact TEEN Director Brandi Hendrix at (620) 877-0237.

Kemble gets tech-savvy award

When Jerri Kemble started working at Centre School District, the school system only had desktop computers. Now technology is integrated into every aspect of the educational system. “Large districts have a good dose of bureaucracy — dozens of boards and plenty of committees,” she said. “But because we are small, we can make things happen right away. If you find something and you know it’s good for kids, you don’t have to wait 12 months for the decision to be approved. We can say, ‘We’re just going to do it.’ We’re not going to relent in trying to give each student the best education possible.”

FFA breakfast rescheduled

The Centre FFA chapter will serve breakfast to the Centre community from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday at Burdick United Methodist Church. The event is in celebration of National FFA Week.

FCCLA STAR event held in Marion

Members of the Marion chapter of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America participated in the annual District G STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) events and election held
Feb. 13 at Eastmoor United Methodist Church in Marion. Lauren McLinden received a two-star rating (silver medal) in job interview and was elected District G president for the 2013-14 school year. She will represent District G at the state leadership event April 8 in Wichita.

Lady Cougars head to state

For the second consecutive year, the Centre girls’ basketball team has advanced to the state tournament. The second-seed Lady Cougars defeated first-seed Fairfield on Saturday, 60-37, in the championship game of the Class 1A, Division I sub-state tournament at Burrton. They defeated third-seed Pretty Prairie on Thursday, 44-33.

Centre golf benefit is April 27

The Centre High School benefit golf tournament will be April 27 at the Herington Country Club golf course. The format of the tournament will be a four-person scramble. The tournament will be limited to 36 teams with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. There will be prizes for the top three teams in each flight and for longest drive, closest to the pin, and longest putt.

Warrior boys lose comeback attempt

It was a great comeback that the Marion Warriors could not quite finish in a 71-65 loss to Sacred Heart. The Marion boys’ basketball team was down 42-32 to start the third quarter on Friday in Hillsboro.

Marion girls lose first round of sub-state

Marion freshman guard Kirsten Hansen had seven points for the Warriors coming off the bench, including three-for-three from the free-throw line, Feb. 27 in the Warriors’ sub-state game against Hillsboro. Hansen had a good overall game with five rebounds to lead the team, two offensive, and three steals. “When she goes out there she gives a good effort,” head coach Kelly Robson said. “Kirsten was willing to throw her body around tonight.”

Centre boys end season in 2nd round

After entering the 1A Division 1 sub-state tournament at Burrton with a first-round bye, the second-seed Centre Cougars were defeated Friday by third-seed Fairfield, 60-50, ending their season with a record of 12-10. It was the final game of their high school basketball career for seniors Justin Deines, Kodey Johnson, Cory Brunzell, James Wyatt, and Houston Svoboda.

Marion County soccer club opens registration

Marion County United Soccer Club is reopening registration for its 10th spring season of soccer. Players who played in the fall may register at no additional charge.

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