Marion County RECORD

HEADLINES

Bounty hunters jailed after incident here
More than a year after a Marion woman’s initial complaint, a pair of Wichita bounty hunters have been arrested and charged with aggravated burglary, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and kidnaping. The woman, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution, originally complained to Sheriff Robert Craft after a Christmas Eve incident in 2019 in which the pair burst into her home looking for her son, who did not live with her.
Wichita, not Pilsen, to get Kapaun remains
The Wichita Diocese was notified last week that the family of the late Father Emil Kapaun has decided to have his body interred in Wichita. Harriet Bina, director of the Kapaun Museum at Pilsen, said she was informed of the decision the day before Easter but didn’t tell her tour guides, Kelli Krch and Melissa Stuchlik, until Easter evening.
Canada men charged in '20 murder
Charges were filed last week against two Canada men who allegedly obstructed apprehension of a man charged in October with first degree murder. Jason M. Kirkby, 38, who with his father owns a house and outbuildings at 1941 Narrow Rd. in Canada, was charged April 7 with obstructing apprehension or prosecution by concealing or aiding Robert B. Mans, who is himself charged with murder.
Drunk head-butts cop who gave him a lift
Marion’s assistant police chief’s attempt to give a ride to an apparently intoxicated man got him head-butted in the chest for his trouble this past week. Officer Steve Janzen was dispatched to an alley in the 400 block of S. Coble to a report of two people lying in a back yard with backpacks on.
County approves bait shop at lake
Anglers at the county lake soon won’t have to drive out of town for bait and tackle. County commissioners Monday approved $15,000 for lake supervisor Isaac Hett to set up a bait shop and convenience store he hopes to open by Memorial Day weekend.
Coming cold could stunt some blossoms
Mother nature shed her winter clothes and put on a party dress this past week as warm temperatures coaxed fruit trees to flower. The pretty blossoms have some growers wishing for apples, pears, and cherries, but a cold snap late this week might stunt the crop.

OTHER NEWS

Bondsman busy holding people accountable
Toby Karnes, owner of Eagle Bonds in McPherson, is inside Marion County Jail three or four times a week. That’s not to mention in the jails of other counties where he bonds people out of jail.
Vaccine woes won't disrupt county's plans
Marion County COVID-19 vaccination clinics will continue as planned despite Johnson & Johnson vaccines being halted by the state after problems developed with that vaccine. The county last week held two vaccination clinics using Johnson & Johnson vaccines, but had no more planned for this week or later.
Centre removes mask mandate
As of Tuesday, students, teachers, and visitors to Centre schools are still encouraged to wear masks, but they are no longer mandatory. The decision to discontinue the mandate was made Monday by the board of education, pursuant to the passage of SB 40 by the state legislature, which gives full authority to districts to change their policies.
Dollar General still closed after arson
Hillsboro’s Dollar General store remains closed and blocked off with caution tape after a Thursday morning arson believed to have been started by a 13-year-old. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire was merely smoldering, having been put out by fast-thinking customers who grabbed a fire extinguisher to smother the flames.
Prom fundraiser planned in Peabody
Peabody-Burns High School’s junior class will have a drive-through pickup supper as a prom fundraiser from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the high school. The menu will be lasagna, bread, salad, and a dessert. Cost will be a donation.

COUNTY

New county website debuts
Marion County is transitioning to a new website, though final tweaks are still being made. “It’s not coming up everywhere yet,” county clerk Tina Spencer said. “Some can see it and some can’t.”
TEEN to meet April 21
The Technology Excellence in Education Network will meet at 6 p.m. April 21 at USD 410 District Office in Hillsboro.For questions or more information, please call Lena Kleiner at (620) 877-0237.
Flint Hills bike tour Saturday
Flint Hills Counterpoint’s Musical Bike Adventure-Ride Marion County bike tour is set for Saturday. The rain dateis Sunday.
Marion library plans plant sale
Orders for red and pink geraniums, flowering baskets, and Boston ferns are due April 26 for Marion City Library’s annual plant sale. Plants are $15 each and may be picked up between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. May 6.
Blood donors can win gift card
People donating blood through April 30 will be entered in a drawing for one of five $1,000 e-gift cards that can be used at a merchant the winners’ choice. Blood will also be tested for COVID-19 antibodies.

