HEADLINES

  • Algae warning extended, but it doesn't deter campers

    Marion Reservoir's blue-green algae warning, in effect since June 26, was extended Thursday until July 17. Over Independence Day weekend, however, the warning did not stop patrons from filling all 53 campsites in Hillsboro Cove and about 49 sites at Cottonwood Point. “Hillsboro Cove was 100 percent full and Cedar Point was about 40 percent full,” acting lead ranger Melissa Bean said. “This is my first year at Marion, but the staff here has informed me visitation for this weekend is consistent with past years.”

  • Six-month coughing spell baffles physicians

    Gary Ewert of Marion has no choice other than to be a good loser when playing hide-and-seek these days. Chronic coughing that has plagued Ewert continuously for nearly six months has doctors baffled, but it’s a dead giveaway for his 4-year-old grandson, Kael.

  • Bown-Corby could become apartments

    A Wichita developer is interested in purchasing Bown-Corby School and spending half a million dollars to create 8 to 12 apartments listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Marion City Council was told of the interest Monday and voted to authorize city staff to negotiate a contract that would pay the city $40,000 cash for the building, built in 1929, and adjoining land.

  • Sunrise auction worries tenants

    A decision by 22 local investors to offer Sunrise Townhomes on Eisenhower Dr. for auction July 29 has caused concern among some longtime residents. Federal tax credits the property received for housing low-income elderly residents expired this year. A new owner could raise rents and rent to whomever.

  • Painting quilts is one woman's passion

    She started with a simple painted design on a dog house, but rural Durham resident Joy Waldbauer has bigger plans for her newfound passion, painting quilt patterns on old barns and other farm buildings. “My goal is to do like 100 paintings,” Waldbauer said. A stroll around the farm she shares with her husband, Curtis Wedel, shows she’s off to a good start. Brightly colored painted quilt patterns adorn everything from a barn to an outhouse.

  • Stadium to get $16,778 sound system

    Warrior Stadium sound system and press box upgrades generated the most discussion at a school board meeting Monday. The Marion-Florence board unanimously approved purchase of a new $16,778 sound system from Sound Products Inc. of Topeka, the sole bidder.

  • Worker shortage could close Goessel polling place

    If additional workers for the Aug. 5 primary election cannot be found, county election officials may have no option but to close a normal polling place at the City Building in Goessel. County Clerk Tina Spencer, who also serves as election officer, is advertising for poll workers and asking city officials for help with recruiting.

  • Campaign ads banned

    Kansas Department of Transportation is reminding anyone planning to show support of a political campaign or business that signs and billboards may not be placed on highway rights of way. KDOT crews will remove business and political signs. Owners may claim them if the agree not to repost them illegally.

  • Centre's future leaders live up to their name

    Centre High School students Ally Basore, Nellie Kassebaum, Bryanna Svoboda, and Makenzie Deines had been to the Future Business Leaders of America leadership conference before, and they watched as others walked across stage to receive awards. Last week in Nashville, it was their turn in the spotlight.

  • Fleeing driver blames fear of gun

    A Herington man faces multiple charges after allegedly leaving the scene of an accident Thursday on US-56/77 near 330th Rd. north of Lincolnville. Police alleged that a 1999 GMC pickup driven by Andrew Wiens, 34, was struck from behind by a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu sedan driven by David Bryan, 22, of Junction City.

MORE HEADLINES

  • 1,094 without power for 2 hours

    Power to 1,094 Marion County residences and businesses failed for two hours Friday because of equipment failure on one of several transmission lines serving the area, a Westar Energy spokesman said Tuesday. Last week Westar reported only 446 had been affected.

  • Drivers ready for demo derby

    Preparation for a demolition derby takes time, and Tyler Wildin is making the most of his. For the past two weeks, Wildin has used evening hours to ready his entry for competition in the derby July 26 at the county fair.

