Marion County RECORD

Itinerant roofer target of manhunt

More than a dozen officers from the county, three cities, the highway patrol, parks and wildlife and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms searched vehicles, buildings, and farmland Tuesday afternoon and evening for a roofer who fled a worksite during an arrest attempt. Multiple drones, airplanes, and police dogs were used in the hunt for Rafael Rodriguez Lopez, a Hispanic male wanted on a felony warrant in Colorado.

COVID-19 leads to spike in school meals

When Marion County school districts began providing meals to children between 1 and 18 years old after schools closed late in March, few could anticipate the effects. Centre superintendent Susan Beeson still is unsure how much the change increased annual cost, but she said the number of meals served daily, which includes breakfast and lunch, has risen.

Turkey vultures make a mess of Peabody

Peabody police and animal control officers are deploying the city’s bird cannon in an attempt to rid the town of an invasion of turkey vultures. Up to 70 raptors have infested a tree near Peabody Baptist Church, turning the pavement beneath their roost into a whitewash of smelly droppings, rivaling a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”

Need a trim? You may have to wait

If you are in need of a trim, you might have to wait just a little bit longer. Salons and barber shops reopened Monday, but most owners say they are booked solid for at least two weeks — and their phones are ringing off the hook.

Missing patient found 4 miles away

A Westview Manor resident who wandered away from the facility was found early Sunday at Nighthawk Rd. near 110th Rd., four miles from Westview. The unidentified man was found at 6 a.m. when a passerby reported seeing a man lying in a ditch.

Reservoir reopening to come none too soon

A county commissioner who planned to complain Monday about ongoing shutdowns at Marion Reservoir was pleasantly surprised to learn the reservoir will reopen in June. Commissioner Kent Becker voiced his concerns about traffic jams of boaters at the reservoir’s only open ramp at Marion Cove and the continued hit to area businesses during Monday’s county commission meeting.

Hillsboro cuts contributions

In a move to tighten its belt, Hillsboro will not make its typical contribution of up to $500 to employee flexible spending plans for health care for fiscal year 2021. “Right now I think it’s best that we delay this, and if we find out later in the year that our revenues are better than expected, we can always change our mind later,” city administrator Larry Paine told council members Tuesday.

Florence doubles employee sick days

To date, no Florence employees have had to enter quarantine or isolation.

FFA greenhouse gets $7,500 gift

A proposed FFA greenhouse in Marion has received a $7,500 grant from American Family Insurance via Marion Advancement Campaign. “We hope that this grant will help make a greenhouse project happen this fall,” FFA chapter adviser Mark Meyer said.

Communities to observe Memorial Day

Many county small towns are canceling their Memorial Day observances this year, but Congressman Roger Marshall will be keynote speaker at Hillsboro American Legion’s ceremony at10 a.m. Monday in Memorial Park. Josh Plenert, commander of American Legion Post No. 366, has been in talks with aides of the congressman for months.

Courthouse reopens; county seeks local control

The county courthouse reopened Tuesday, but not without restrictions and not until after commissioners sent a letter to the governor asking for more local control of COVID-19 limitations. In their letter to Gov. Laura Kelly, commissioners said they were concerned about the “broad scope” of the state’s reopening plan and “its one-size fits all approach.”

Catholics return to worship

Members of Holy Family Parish got their first opportunity in weeks to attend Mass this past weekend. Every other pew was taped off and hymnals were stacked in the front corner of the church, both steps taken to discourage spread of COVID-19. A central aisle used by worshipers to come forward for communion was marked with tape showing social distancing space of six feet.

Hillsboro adding a digital sign

When Hillsboro’s digital sign is installed later this week it will be the culmination of a four-month campaign by Lions Club president Larry Funk. “I thought it would be interesting to have a more localized deal to advertise or broadcast local events besides our sign by the highway,” he said. “It’s nice for what it is, but I thought we needed something a bit more modern and upscale for in-city advertising of local events.”

US-50 selected for improvement

Passing lanes on US-50 west of Peabody will be extended as part of a statewide highway improvement project created in March. No date for completion has been set, but work on engineering and design will begin first. Construction may begin before the end of the year.

