Marion County RECORD

UPDATED AGAIN: Mayor succeeds in blocking council discussion of chief

Despite city council members agreeing two weeks ago to discuss police chief Gideon Cody, Mayor David Mayfield took steps Friday to remove the topic from their agenda and was supported Monday by two other council members. Vice Mayor Ruth Herbel attempted Monday to amend the council agenda to restore the planned executive session regarding Cody. Her motion failed, 3-2, however, with council members Zach Collett and Kevin Burkholder joining Mayfield. Council member Jerry Kline supported Herbel's motion.

Ambulance director quits; license challenge remains

County ambulance director Curt Hasart, embattled for months about whether he failed to report pending criminal cases in South Dakota when he applied for a paramedic license in 2011, has resigned effective Sept. 20. He has been ambulance director less than a year.

State identifies 9 faults with county ambulances

Although ambulance director Curt Hasart, whose last day on the job will be Sept. 20, told county commissioners last week that an annual state inspection came out well, an inspection report states otherwise. An Aug. 24 inspection of Marion County’s ambulance department found nine deficiencies ranging from minor to more serious, according to documents requested by the newspaper under the Kansas Open Records Act.

Not at all sheepish about 4-H, she finishes in top 10 at state fair

Marion senior Calleigh Soyez has been showing sheep since she was 7 years old and is toward the end of her 10th year, with one last show season guaranteed. “I’ve been to Hutchison, Kansas. I’ve been to Grand Island Nebraska. Louisville, Kentucky. You name it we’ve showed there,” Calleigh said.

Scrutiny of health site intensifies; specter of moving to Hillsboro resurfaces

Location and size of a proposed county health department continue to be factors in discussing what might be built. Marion Advancement Corp. donated the former county food bank location at 1220 E. Main St. in Marion to the county, and commissioners have eyed putting a new building there.

Uber driver's car, airman's plans go up in flames

An Uber ride from Wichita took an unexpected turn Thursday when the driver’s vehicle caught on fire on US-56/77 near 210th Rd. Clark Jones had flown from Florida to Wichita and hired an Uber driver, Rajabu Boboko, to take him from there to Junction City.

Amtrak boots upset passenger at Florence crossing

An unruly Amtrak passenger was ejected from a train around 3 a.m. Sunday in Florence. Sheriff’s deputies were summoned and arrived before the train stopped.

Area telecom co-op celebrates 60 years

The year was 1961. Presidents of five telephone exchanges in Morris County were afraid that their rural exchanges would be swallowed up by a larger company. They had a vision to merge small, local exchanges into one cooperative that would include exchanges in Morris, Dickinson, and Marion counties. Together, they decided, they would have the resources to develop a member-owned network, much like rural electric cooperatives.

Chase County courthouse is turning 150

If the walls of the Chase County courthouse in Cottonwood Falls could talk, they would have 150 years’ worth of joys and sorrow to share. The courthouse is the place to get a marriage license, finalize adoption of a child, stand trial for an offense, pay property taxes, get a vehicle license, and many other life events, routine or not.

Mortician to face revised charges

An amended complaint alleging reckless driving and transportation of liquor in an open container was filed Aug. 30 against a former Marion undertaker who battled his December 2018 charges of driving while under the influence all the way to the Kansas Supreme Court and back. Ty Zeiner, 64, was arrested in November, 2018, on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Book highlights former nursing home

A Tulsa woman’s book, “Abandoned Kansas: Health care in the Heartland,” features a former Florence nursing home. Author Emily Cowan, who previously wrote “Abandoned Topeka: Psychiatric Capital of the World” and “Abandoned Oklahoma,” said the original Florence health care facility, built in 1970, closed in 2002.

Historical society to develop a new website

Marion County Historical Society approved a design of a new website at a meeting Sept. 6 in Pilsen. The Godaddy website will cost $9.99 for the domain transfer and $9.99 a month.

Child care facility plans open house

Flint Hills Child Care Coalition, which has been restoring a former Florence special education building into a day care center, plans an open house at 5 p.m. Sept. 23. “We would like to thank all who have put in their hard work, time, and effort into making this child care center a possibility,” board chairman Les Allison said.

Kenneth Jost

Services for Kenneth Jost, 94, who died Sept. 4 at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro, will be 1 p.m. Sept. 22 at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. Relatives will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 21 at the church.

Lloyd Klassen

Services for Lloyd Klassen, 88, rural Hillsboro, who died Friday at Hillsboro Community Hospital, will be 4 p.m. Saturday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren church. Pastor Jeff Wintermote will lead the services. Relatives will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the church.

Thousands flock to Arts and Crafts Fair

The nationally known annual Hillsboro Arts and Crafts Fair brings so many people to town that shoppers are elbow to elbow to examine and buy goods. Attendance is typically 40,000.

2-day Marion event draws 100+ vendors

New vendors this year include father and daughter Chris Roszel and Monica Leonard of Burrton. They sell marble board games, walking sticks, peppernut cutters that cut 10 cookies at a time, lighted garlands, shadow boxes, and triangular peg games such as used at Cracker Barrel restaurants. They have been selling their creations for seven years, but not at many craft fairs.