  • Retiree restores antique radios

    Inside a workshop behind his Hillsboro home, Pete Klassen tunes Internet radio to music of the 1940s and ‘50s, while repairing radios made in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Outside of the workshop and within the same garage, Klassen has a hundred other antique radios, half of which are future projects while the rest serve as a radio salvage yard.

  • Pattern garners online interest

    After posting a picture of an original quilt design on social media, Sew What Quilt Shop has taken orders from quilters in California, Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Oregon. “We’ve never had this much interest in anything we have put on Facebook,” co-owner Carol Riggs said Thursday.

  • Mural may finally get touch up

    Farmers aren’t the only ones who’ve been trying to outguess the weather this past month. Administrator Roger Holter says rain is to blame for foiling several attempts to touch-up the mural in Marion’s Liberty Park.

DEATHS

  • Sarita Blosser

    Sarita Blosser, 56, of Goessel, who cooked for AGAPE senior center in Goessel and North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging, died Thursday at Via Christi Hospital on St. Francis in Wichita. Services were Saturday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. Jost Funeral Home was in charge.

  • Verna Epp

    Retired USD 410 cook Verna Epp, 93, died June 30 at Parkside Homes, Hillsboro. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church. Pastor Lynn Jost will officiate.

  • Brittney Gallaway

    Brittney Gallaway, 26, a former administrative assistant at Salem Home in Hillsboro, died July 4 at Rose Medical Center in Denver. Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church in Hillsboro. The family will receive guests from 9 a.m. until noon at the church.

  • Dalton Hein

    Dalton L. Hein, 87, a Hillsboro High School graduate and World War II veteran, died June 29 at Lowry Living Center in Denver, where he for many years had managed an auto repair shop. Inurnment will be at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver.

  • Stanley May

    Former Marion restauranteur Stanley E. May, 66, died July 5 at Dole Veterans Administration Medical Center in Wichita. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 tonight at Zeiner Funeral Home, Marion. A private family graveside service is planned at Marion Cemetery.

  • Carolyn McGranor

    Marion native Carolyn A. McGranor, 78, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, died July 2 at a hospital in nearby Leominster, Massachusetts. Private services and burial were planned in Marion. Brandon Funeral Home of Fitchburg was in charge of arrangements.

  • Cynthia Tajchman

    Lincolnville homemaker Cynthia Dunlap Tajchman, 48, died July 1 at Harry Hynes Hospice in Wichita. A private service and visitation were Monday at Zeiner Funeral Home, Marion.

  • James Wiederstein

    Former Marion resident and oilfield and refinery worker James Wiederstein, 84, of McPherson died July 6 at McPherson Hospital. A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Empire Cemetery, Galva. A memorial fund has been established with the American Legion Riders Chapter 24.

  • Howard Baker dies

    Howard Baker, husband of former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum of Burdick, died June 26 in his hometown of Huntsville, Tennessee, after suffering a stroke. Baker was a long-time senator, serving as Senate majority leader from 1981 to 1985. He also was chief of staff for President Ronald Reagan in 1987 to 1988.

DOCKET

GOVERNMENT

  • Council takes a few more swings at baseball

    Marion City Council once again took a few more swings at baseball — amateur and professional — at its semimonthly meeting Monday. Saying it was “a very frustrating experience” having served on the Marion Recreation Commission, Councilman Chad Atkins urged a greater level of accountability between the city and the school district, which jointly oversee recreation activities.

  • Citizens to get chance to sound off on code

    Marion’s proposed new city code — complete with a ban on livestock, new provisions for business licenses, and maybe limits on parking in residential yards — will face a public airing July 21 and possible adoption Aug. 4. Mayor Todd Heitschmidt told the City Council on Monday that he wanted to allow time for residents to comment on what the code would and would not do at the next council meeting, then move to adopt a final version two weeks later.

  • Tall corn good for farmers, not drivers

    Tall corn at the corner of Kanza and 190th Rds. has turned an intersection “very dangerous” for drivers, road and bridge supervisor Jesse Hamm told commissioners Monday. After speaking with the property owner, Hamm was checking with the commission to make sure what protocol should be followed.

