Marion County RECORD

HEADLINES

Rough road a bumpy drive
Harriet Bina and her husband were driving home from church at Pilsen when they noticed cars swerving all over Remington Rd. They were trying to avoid potholes.
Dog moved out of Marion after biting incident
A pit bull removed from Marion’s city limits after biting a neighbor’s dog turned out to be a registered service dog and helped its owner through anxiety attacks. “He senses the attacks before they happen and just clings to me,” owner Michael Darrow said. “It helps me calm down.”
Oil, gas explorers search in Marion Co.
Anyone passing Nighthawk and 140th Rds. between March 11 and Thursday might have seen 33 square, yellow battery packs and two large trucks in a lot just off the road. The supplies and trucks belonged to Paragon Geophysical Services, Inc., of Wichita. The company searches for oil, natural gas and geothermal reservoirs.
Proposed wind farm project draws more objection
A proposed wind farm project drew more objections Monday as 14 people showed up at county commission meeting to be heard. Commissioner Dianne Novak presented a March 6 newspaper article saying a 98-turbine wind farm project in Sumner County developed by Tradewind Energy, which developed Diamond Vista Wind Farm in northern portions of the county, will result in nearly $1 million per year payments in lieu of taxes to Sumner County and $25,000 each to the county’s three school districts.
Former mayor calls out Florence city council for illegal executive session
Florence city council was criticized Monday for approving the purchase of eight security cameras March 12 after discussing the matter in executive session. “You don’t talk about this stuff in personnel matters or whatever you go into executive session for,” former Florence mayor Jeannie Meirowsky said. “That should have been discussed in an open meeting. I’m sorry guys, but that’s illegal.” Council

OTHER NEWS

Cell phone tower proposal sparks backlash
Neighbors near a proposed 129-foot cell phone tower in Marion are fighting back over what they contend is the city’s failure to follow the law. The tower, to be part of the Verizon network, is proposed for installation at Commercial and Forest Sts.
New staff reporter seeks his stories in small-town Kansas
Gallagher Martin-Chavez says his calling as a journalist is about showing appreciation for his home state. “I love Kansas,” he said. “The smaller towns have stories that get overlooked.”
Goessel shop provides coffee, community for 10 years running
By ALEXANDER SIMONE Staff writer After a decade of operation, the Lincoln Perk at Bethesda Home has established a reputation as a gathering spot for the Goessel community.
Equipment dealer named top seller
For the 19th consecutive year, Lang Diesel Inc., with 10 locations, including Hillsboro, has been named one of the top 10 North American sellers of AGCO farm equipment. The dealership also was among 33 in North America named to receive five-star ratings in AGCO’s dealer excellence program for 2018. The dealership is based in Hays.
Program to offer tips on gardening
Jana Dalke of rural Hillsboro’s Serenity Gardens will talk about preparing flower beds and gardens at 9:45 a.m. Friday at Tabor College’s Flaming Center for the Arts. Admission is $5. Lunch at the college cafeteria is available for $4.
Meeting to offer tips on starting licensed home day care center
Tips on starting licensed home day-care centers will offered at a free information night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Hillsboro school district offices. Regulations, training, and organizational tools will be discussed along with potential costs, grants, and meal subsidies. Reservations are being accepted by the county health department at (620) 382-2550.
Local artists' works displayed at Schaeffler House
An oil painting created in 1902 by Ida Schaeffler will be on display at the historic Schaeffler House, 312 E. Grand St. in Hillsboro along with 15 other paintings by local artists, for six weeks beginning April 6. Some of the paintings are from Hillsboro Museums’ collection. Others are held privately and not often displayed for the public.
Meterologist's talk on storm reporting draws hundreds
It was all about the weather March 13, when 109 residents from across the county turned out to see meteorologist Robb Lawson of the National Weather Service at Marion Performing Arts Center. Visual reports from the public are critical to public safety during a storm, he said.

DEATHS

Karen Fitzmaurice
Graveside services for Karen Mae Fitzmaurice, 59, who died Sunday, will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Lincolnville Cemetery. Karen enjoyed working outside in her yard.
Richard Herbel
Services for Centre High School graduate Richard Herbel, 75, of Solomon, who died March 13 at Abilene Memorial Hospital, were Monday. Born Dec. 7, 1943, to Alex and Bernice Johnston Herbel, he graduated in 1961 and on Jan. 19, 1964, married Sharon Craft, who survives.
Myrna Jost
Services for Hillsboro farm wife Myrna Jost, 86, who died March 12 at Hillsboro Community Hospital, were Tuesday at Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church, rural Hillsboro. Born June 21, 1932, in Hillsboro to Harry and Esther (Winter) Eitzen, she married Victor Jost on Aug. 25, 1955, at the church.
Elva Plett
Services for former Lehigh resident Elva Plett, 93, who died Monday at Bethesda Home in Goessel, will be 4 p.m. Friday at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, rural Goessel. Interment will be at 2:45 p.m. at the church cemetery. The family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Bethesda Home
'Ilene' Reinke
Services for Connie “Ilene” Reinke, 85, wife of former Marion resident Bob Reinke, will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Westwood Presbyterian Church, Wichita. Daughter of Dan and Lucile Dondliger, she died this past Saturday.
Helen Schafer
Services for Durham native Helen Schafer, 93, who died Saturday at Kansas Christian Home in Newton, will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Jost Funeral Home, Hillsboro. Visitation will be an hour before the services.
Malvin Schmidt
Services for Malvin Schmidt, 89, who died Monday at Hillsboro Community Hospital, will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. Pastor Brian Allen will officiate.
IN MEMORIAM:
Rosse Case
IN MEMORIAM:
Martha Kortje
IN MEMORIAM:
Jeanette Matz

