BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
Less than 36 hours after it was imposed, a boil order for Peabody drinking water was lifted Friday evening.
Peabody residents had been advised Thursday morning to boil drinking water after a line break resulted in loss of pressure within its water distribution system.
A 38-year-old woman was killed and two 14-year-old boys seriously injured when their car, northbound on K-15, slammed into a semi amid dense fog at 9:50 p.m. Saturday on US-56 east of Lehigh.
Alicia D. Warwick, whose official address is in Peabody but who co-owns a home in Marion, was dead at the scene.
Seven parents and a handful of school officials showed up Tuesday night to discuss how Florence’s legacy might be perceived if the middle school’s Wildcats nickname were dropped in favor of Marion’s Warrior nickname.
Merissa Bowman, a parent and graduate of Florence Middle School, said she and other Florence residents had reservations about the name change.
When Robin Wilcox fled an abusive marriage in August, she brought a small menagerie to her parents’ house in Goessel: three kids and two dogs.
Her parents, Steve and Deborah Wilcox, already owned four cats and a dog.
More than 50,000 pages of previously secret documents have led to new allegations about disavowed raids Aug. 11, 2023, on the Record newsroom and two Marion homes.
Agents from the Kansas and Colorado Bureaus of Investigation gathered the material during 10 months of interviews and records searches focused on handling of the raids.
Attempts by the City of Marion to block investigation of open records violations were rejected Monday by District Judge Ben Sexton.
The rejection came after Record attorney Bernie Rhodes disclosed that the city may have lied when it rejected a Record request to view text messages and emails regarding a raid Aug. 11, 2023, on the Record newsroom and two homes.
Concern over handling of a $1.5 million grant to rejuvenate downtown Peabody has expanded to include eviction of one business, loss of half the grant money, and sharp criticism of state hiring practices.
The Kansas Department of Commerce approved the grant a year ago, but soon afterward the grant’s handling by a former state employee was brought into question.
Water, trash, and recycling rates for Hillsboro residents will go up in January. The changes will show up on February bills.
City council members unanimously approved raising fees for water service to $34 a month for minimum plus $6.71 per 1,000 gallons for up to 7,000. Rates would go up to $6.85 per 1,000 gallons for 7,001 to 15,000 gallons; $6.98 for 15,001 to 30,000 gallons; and $7.12 for 30,001 or more gallons.
It was basically little more than a fender bender, even if damages from a downtown traffic mishap Nov. 30 at Marion’s Holly Jolly Christmas are likely to exceed $1,000.
Still, both parties involved — a high school student working the event as a singing elf and a high school coach providing hot chocolate — took the unusual step last week of reaching out to the
A walking and bike trail proposed for Marion was revisited Monday by Marion City Council.
Kansas Parks and Wildlife awarded a grant to develop the trail 1½ years ago. Work has not been done.
Hillsboro is six months into a program that has seen it sell off 22 city vehicles and lease new vehicles as replacements.
Police chief Jessey Hiebert, whose department received four 2025 Ford Explorers on Monday, said city departments were pleased with the program, and unsentimental about scrapping old cars.
Fundraisers have been started to assist the family of Alicia Warwick, killed in a Saturday night wreck at US-56 and K-15 south, her son, Jason Warwick-Ortiz, 14, severely injured, and his friend Gabe Glenn, 14, also severely injured.
Warwick failed to stop at a stop sign in heavy fog and the car struck a semi-trailer.
The first of three applicants for Emergency Medical Service director was interviewed Monday by commissioners.
No decision will be made until at least two other candidates are interviewed. The commission hopes to have a decision by the end of the year.
The county’s two Christmas tree farms, Peaceful Pines and Pine Creek, each finished up sales last weekend and will close until Thanksgiving 2025. But that doesn’t mean the farms will hibernate during all that time.
“It starts in March,” said Kenton Nickel, who runs Peaceful Pines with his wife, Eunice. “We’ll get a shipment of seedlings and we stick them in the ground, get them watered, tie them to a stake, so they’re not blowing over.”
Listening to Marion seniors talk about Christmas past shows that it’s not the presents that matter, it’s the presence of others.
Sharon Rizo said her fondest Christmas memory was 1977, when she was in nursing school and living with her parents in Augusta. Her older brother lived in Wichita.
We’re not Santa, so we’ll leave it to him to decide whether Marion has been naughty or nice with recent changes in its spending policies.
In an apparent attempt to streamline operations, the city seems to have given greater authority to employees to make purchases that, in the past, might have required council approval in advance.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
A history lessonLETTERS:
Jolly about holly,
State politics,
Fight for democracy
Gene Winkler received a letter Dec. 4 from Clearspring informing him his prescription drug insurance no longer would be offered.
The letter was dated Nov. 22, two weeks before Winkler received it. The deadline for switching Medicare providers was Dec. 7.
Happy Hustlers 4-H club members went caroling Dec. 2 at St. Luke Living Center and Marion Assisted Living.
They met afterward at Marion County Lake hall. A total of 27 members, 4 leaders, and 10 parents answered roll call before exchanging gifts and hearing about 4-H Day on Feb. 8 at Tabor College.
An open house is planned from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 5 at Belmont Blvd. Christian Church, Salina, to celebrate the 90th birthday of Marion native Anita Sly.
The family is requesting no gifts but suggesting that cards might be mailed to her at 1501 E Magnolia Rd No. 21, Salina KS 67401.
MEMORIES:
15,
30,
45,
60,
75,
110,
145 years ago
Hillsboro took second place in Moundridge, Centre upset Herington, and the Marion boys finished fourth in their home tournament in this weekend’s basketball action.
Hillsboro
Girls basketball was tested this week, as county teams battled in a variety of tournaments Thursday through Saturday.
Hillsboro
Marion hit the mats for the first time Saturday, and will co-host a dual meet at 3 p.m. Friday with Hillsboro.
Marion