  • Knak returns to EMS post

    After more than 22 years on the job and 11 years off, JoAnn Knak will fill in as Marion County EMS director. Her interim appointment comes after former director Steve Smith was relieved of duties June 30.

  • Motel bid barely over target

    Nearly 30 people packed the parking lot Tuesday evening at the former Holiday Motel in Florence. Most were there to watch, but it was Dan Fletcher of Florence that took home the prize with a $7,000 bid on the hotel — with the county standing to lose as much as $30,000 in back taxes. The county set a minimum bid of $5,000, but auctioneer Lyle Leppke had trouble getting that amount at the start. After dropping the price as low as $1,000, a bidding war ensued.

HEALTH

  • Life's different on other end of stethoscope

    Her own health problems, including extensive surgery to remove a liver tumor, have given physician Paige Hatcher Dodson a new outlook on physician-patient relations. Back at work Monday at St. Luke Medical Clinic for her first whole work day since her surgery June 10, Dodson said it had been difficult for her to be a patient rather than a physician.

  • Elderly encouraged to be wary of heat

    Older people, particularly with chronic medical conditions, are more susceptible to hyperthermia, an abnormally high body temperature. The National Institute on Aging recommends that they stay inside with air conditioning or a fan, drink plenty of fluids, and wear light clothing in hot weather. Hyperthermia is caused by failure of heat-regulating processes in the body. Symptoms include dizziness, cramps, and fatigue, and heat stroke.

  • Batterton to leave St. Luke clinic

    Advanced practice registered nurse Melissa Batterton will soon be leaving her position at St. Luke Medical Clinic closing out two and half years at the clinic. Her last day will be July 17. “We wish Melissa and her family nothing but the best during the next phase of their life,” interim St. Luke CEO Jeremy Ensey said. “Her contributions to St. Luke and to our wonderful community are greatly appreciated. She will be deeply missed by St. Luke and her patients.”

  • $10 physicals set

    St. Luke Medical Clinic, 537 S. Freeborn St., Marion, will provide $10 sports physicals from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and donate proceeds to student athletes’ schools. Each student must have a form, available from the clinic or coaches, and the form must be signed by a parent.

OPINION

  • For a two-time loser, he's a real winner

    How would you like to meet one of our nation’s last surviving heroes of World War II? Or, perhaps, someone who went to KU to play basketball for legendary coach Phog Allen? Maybe you’d prefer to congratulate a person instrumental in securing the dike and levee that ended decades of flooding in Marion. Or someone who courageously overcame a disability.

  • A burro is an ass

    I’ve had larger offices in my career. At Charles Drew University in Los Angeles, the director’s office had a gargantuan desk, a 10-seat conference table, and enough extra space to host a kiddie-league soccer match, with a concession stand in the corner. But no office has ever felt quite so big as this one — the news editor’s office at Hoch Publishing.

  • In the light of day

    My eventful trips to Ramona have always been at night. Years ago I decided the quaint U.S. Post Office, outlined in white lights at Christmas, was “must view” classic Americana, and this storm-chaser believes some of the best lightning pictures in the county are to be had in and around this little town. Ramona in daylight, on the Fourth of July, was a completely different kind of eventful. Classic Americana with a redneck twist. Or better still, a redneck half-nelson with a full body slam, topped off with a folding chair smackdown.

  • ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

    Imagining togetherness

PEOPLE

  • Couple plans August wedding

    John and Carla Hajek of Tampa announce the engagement of their daughter, Amy Jo Hajek, to Tyler Garret Richmond, son of Tom and Eula Richmond of Marion and the late Lori Richmond. The bride-to-be is a 2008 graduate of Centre High School and a 2012 graduate of Manhattan Area Technical College. She is employed at Herington Municipal Hospital.