DOCKET

HEALTH

How one smoker kicked the habit
Sue Clough, 83, of Marion has been smoke free since 1975. She said she started smoking when she started training to become a nurse.
Staph infections present year-round problem
Unlike the flu or other illnesses that strike seasonally, staph infection is a threat that looms year-round. One of the difficulties with staph infections is that the germs are already present on the skin, said Michael Reeh, a general physician in Hillsboro.
A mineral needed for good health
Magnesium is sometimes called the forgotten nutrient because it’s not as familiar as other nutrients such as vitamin A, B, and C, and calcium. Magnesium is critical to overall health and often is deficient in peoples’ diets. Heather Fay of Fay Family Chiropractic in Marion said training to be a chiropractor involves studying biochemistry and learning about the body’s nutritional needs. She takes 40 hours of continuing education every year.

OPINION

Wholly about holes
Spring has sprung, giving your favorite tar-and-feather target — yours truly — a welcome week at home, away from trying to coach others to become tar-and-feather targets on their own. Before stomping off to preferred stomping grounds, a final task in a distant ivory tower was helping a recent graduate understand why he wasn’t getting job offers.
Surviving but in critical condition
You can’t tell a book by its cover, but you can tell a bankruptcy by its chapter. News this week that Hillsboro Community Hospital filed for protection under Chapter 11 of bankruptcy laws has generated sensational and often misleading news coverage.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
Telling tales of forbidden fruit
CALENDAR:
Calendar of events

PEOPLE

Democrats hear from legislative leader
Kansas House minority leader Jim Ward, a Wichita Democrat who briefly ran for governor last year, spoke Saturday in Hillsboro to Marion County Democrats. County vice chairman Martin Holler reported that the county steering committee was creating a survey to identify goals and projects and was considering organizing young Democrats.
Marion City library to display quilts
Thirty items, including a community quilt made by 20 different quilters, will be on display at Marion City Library’s 16th annual quilt show Monday through April 6. The display in the library’s Santa Fe Room will be open during regular library hours.
Diabetes class planned
A six-week class on coping with diabetes will be offered starting at 6:45 p.m. April 9 at Marion Senior Center. Cost of the class, which is open to diabetes and pre-diabetes patients, friends, relatives, and caregivers, will be $6. Registrations are being accepted until April 8 at (620) 382-3580.
Driver safety course set
A driver safety class, completion of which could qualify drivers for reduced insurance premiums, will be offered 1 to 5 p.m. April 1 and 2 at Burns Community Center. The class, which requires no tests and no actual driving, costs $20, with a $5 discount for members of the American Association of Retired Persons.
SENIOR CENTER:
Church groups join in celebrations, Marion Senior Center menu
MEMORIES:
10, 25, 40, 55, 70, 110, 140 years ago
MEMORIES IN FOCUS:
No secrets growing up in the 1900s

SCHOOL AND SPORTS

Honor roll
Area players earn all-state honors
Nine players from Marion County schools have been given all-state basketball honors for their respective classes for the 2018-19 season from both The Wichita Eagle and The Topeka -Capital Journal. For Marion, Sam Zinn was the Warriors’ lone selection, earning all-Class 2A honorable mention from both papers. Centre’s duo of junior Kelsey Hett and senior Xavier Espinosa were selected by Topeka, with Hett the Cougars’ only choice for both in Class 1A.
Centre players get WSL honors
Two Centre High School girls’ basketball players achieved Wheat State League honors for the 2018-19 season. Junior Kelsey Hett was named to the first team, with sophomore Alyssa Espinoza earning honorable mention.
Centre and Marion school menus

MORE…

HOVER OVER IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT

Marion Elementary School kindergarten teacher Jessica Ensley helps Claire McFall cut out a turtle Monday during the school's kindergarten roundup. The children will join Marion's kindergarten class this upcoming fall. They were given a taste of real school, with activities that included a craft where they cut out construction paper turtles and then and cut out shapes to draw on the shells.

Customers chat over midday drinks at Saturday's grand opening of Dorothy's Coffee Shop and Tea Room in Marion. The shop's christening featured a steady flow of 15 to 20 customers.

