HEADLINES

  • Old TV puppet seeks to bring peace to veterans

    A local re-creation of an old-time children’s TV show will attempt to raise money for an ambitious project to establish a rural retreat for veterans. Local performers re-creating the role of Santa and puppet sidekick Toy Boy from 1960s through ’80s KAKE-TV “Santa’s Workshop” show will greet visitors from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Marion County Hardware.

  • Property taxes rise by 10.9%; Government to collect more despite most tax rates staying the same

    Although all but a few elected officials proudly announced no tax increases when adopting their budgets this summer, county taxpayers will end up paying $2.46 million — or 10.7% — more in property taxes this year because of assessment changes. Final tax rates, replacing estimated rates on which budgets were calculated last summer, were released this month by county clerk Tina Spencer.

  • Cleaning vulture poop is a lofty ambition

    Hanging 130 feet in the air to blast age and vulture residue off a water tower that last was renovated in the 1960s is an unusual weekend for most. Six men have this exact job lined up for four to six weeks in a row. The city of Marion earlier this year contracted Suez Water Solutions to revitalize the town’s smaller water tower adjacent to Central Park — removing abandoned antennas, rebuilding part of a catwalk, fixing an overflow system, repairing the top of the tower, and blasting and repainting the tank’s interior and exterior. The project could last up to six weeks.

  • Deer proving more dangerous than hunters

    If you’re keeping score, we may have a surprise winner this season. Deer seem to be bagging at least as many humans’ vehicles as human hunters are bagging deer. Traffic accidents involving deer on Marion County roads and highways in the past six weeks are up 52% over what they were in the same period a year ago.

  • Home, sweet container; Couple hopes to rent ship-shape tiny houses

    Hillsboro is now home to three former shipping containers that will provide affordable housing when completed. Felix Ramirez, owner of Kansas Home Solutions, along with Crystal Leatherman, owner of Heartland Investment Properties, said the companies might add more container houses to Hillsboro.

OTHER NEWS

  • Christmas kickoff to last all day

    Marion’s third annual community Christmas celebration, complete with a 5 p.m. lighted Christmas parade on Main St., will be Saturday. The day will begin at 8 a.m. with a Holly Jolly garage sale at Turquoise Table, 636 E. Main St.

  • Taking aim at hunter safety

    Gunshots echoed Friday in rural Peabody as Hillsboro and Peabody-Burns students participated in a hunter education walk-through at Yoder Farm. Farm owner Dennis Vincent has been volunteering to teach hunter safety for 30 years. He showed kids how to aim at clay pigeons by having them follow the targets in the air with their pointer fingers and then transferred that to the barrel of a rifle.

  • Fire destroys Cedar Point home

    Fire destroyed a Cedar Point home early Monday. Two adults and four children lived in the two-story home, Chase County fire chief Steve Fillmore said. All got out before firefighters arrived.

  • Years later, Thouvenell seeks hearing

    With a nine-day trial scheduled to begin March 29, a man charged in 2017 with 12 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with children and one count of battery now wants to have a preliminary hearing he waived in July 2017. Jerry Thouvenell’s trial has been scheduled and postponed 11 times, the most recent postponement being from Nov. 3 to March 29.

  • Blood drive set

    A blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. Dec. 13 at Goessel Church will attempt to combat record low blood supply levels. Donors will be entered for a chance to win a private screening with up to 50 guests for “The Matrix Resurrections,” as well as a $10 Amazon.com gift card.

  • Group plans to revise Grand Prix

    A group of Florence volunteers interested in reviving a popular tradition from 50 years ago will meet at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at American Legion Post 308. In 1972, in honor of the city’s 100th anniversary, the first Grand Prix motorcycle race was held. Five more annual races followed.

  • COVID-19 hits lull, but new spike possible

    New COVID-19 cases in Marion County dropped in the past week, with 23 new cases reported. The drop mirrors a trend from a year ago, when a post-Halloween spike relented to lower numbers only to shoot back up after Thanksgiving.

