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A Small Business Administration disaster loan outreach center will operate at the civic center in Hillsboro 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Aug. 15.
The federal agency has low-interest disaster loans available to Marion County residents who suffered flood losses between June 22 and July 6.
New data released last week by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation list Marion County among the top quarter of Kansas counties for violent crime.
The county’s 3.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents in 2018 contributed to a rate higher than that in all but two surrounding counties, Harvey and Saline.
After a public hearing during which only one member of the audience spoke, Marion city council members approved a $10.1 million 2020 budget Monday.
The budget has a substantial increase for capital improvements, from $468,383 in 2019 to $4.29 million for 2020.
More than 40 years is a long time to serve a community, but Mike Regnier and Jim Davis are more than happy they were needed for so long by the city of Marion’s Volunteer Fire Department.
Both Regnier, the city’s fire chief, and Davis are retiring this week after 44 and 42 years respectively — a term that surprises them both.
Beth McGuire found herself in a bad remake of the movie “The Birds” this past month, when she was frequently dive-bombed in her yard by a Mississippi kite.
“He’d have me on the ground, swooping as low as the mailbox,” she said. “He was dead serious. He was going to get me.”
After 15 years as Florence city clerk, Janet Robinson announced her resignation in a letter that was read Thursday at a special council meeting.
Robinson was asked to resign July 24 by mayor Bob Gayle, but when he was approached for an explanation, Gayle said, “No reason was given.”
Peabody Hardware and Lumber operated for more than 20 years, but an auction to dismantle it moved fast Saturday as volunteers ripped merchandise off the shelves and ran it to the sale table to help the Whitneys liquidate.
Mark and Ginger Whitney closed the store June 28 after announcing their retirement in March.
Several farmers who were reluctant to be named were hesitant to express relief over impending payments to producers from the federal government for support during trade disputes.
The United States Department of Agriculture has allocated $16 billion in aid to support the ag industry.
A new way of treating blue-green algae blooms, which have plagued Marion County Lake and Marion Reservoir for almost a decade, is being tested on a small scale in Geary County.
An all-too-familiar algae warning for the county lake was renewed Thursday, as was the reservoir’s less serious algae watch. Status of both lakes is updated weekly.
City officials will meet with legal counsel to revise language about city cleanup week after a resident expected public works crews to remove the remains of a demolished house.
Mayor Todd Heitschmidt said during Monday’s meeting that the new language would specify that the city would no longer pick up construction and demolition debris.
Bob McPhail has seen his share of Kansas county fairs over the years, and says Marion County Fair is one that keeps chugging along.
“For county fairs, it’s probably one of the better ones,” he said. “The only thing is trying to get some other rides, and some of the scheduling. The fair boards always change, so that makes it a little difficult.”
County commissioners spent nearly six hours Monday trying to prepare a 2020 budget but still didn’t make final decisions despite a looming deadline.
However, commissioners decided to put a sales tax question on the ballot as a way to fund a new transfer station.
Chief Judge Michael Powers of Marion has been reappointed to a one-year term on a panel overseeing implementation of a online system to manage all cases in Kansas district and appellate courts.
Powers, who presides over the 8th Judicial District, including Dickinson, Geary, Marion, and Morris counties, is one of 13 members of the eCourt Steering Committee, appointed by the state supreme court.
Marion County residents are the third best budgeters in Kansas, according to a report released this month by financial website Smartasset.com
That distinction doesn’t mean the county’s economy is third-best in the state, it signifies that its residents are effective at being frugal, said Chris Hernandez, a financial adviser with Edward Jones in Marion.
Low-interest loans soon may be available for Marion County businesses, homeowners, and renters impacted by flooding June 22 through July 6, but Harry Rhodes is unsure if it will be worth applying.
He said he would be interested in applying if the decision-making process will be quick, but not if the process will take months.
A memorial service for Roger Frans, 73, who died July 20 at his home in Marion, has been scheduled for 5 to 7 tonight at Historic Elgin Hotel, Marion.
A full “In Memoriam” notice appeared last week.
IM MEMORIAM:
Virginia HeereyIM MEMORIAM:
Gertrude MoennichIM MEMORIAM:
Tony SchafersIM MEMORIAM:
Judith Ann Wetzel
Sherri Hudson was surprised when Centre High School’s class of 2019 chose her as their commencement speaker, but class president Xavier Espinoza said their decision reflected the help the English teacher has been to her students.
“She always added to our conversations no matter what we talked about,” he said. “We sometimes got off track, but she joined in the conversation.”
While education is a priority, finding a good teacher can be difficult, said Danielle Medina, Marion High School’s first-year counselor.
“Education is hard to fill because there are so many expectations, guidelines, and rules to follow,” she said.
Tabor alumnae Sylvia Penner last week was named one of two appointees to Governor Laura Kelly’s Criminal Justice Reform Commission.
She will fill the position of the criminal defense attorney appointment.
Tabor College graduate Kelly Arnold was re-elected chairman last week of the trustees of Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.
Arnold, a McPherson native and Hillsboro State Bank director, is county clerk for Sedgwick County.
What’s it mean? What are the issues? Who’s right? Who’s wrong? What, if anything, should be done about it?
For concerned citizens, trying their level best to do their civic duty and participate in our democracy, these are just a few of the questions that arise whenever something unusual comes before an elected body.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
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Thanks for concern and help
From 1908 to 1940, then catalog retailer Sears, Roebuck, and Company sold mail-order house kits that came complete with blueprints and all the materials needed. At least 447 house designs were available, and an estimated 70,000 such houses were built in North America. They ranged in price from $200 to $4,000 or more.
The number of Sears houses still standing in Marion County is unknown.
Gates will open at noon Friday for the annual Country Threshing Days on the campus of Mennonite Heritage and Agricultural Museum in Goessel.
Activities will continue through Sunday, culminating in a 2 p.m. guided tour of the historic Schroeder Barn.
Harlow and Edith (Albright) Warneke of Marion will celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 11 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 320 S. Cedar St., Marion.
Friends and family will be welcome, but the couple has requested no gifts.
Peabody Fall Festival has added a Scarecrow contest and a Wiffle Ball Tournament to the day’s events.
Registration forms for the scarecrow contest are at the city office and are due Sept. 16.
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