BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
For the second consecutive week, Marion County Lake is under a blue-green algae warning, and Marion Reservoir is under a less-serious watch.
Blue-green algae advisories are updated each Thursday afternoon and remain in effect until the following Thursday.
County commissioners have selected a new county appraiser and a new park and lake superintendent.
However, after making the selections in what appear to be a series of illegal meetings, they are refusing to say who their choices are.
A Marion police officer, thought to be the one who killed a disturbed Lehigh man in a standoff June 20, appears to have returned to duty even though an investigation of whether his actions were justified has not concluded.
Sheriff Rob Craft stated after the shooting, which is still being investigated by Kansas Bureau of Investigation, that “the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave through his department pending the investigation.”
Jason and Tiffany Ivy moved to Marion with three children, two dogs, two chickens, and a half dozen ducks. It’s unclear, however, whether their quacking family members will be able to remain.
Jason appeared before city members Monday to request a waiver to the city’s ordinance regarding fowl, which only allows chickens.
MacGregor’s is no more.
Former owners Joe and EJ Pickett signed over the failed restaurant last week to creditor South Central Kansas Economic Development District, which gave them two loans totaling $60,000.
Rocky Hett was improving wildlife habitat at his farm at the northeast corner of Marion long before Martin Marietta started taking limestone out of it in 1990.
Today, five years after quarrying ceased, restoring the property to natural conditions is well underway, with former contractors and Mother Nature lending helping hands.
When Jeremy Hett of rural Marion was a little boy, he noticed a rifle hanging on the wall above the fireplace at his great-uncle Clifford and great-aunt Evelyn’s house.
“Who is going to get that gun someday,” he innocently asked.
Cecilia, Anthony, and Daniel Rziha of rural Lincolnville are among the many 4-H members county-wide who are preparing to exhibit homemade items July 24-29 at the Marion County Fair in Hillsboro.
They have been members of the Tampa Triple T’s 4-H club for three years.
The retirement dreams of a man who moved here seven years ago have been in limbo because of an unfinished wind farm project.
Nick Peter owns land southwest of Aulne and wants to build his retirement home. He can’t, however, because of a conditional use permit for a wind farm. He was one of several people who talked to county commissioners Monday.
Expansion of the Marion airport is being considered by the city council.
At Monday’s meeting, the council talked about expanding runways to comply with Federal Aviation Administration recommendations.
The state has decided that the former Cindy’s Family Café building, seized in May, isn’t worth auctioning off for $16,000 in unpaid sales taxes from April through June 2015 and August 2015 through October 2016.
The building at 211 E Main St., appraised at $28,840, has been returned to owner Cindy Taylor with a tax lien that any purchaser would have to pay.
After 37 years, Flint Hills Clay Works will cease operations this fall and owner Les Byer will retire. He plans to sell his equipment to Bracker’s Good Earth Clay of Lawrence.
“It’s been in the works for a year or so,” Byer said. “I’ve been telling people that I’ve got a list of projects that’ll take me two years to finish (that) I’ve been putting off for 40 years.”
County commissioners Monday spoke to Hillsboro chiropractor Kodi Panzer about possibly renting her building to house the county planning and zoning department.
Russell Groves, of Marion County Community Economic Development Corporation, brought Panzer to the commission meeting to facilitate a discussion of the county renting or buying the building to move the planning and zoning commission office into it.
Services for Eudora “May” Hebrank, 83, who died July 12 at her home in Burdick, will be 2 p.m. July 29 at Herington Community Building.
A private inurnment will be later.
IN MEMORIAM:
L.R. Foose
It’s one thing to lose weight and another thing to keep it off.
That’s what 63-year-old Ginny Grimmett of Florence is finding out after losing 83 pounds in 16 months.
Confirmed cases of measles in Butler and Sedgwick counties reaffirm the need for children to receive immunizations, Marion County health officials say.
To help kids muster up their bravery and get their shots, the health department will let kids getting kindergarten shots pick out stuffed bears to hold and then take home.
County worker Brandi Ankenman went from deskwork in an air-conditioned environment to physical work in stifling summer heat.
“It’s just hot,” the 40-something worker for the weed department said. “I wear sunglasses but no hat, so I have the raccoon-look going on. I’m definitely not seasoned to it and I can tell. I drink a lot more water than I used to, and I’m just tired. I sleep really well at night.”
The first step in solving a problem is admitting one exists. The biggest problem we face is not government. It’s us.
This is the season in which local units of government prepare budgets for the coming year. By law, every governmental unit must have a public hearing on how it plans to spend our money. Rarely, however, do any of us ever show up.
Bad enough that county commissioners can’t seem to grasp the notion that public business be conducted in public, not behind closed doors.
Some of the their other ideas are so silly they deserve to have doors closed on them before there’s any chance they might be enacted.
For the past four years, all of us have been treated to the fanciful wordplay and engaging storytelling of Marion native Oliver Good, who parlayed being hired into a vague position that would help out in many areas at our papers into an opportunity to refine his craft as a writer.
Today is Oliver’s last day. After juggling family, work, and his love for music to also fit in graduate classes in education this summer, he’s leaving to become a language arts and speech teacher at Smoky Valley High School in Lindsborg.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
The exceptional poultry farmer
St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary is having trouble finding volunteers physically able to work at its thrift shop.
Volunteers’ age is causing the shortage, co-manager Mary Ann Conyers said.
The Summervill family had its 55th annual reunion July 9 in Hillsboro.
Among those attending were John and Barbara Summervill and Rodney of Hutchinson; Mike and Lori Davis of Derby; Sophia Duncan of Newton; Diana Jost, James, Rachel, and Jackson of Burdick; Janet Love and Brad Davis of Sugarland, Texas.
4-H CLUBS:
Happy Hustlers,
Wide AwakeSENIOR CENTER:
It's a slow summer,
MenuMEMORIES:
10,
25,
35,
50,
60,
100,
125 years ago
A reception to honor the retirement of county extension service secretary Doris Winkler will be 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 1 at Marion City Library. Winkler worked for the extension office for 55 years.