AROUND THE AREA

  • Peabody charity to award grants

    This year’s Winterfest in Peabody will be 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Peabody-Burns High School. A soup supper will be served from 5 to 7 p.m. Donations will benefit high school clubs.

  • Hillsboro celebrating Giving Tuesday

    Hillsboro’s fifth annual Giving Tuesday, sponsored by Hillsboro Community Foundation, will be 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at Hillsboro City Hall’s meeting rooms. Attendees can visit representatives from Families and Communities Together, Blue Jay Lanes, and Marion County 4-H Endowment while sampling refreshments and learning about the foundation.

  • Goessel to become county's 4th rescue squad

    Goessel fire department will become the county’s fourth rescue team after county commissioners approved purchasing $29,590 worth of rescue equipment with county emergency medical services money. The department will contribute $3,590 toward the purchase.

  • Community medical closet to open

    Dee’s Equipment Closet Etc., a collection of medical equipment within Tampa Hair Salon that members of the public may borrow, will have its ribbon cutting and open house 4:30 p.m. Dec. 5. The closet was established in memory of Dolores “Dee” Duggan, a volunteer for organizations including the Herington Hospital Auxiliary, Tampa Trail Stop grocery store, Marion County Senior Citizens, and local Red Hat chapter. In 2014, she dedicated the first community little library in Marion County (in her hometown of Tampa) in memory of her husband, Thomas.

  • Park admission free Friday

    Entrance fees for all state parks will be waived Friday. Park visitors also will get a chance to win a night at a state park cabin by taking a selfie at the state park and posting it on social media with the tags #OptOutside and #MyKsStatePark.

DEATHS

  • Richard Schaffer

    Private services will be scheduled later for retired physical therapist Richard Glenn Schaffer, 81, Marion, who died Monday.

  • IN MEMORIAM:

    Rex Clothier

DOCKET

HOLIDAYS

  • Kids give thanks, offer turkey recipes

    The newspaper offered teachers in all five Marion County school districts a chance to have their students write what they are thankful for and how they would prepare Thanksgiving dinner. Here, with minimal editing to ensure intent could be understood, is what they wrote, just as they wrote it: cEntRE 2ND GRADE

OPINION

  • Carve up leftovers, not districts

    The never-ending job of retiring from one career and moving into a post-retirement venture took yet another strange turn last week. In addition to hassles with insurance, home sales, utility moves, and how to get lab tests needed for Friend Cat’s prescription for a hyperactive thyroid came a new horror.

  • ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

    One down and more to go
  • CORRECTIONS:

    Poaching probe

PEOPLE

  • Four homes set for Christmas tour

    Four homes and their collections of Christmas décor will be featured in Marion Library’s annual Christmas Home Tours 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 5. Jesse and Becky Howard at 50 Lakeshore Dr. finished remodeling their home and volunteered for the tour to meet people in the community.

  • 'Voice' singer to perform

    “The Voice” performer and Sylvia native Jake Gill will perform a free contemporary Christian country and holiday concert at 7 p.m. Sunday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. Donations for missionary work will be accepted. A drawing for a Nashville trip for two also is planned. Coming from Hard Rock Café in Nashville, Gill has done 180 shows on his countrywide Forgiven Tour. He has landed five songs on the county Christian singles chart. His most recent album, “Preacherman”, features four radio releases.

  • Custodian creates parting gift for judge

    Now that weather is getting nippy, retired district judge Michael Powers has a parting gift to keep him warm. When Powers announced his retirement, courthouse custodian Sherri Buller wanted ideas to make him a unique retirement gift.

  • Museum features local creations

    Mennonite Heritage and Agricultural Museum has been an ideal place for tourists to shop for locally made gifts. Museum director Fern Bartel recalled when a car pulled up to the museum and a group of Australian tourists came out.

  • Senior center menus

  • MEMORIES:

    10, 25, 40, 55, 70, 100, 140 years ago

SPORTS

MORE…

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