Reclaiming prairie is Flint Hills Counterpoint's goal

Switchgrass String Quartet readies to play live to the premiere of “Reclamation Meridian,” a film that chronicles the couple’s efforts to care for their 14 acres of land. The film is one of many projects of Flint Hills Counterpoint, a nonprofit organization that grew out of Mayo and filmmaker Cyan Meeks’s friendship, formed while they were part of Tallgrass Artist Residency.

Chili cookoff spices up life at county lake

This will be the 17th year for the lake’s chili cook-off. Eager chili cooks can sign up from now until right before the event.

County rental properties offer getaways

Airbnb and VRBO are websites that allow travelers to rent a home for the night, weekend, or week. Prices fluctuate depending on the day of a stay, so your best bet is to check the websites for accurate prices. Most properties charge a cleaning fee, so the price you initially see may not be the total you will pay.

Historic hotel is constantly changing

Historic Elgin Hotel is an oft-visited stop for people traveling to Marion County. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the limestone hotel, built in 1886, features 12 guest suites and a ballroom and courtyard for events such as weddings and class reunions.

Historical markers teach about area

At least 31 historical markers make their home in Marion County. Take a day or two to venture to each — or, depending on time available, some of them — this fall.

Camping at lake was good until triple-digit heat hit

“Overall for the summer, it’s been a good year for us,” lake superintendent Isaac Hett said. “It would be far and beyond what the average is.” Then triple-digit heat set in, and people didn’t want to camp, Hett said.

Reservoir water also is low and camping is down

Reservoir camping has been down overall this year, but weekends still have seen good turnouts, manager Brock DeLong said. “It started out as a typical year for us, then the hotter weather has reduced its use,” DeLong said.

Accidents reported

Civil Division cases

County jail arrests and bookings

Criminal Division cases

Deeds recorded

Emergency dispatches

Offenses reported

Police activity reports

Turning off the powers-that-be

A month after the raid heard ’round the world, we have a suggestion for media who continue to cover our story. If you want to show what Marion’s really like, don’t photograph our “Seized . . . but not silenced” front page. Step outside our office and photograph the floral memorial to Joan Meyer.

GUEST COLUMN:

LETTERS:

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

Couple to celebrate 70th anniversary

Children of Bobby and Mary (Ellington) Watts are requesting celebrating a card shower for the couple’s 70th wedding anniversary. They were married Sept. 25, 1953, by pastor Carl Powell at a Methodist Church in Afton, Oklahoma.

Diamond Valley has last reunion

Alumni of Diamond Valley High School in Burdick had their final reunion Sept. 3 at Hebron Lutheran Church northwest of Burdick. The first class to graduate was in 1923. The school closed 34 years later in 1957, when Burdick consolidated with other schools in the area to form the Centre school district.

Voths' ceramics on display

Pottery by Hillsboro’s Tom and Pam Voth will be on display 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 21 at Regier Gallery in Luyken Fine Arts Center on the Bethel College campus in North Newton. A reception for the show, “Drinking from a New Well,” is planned for 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 21. Admission is free.

Democrats hear advice from professor

A speaker at Saturday’s Marion County Democrats meeting minced no words on the subject of Aug. 11 raids on the Marion County Record office, its owners, and council member Ruth Herbel. “With that kind of corruption, that you can even have this happen, people need to say this is wrong,” political science professor Micheal Smith said.

Senior center menus

MEMORIES:

Classmates return to reconnect, reminisce

A desire to catch up with people they attended school with — and see how much everyone has changed — brought a couple hundred Hillsboro High School graduates for last weekend’s homecoming for class reunions and an alumni banquet. Some stayed near where they grew up. Others moved far away after graduation.

Trojans, Warriors win impressive shutouts

Hillsboro easily beat Nickerson 35-0 in a homecoming match-up Friday. “Our team showed incredible discipline, execution, and determination in our win,” coach Demetrius Cox said. “It’s a result of all the hard work and dedication we’ve put in during practice and the unwavering support from our fans.”

Tourneys test county teams

The Warriors captured third place Saturday at Centre’s invitational volleyball tournament. Marion split its first two matches in the morning, beating Herington but losing to Little River.

3 of 4 teams run in Wamego

Marion‘s cross-country team took ninth place out of 21 teams Saturday at Wamego, where class 1A, 2A, and 4A state championships will be run in October. Gavin Wasmuth led the team with a ninth place finishing time of 17:12.49.

2 tourneys for tennis team

The Trojans tennis team had a big week with two separate tournaments, one on Thursday in Lindsborg and another on Saturday in Hesston. Annalise Jorgenson finished 1-2 Thursday, which placed her in sixth.

Golfers open season

The combined Marion/ Centre golf team took a full team of six to its first meet of the season Wednesday at Lamont Hills. Sophomore Naomi Wilson and senior Natalie Sigel tied for the lowest score on the team. “This week we will continue to work on improving our putting stats as we head into the Osage City meet,” coach Max Venable said. “The girls should be very proud of how they played.” he said.

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