  • Pastor emphasizes young families

    Eastmoor United Methodist’s new pastor, the Rev. Dan Ferguson, hopes to increase popularity of the church’s contemporary service and get more young families to join. Ferguson, a pastor in Pratt for eight years, replaces Mike Eurit, who after eight years in Marion has been assigned to preach at Church of the Cross in Salina.

  • Villa to sponsor herb workshops

    Use of dill, lavender, and tarragon will be the subject of cooking workshops July 17 and 19 at Villa on the Prairie in Florence. The workshops are the latest in a monthly series presented by Karyn Woodward. Cost for each session is $25. Participants may register by calling Phoebe Janzen, (620) 382-4191.

  • Redneck in Ramona results

  • Burdick pastor stays relatively close to home

    Becoming the new part-time pastor at the United Methodist Church in Burdick is letting Michael Graber stay close to his mother. “She lives alone, and I’m the closest of my siblings, so it’s up to me to make sure she gets to her doctor’s appointments and take her to get groceries,” he said. “The part time hours and the distance make it ideal.”

  • Best halfway in-between place I've seen

    Choosing where you live sometimes involves nothing more than picking a spot on a map. For new Marion resident Kaye Anderson, that’s exactly how she ended up in Marion.

  • Democrats look at list

    Marion County Democratic Women checked a list of 1,025 registered county Democrats at their meeting June 27 at Marion Senior Center. Members packaged pasta for the Marion County Food Bank. Information about a possible 2015 Kansas Day performer will be given at the July meeting.

  • Chat and Dine to meet

    Chat and Dine Club will sponsor its annual cookout potluck at 6:30 p.m. Saturdayat the east shelter house at Marion County Park and Lake. Burgers and hotdogs will be provided. Participants are being asked to bring a side dish.

  • Blood drive set for Monday

    American Red Cross will sponsor a blood drive from 2:15 to 6:15 p.m. Monday at Eastmoor United Methodist Church, Marion. Walk-ins are welcome. Donors may also make appointments by calling (800) 733-2767.

  • Powers tabbed to lead state judges

    Chief Judge Michael Powers of Marion, who oversees courts in the 8th Judicial District, including Dickinson, Geary, and Morris Counties, has been named president-elect of the statewide Kansas District Judges Association. Powers, who will become president next July 1, became a district judge for Marion and Morris Counties in 1991. Before that, he spent 11 years in private practice and as Morris County attorney.

  • MARION SENIOR CENTER:

    Don't know what it is? The yolk's on you
  • MEMORIES:

    10, 25, 35, 50, 60, 100, 125 years ago

SCHOOL AND SPORTS

  • Golf tournament to fight cancer

    The Burdick Bunch Relay for Life team will have its annual golf tournament Aug. 9 at Herington Country Club. The event raises money for the American Cancer Society Included will be a four-person scramble and lunch. Cost is $45 per person.

  • Tabor professor exhibits art based on Psalms

    A 40-day meditation on verses from Psalms led to a group of paintings that Shin-hee Chin, associate professor of visual art at Tabor College, is exhibiting at The Gallery at Pioneer Bluffs in Matfield Green. “If you practice something for 40 days, you can master it,” Chin said. “Forty days for me is a magical word, but it’s also a Biblical time.

  • Library to show movies

    Marion City Library will be showing movies at 2:30 p.m. every Wednesday through July 23. Drinks and popcorn will be provided. An adult must accompany children younger than 7. For movie titles, call (620) 382-2442.

  • Area students graduate, earn honors

    Bethel Five Marion County students were included on Bethel College’s list of 2014 bachelor’s degree graduates released last week.

  • Bowling team takes 186th place

    Tampa State Bank bowling team placed 186th out of 341 teams that competed in a three-month state tournament this spring. Team members included Barry Allen, Jim Wyatt, Wilbert Backhus, Doug Marler, and Willard Glasco.

MORE…

Email: | Also visit: Hillsboro Star-Journal and Peabody Gazette-Bulletin | © 2024 Hoch Publishing

 

 

 

BACK TO TOP