Street, drainage grant sought

As the bank of Luta Creek is being repaired, Marion city council members hope for a grant to pay for repairs to Elm St. curb and gutter and a drainage culvert that triggered the bank collapse last summer. An application seeks a Kansas Department of Transportation grant that would pay most of the cost of new curb and guttering a block east of the collapse, on Locust St., where the curbs and gutters are settling because of bridge deck and guard wall failure related to improper control of drainage into Luta Creek.

Museum donor revealed

When Peggy Blackman heard someone wanted to donate his possessions to Marion Historical Museum but wanted his name kept anonymous until his death, she had a new experience. “I haven’t ever been party to anything like this,” she said. “He had no relatives to give this to and he did not want this to be sold in an auction.”

Creek bank restoration underway

A year after the bank of Luta Creek collapsed after heavy runoff, work to restore and reinforce the bank is underway. Mies Construction employees worked last week to scoop out a four-feet-wide trench along the east side of the creek, parallel to Elm St. above.

Filing deadline for election draws near

With only days to go before the June 1 deadline to file for office, several county offices have only one candidate and some have none. Candidates for county commission include:

Candidate sees no 'silver bullet' for growth

By ALEXANDER SIMONE Staff writer Population growth isn’t guaranteed, but Republican congressional candidate Tracey Mann sees three assets that point to growth in rural communities.

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Mental health requires more than one-time fix

Clinic becomes food bank

A family practice he took pride in was forced to close, but Randy Whitely is leasing the building to keep helping the community he served since 2006. His one-story former office at 500 W. 4th St. in Peabody is now being used to operate Peabody’s food bank. Peabody Association of Churches has leased it through December.

Awareness of poison ivy needed

When Margaret Wilson started spotting poison ivy Sunday evening at Central Park in Marion, it raised safety concerns for those using park trails. “I’m a nature girl, so I recognize poison ivy, but a lot of children especially would not,” she said. “Children don’t walk a straight line; they’re skipping and going all over. They’re going to get into it, and it’s awful.”

Hospitals receive protective gear

St. Luke Hospital in Marion has received 30 face shields and Hillsboro Community Hospital has received 20 as part of a $45,000 gift from Spirit AeroSystems through the Ascension Via Christi health system. Rural hospitals in Ascension’s three sponsored criticalaccess networks received a total of 900 face shields, helpful in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some squirrely ideas

Regular townsfolk aren’t the only ones bridling to resume normal activities these days. Since the partial lifting of stay-at-home orders, some of our community’s peskiest thieves have reappeared with a vengeance despite previously seeming to obey government decrees, the constitutionality or Godliness of which they apparently didn’t question. We’re talking raccoons here. No sooner had the governor begun talking about letting folks out of their homes than these masked bandits began resuming their raids on Friend Mother’s free all-night convenience store for squirrels.

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Planting vegetables to combat COVID-19

Jennifer Sawyer is taking a tip from victory gardens during World Wars I and II — but her garden is because of the war against COVID-19. Her entire front yard on Main St. just east of Central Park has been prepared, and parts of it already planted, to grow vegetables and an assortment of medicinal plants.

Blood drive scheduled

Face coverings and social distancing will be required but blood donors from 2 to 6 p.m. May 27 at Gracepoint Church, 802 Vine St., Peabody, may qualify for a free T-shirt. Donors will receive a special Red Cross “We’re all in this together” T-shirt by mail while supplies last if they have valid email addresses on file.

Card shower requested

A card shower and a drive-by birthday celebration are planned for Rufus Lohrenz, Hillsboro, who will be 100 years old May 23. Cards may be sent to Parkside Homes 200 Willow Rd., Hillsboro 67063.

Athlete honored

Marion High School graduate Garrett Alleven last week was named a team captain of the men’s swim and dive team at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Alleven, a junior, will be one of five team captains for the 2020-2021 school year. The men’s team finished fourth at the 2020 GLIAC championships.

Main Street Ministries gets $25,000

Main Street Ministries in Hillsboro received $25,000 last week from Kansas Health Foundation for COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. The foundation distributed $2 million to 91 faith-based, non-profit, or government organizations.

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