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Dust and bumpy roads weren't the only obstacles Florence Grand Prix riders dealt with Sunday. Near the town's ballfield, they could choose to remain on a longer trail or attempt a shortcut by jumping blocks of cement, huge tires, tree logs, and balance beams to improve their time.


An honor guard and bugler from the Florence American Legion post made the rounds to three cemeteries Monday, making a traditional volley of three shots from a firing party before sounding "Taps" at Marion Cemetery, where more than 60 people honored veterans and listened to a brief speech about former classmate by Casey Case.


Surviving wheat fields like this one at 190th and Old Mill Rds. were nearing harvest Tuesday. What once appeared to be a promising wheat crop has deteriorated across parts of Marion County as harvest approaches.Hail damage, difficult spring weather, and declining yield expectations have clouded outlooks for local producers. Some crops already have been abandoned.


Surrounded by just enough vegetation to go mainly unnoticed, a fawn curls up near a street drain Sunday along S. 4th St. in Marion. Another fawn was discovered in tall grass in the same area a year ago, but this one vanished after being photographed.