BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
Marion County schools, having gotten new guidance from the county health department, are looking again at COVID-19 policies.
Between Sept. 23 and Oct. 6, 21 COVID cases were diagnosed in Hillsboro schools, five in Goessel schools, four in Marion schools, two in Peabody-Burns, and one in Centre.
A party bus stolen Oct. 3 in Manhattan was found 12 hours later, heavily vandalized and still running with the key broken off in the ignition near 290th and Clover Rds. in Marion County.
Richard Galli, owner of 63 Party Bus, said the bus was one of three the business kept in Manhattan and five operated by the company.
An unoccupied house at 304 Miller St. in Marion was a total loss in a Thursday afternoon fire, but the family who lived there had already moved out their belongings.
Bret Stultz, who lived in the rental house until he and his family recently moved to a house on Freeborn St., said most everything had been moved out. He said only a few items such as paint remained in the house.
The entrance to a historic cemetery in Grant Township was rebuilt to restore it to its former splendor.
Using rock from a Chase County quarry, stonemason Phillip Klenda built two new entrance columns for Grant Township cemetery.
A radar trailer, moved near Billings and Main Sts. three weeks ago to slow people coming into town, shut down last week.
Marion police chief Clinton Jeffrey said the seven-year-old trailer, obtained with a grant, had either a broken solar panel or a broken battery.
Persons speaking in public forum at Centre school board meetings will be allowed five minutes to express their opinions.
In cases where a large number of patrons have similar opinions, a single speaker should be chosen to represent the larger group.
County commissioners handled a short list of routine items at Tuesday’s meeting.
Commissioners discussed the possibility of changing employee vacation policy with emergency medical services director Travis Parmley.
Two women were killed and two men injured in a Sunday evening crash a half mile east of Peabody on US-56.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Luke P. Richmeier, 18, Wichita, was driving a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado when he made an evasive maneuver to avoid an oncoming car.
Oil and gas interests once again dominate the list of delinquent payers of personal property taxes in Marion County.
However, total delinquencies are down 42% this year, according to a legal notice published in last week’s newspaper.
Jeannine Bateman said good-bye Tuesday to the office where she worked 37 years and 10 months.
For now, the retired county treasurer said she’s “going to figure out who I am.”
Peabody’s city council agreed Monday to pay an engineering firm $8,000 to help the town navigate replacement its ancient water lines.
Marion-based EBH Engineering will inspect the city’s lines and prepare a report. The firm also will aid the city in getting funding for the project.
Ryan Makovec and his wife, Dani Hatfield, look forward to raising their five children just as both of them grew up — working at Al’s Café in Lost Springs.
The Peabody couple have deep ties to the restraint, which they have purchased. Ryan is a grandson of Dee Alvarez, who ran Al’s Café from 1970 until the day she died in January 2020. Dani, family friend, started working for Dee when she was 14. They plan to reopen the café early in 2022.
Peabody Warriors Booster Club has had surprising luck with a fundraiser it started Sept. 11.
“When we first started talking about this fundraiser, I heard we had to collect 2,500 pairs of shoes, and I wasn’t sure if we could do that,” booster club member Ann Leppke said. “But then we looked around at each other, and one lady said, ‘I can come up with 50 pairs and my mother-in-law can come up with 50 pairs’.”
Pumpkins and hay bales have heralded the beginning of fall on many porches and patios in Marion County as residents get in the spirit.
Stephanie Ax joined the Peabody community in setting up Halloween displays for the first time this year. Eight skeletons are now rappelling off her balcony.
One of the new features in Harvey and Betty Sanders’ renovated bathroom will be a tiled shower.
The old fiberglass shower that was installed when their house was built 31 years ago was discolored and had lost its shine. It’s been removed.
The house at 610 N. Walnut St. in Peabody is getting turned around by J & M Flip, a house flipping company based in Kansas City.
Alberto Melgar, half of J & M, bought the building four months ago.
Forget water-boarding and extra-loud hip-hop blaring from stadium-size speakers in solitary cells. If you’re looking for torture even more cruel and inhumane, try moving.
As you read this, your intrepid editor is likely to be confined for hours — no applause, please — to a dark hole so cramped it’s impossible to crawl more than a few inches at once on hands and knees.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
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The family of Nadine Hoch is requesting a card shower to help her celebrate her 99th birthday Oct. 13. Cards are being accepted at 3819 Monte Carlo Lane, Denton, Texas 76210.
Parents who want to make sure their child’s car seat is properly installed — or whether it’s still the right one for the child — can get help Oct. 23 in Hillsboro.
A child car seat installation event will be 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Hillsboro Elementary School’s circle drive.
The 62nd annual reunion of the Collett and Hayen families gathered 52 people in Marion Central Park on Sunday.
CDC regulations led to cancellation of the reunion last year and the choice to gather outdoors instead of in Marion County Lake Hall.
Twenty Marion Kiwanis listened Oct. 6 as Hillsboro mayor Lou Thurston talked about Hillsboro’s recently approved strategic plan.
Thurston said both towns have shown resiliency in recovering from disasters and maintaining a solid work ethic.
MEMORIES:
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Centre’s Karsen Kroupa finished second individually at the State Area Land Judging and Home site contest last Wednesday at Fairfield. Kyle Peterson finished in 10th place. Julia Brunner and Bradley Alexander also competed. They judged soil textures, permeability, slope, erosion, soil depth, and surface runoff, among other things.
Marion county football split the difference this past weekend as Hillsboro trounced Marion at home 56-8 and Peabody-Burns was bested 42-20 by Caldwell at homecoming.
Centre and Goessel both scored big wins on the road and at home with Center winning 57-7 over Western Plains and Goessel beating Fairfield 54-0.
Centre volleyball team played two matches Saturday at home. They lost to Inman in two matches, 25-22 and 25-20. They defeated Stafford, 25-17 and 25-7.
In a match played Monday, Centre defeated Solomon in two games, 25-13 and 25-19.
Long travel times will be likely with only two Marion County schools scheduled to compete in the same district during the 2022 and 2023 high school football seasons.
District assignments were announced last week by Kansas State High School Activities Association.