Burned pastureland stretches into the distance Monday on Yarrow Rd. between 160th and 170th Sts. About 640 acres were scorched during a controlled burn on property owned by Chuck McLinden of Marion. He said the blaze started at about 2 p.m. and was out by 4 p.m. "Today was the day to it with all the rain forecast. I am trying to get everything done that I can between the rain," He said.

Lighting replacements along Main St. in Marion resulted in the closing of S. 1st St. between W. Main and Water Sts. starting last week. The project is scheduled to last 70 days and requires the replacement of a portion of road along Main St. to access the lights. The construction is being handles by Bryan and Bryant Construction, Inc. of Halstead.

Marion County RECORD

Harriet Bina and her husband were driving home from church at Pilsen when they noticed cars swerving all over Remington Rd. They were trying to avoid potholes.

A pit bull removed from Marion’s city limits after biting a neighbor’s dog turned out to be a registered service dog and helped its owner through anxiety attacks. “He senses the attacks before they happen and just clings to me,” owner Michael Darrow said. “It helps me calm down.”

Neighbors near a proposed 129-foot cell phone tower in Marion are fighting back over what they contend is the city’s failure to follow the law. The tower, to be part of the Verizon network, is proposed for installation at Commercial and Forest Sts.

Gallagher Martin-Chavez says his calling as a journalist is about showing appreciation for his home state. “I love Kansas,” he said. “The smaller towns have stories that get overlooked.”

By ALEXANDER SIMONE Staff writer After a decade of operation, the Lincoln Perk at Bethesda Home has established a reputation as a gathering spot for the Goessel community.

Jana Dalke of rural Hillsboro’s Serenity Gardens will talk about preparing flower beds and gardens at 9:45 a.m. Friday at Tabor College’s Flaming Center for the Arts. Admission is $5. Lunch at the college cafeteria is available for $4.

It was all about the weather March 13, when 109 residents from across the county turned out to see meteorologist Robb Lawson of the National Weather Service at Marion Performing Arts Center. Visual reports from the public are critical to public safety during a storm, he said.

Graveside services for Karen Mae Fitzmaurice, 59, who died Sunday, will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Lincolnville Cemetery. Karen enjoyed working outside in her yard.

Services for Centre High School graduate Richard Herbel, 75, of Solomon, who died March 13 at Abilene Memorial Hospital, were Monday. Born Dec. 7, 1943, to Alex and Bernice Johnston Herbel, he graduated in 1961 and on Jan. 19, 1964, married Sharon Craft, who survives.

Services for Hillsboro farm wife Myrna Jost, 86, who died March 12 at Hillsboro Community Hospital, were Tuesday at Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church, rural Hillsboro. Born June 21, 1932, in Hillsboro to Harry and Esther (Winter) Eitzen, she married Victor Jost on Aug. 25, 1955, at the church.

Services for former Lehigh resident Elva Plett, 93, who died Monday at Bethesda Home in Goessel, will be 4 p.m. Friday at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, rural Goessel. Interment will be at 2:45 p.m. at the church cemetery. The family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Bethesda Home

Services for Connie “Ilene” Reinke, 85, wife of former Marion resident Bob Reinke, will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Westwood Presbyterian Church, Wichita. Daughter of Dan and Lucile Dondliger, she died this past Saturday.

Services for Durham native Helen Schafer, 93, who died Saturday at Kansas Christian Home in Newton, will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Jost Funeral Home, Hillsboro. Visitation will be an hour before the services.

Services for Malvin Schmidt, 89, who died Monday at Hillsboro Community Hospital, will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. Pastor Brian Allen will officiate.

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

Sue Clough, 83, of Marion has been smoke free since 1975. She said she started smoking when she started training to become a nurse.

Unlike the flu or other illnesses that strike seasonally, staph infection is a threat that looms year-round. One of the difficulties with staph infections is that the germs are already present on the skin, said Michael Reeh, a general physician in Hillsboro.

You can’t tell a book by its cover, but you can tell a bankruptcy by its chapter. News this week that Hillsboro Community Hospital filed for protection under Chapter 11 of bankruptcy laws has generated sensational and often misleading news coverage.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

CALENDAR:

Thirty items, including a community quilt made by 20 different quilters, will be on display at Marion City Library’s 16th annual quilt show Monday through April 6. The display in the library’s Santa Fe Room will be open during regular library hours.

A six-week class on coping with diabetes will be offered starting at 6:45 p.m. April 9 at Marion Senior Center. Cost of the class, which is open to diabetes and pre-diabetes patients, friends, relatives, and caregivers, will be $6. Registrations are being accepted until April 8 at (620) 382-3580.

SENIOR CENTER:

MEMORIES:

MEMORIES IN FOCUS:

Two Centre High School girls’ basketball players achieved Wheat State League honors for the 2018-19 season. Junior Kelsey Hett was named to the first team, with sophomore Alyssa Espinoza earning honorable mention.