DEATHS

Daniel Frantz
Graveside services will be 1 p.m. today at Durham Park cemetery, rural Durham, for Daniel A. Frantz, 79, who died Thursday at Newton Medical Center. He was born Aug. 22, 1941, in Goessel to Albert and Anna (Ratzlaff) Frantz.
Gary Myers
Services will be 10 a.m. Saturday, at Hillsboro M.B. Church for Gary L. Myers, 75, who died Saturday at the Cedars in McPherson. He was born June 25, 1945, in Flint, Michigan to Glenn L. and Dorothy (McDaniel) Myers.
Rosemary and Duane Neuwirth
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at St. John’s Nepomucene Catholic Church in Pilsen for Rosemary and Duane Neuwirth. The public may attend.
Ronald Unruh
Services will be Saturday for Ronald E. Unruh, 87, who died Monday at Schowalter Villa in Hesston. He was born Nov. 13, 1933, to Wesley and Ellen (Pankratz) Unruh, northwest of Durham on the family farm.
IN MEMORIAM:
Helen Cunningham
IN MEMORIAM:
Lenora Friesen
IN MEMORIAM:
Bill Miesse
IN MEMORIAM:
Jean Pierce

DOCKET

FARM

A llama dolly? Couple's farm is a real menagerie
If you drive west of Goessel, you might encounter a pasture with a flock of sheep overseen by a pair of llamas. While it might seem odd to encounter Peruvian camelids in the midwest, to Carol Duerksen and Maynard Knepp, they’re just another part of their farm.
Farmer tries new ways to help soil
The new buzzword in agriculture is “regenerative.” It goes deeper than sustainability. Regenerative agriculture is a practice that attempts to restore the soil to its natural productive state.
Cowboy poet gleans gems from ranch life
Payton Harms didn’t like poetry when he was in high school, but he finds it coming to mind as he works with his father on Harms Plainview Ranch. “I’ll be working and see something or think of a phrase and put it in my phone,” he said.

OPINION

Losing out on a prayer of a chance
Nearly 70 years after his death in a North Korean internment camp, Father Emil Kapaun remains a prisoner of war — in this case, an economic war. His recently identified remains belong in Pilsen. He was born there. He was schooled there. He celebrated his first Mass there. He was recruited into the military from there.
Taxing our patience
At least one good thing has come out of COVID-19. Thursday won’t be the normal oh-be-joyful deadline for last-minute income tax filers. A month-long, pandemic-proffered procrastination period for filers has given us ample time to poke around and find out how much various taxes cost us. The results may be surprising.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
Learning life skills
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Is enough, enough?

PEOPLE

Masons award scholarships
Christopher Grimwood of Burns has been given a $500 Legacy Scholarship from Advance Lodge of Florence. Grimwood will graduate from Berean Academy this spring and attend Butler Community College in El Dorado this fall. He plans to attend K-State Polytechnic, Salina, and pursue a career in aviation. He is the son of Tom and Nedy Grimwood, Burns.
Diner plans park fundraiser
Pop’s Diner in Peabody is having a fried chicken and baked ham dinner with sides from 12 to 3 p.m. Sunday as a fundraiser for the city’s Hearts 4 Hart Park Project.
Senior center menus
4-H:
Happy Hustlers
MEMORIES:
10, 25, 55, 70, 100, 140 years ago

SPORTS

2 big wins not enough for Warriors
Strong performances by Anne Baliel and Todd Palic weren’t enough to propel Marion beyond last place in the six-team Central Kansas Track League meet for which it played host Tuesday. Baliel won the girls’ pole vault by a margin 2½ feet, and Palic’s discus throw was more than three feet better than his nearest competitor’s.
Marion splits doubleheader
Marion’s boys’ baseball team split a doubleheader Tuesday with visiting Chase County, losing the opener 14-4 but coming back to win the nightcap 13-3. Friday, Marion dropped a pair to Inman, 11-7 and 11-5.
Hillsboro 2nd at golf invitational
Hillsboro High School came in second place at its golf invitational. Hesston won with 375, followed by Hillsboro at 426, Herington at 426, Goessel at 427, Halstead at 433, and Minneapolis at 465.
Basketball players named All-Star
Marion High students Braedon Mercer and Seth Lanning were invited to play in Kansas’ All Star game this past week at Pratt Community College. Mercer relished the opportunity to play against “the best of the best” seniors from all over the state.
Bowling league results

MORE…

HOVER OVER IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT

A flowering crabapple tree blossoms Monday afternoon at Marion Reservoir. Warmer weather has coaxed flowering trees of all sorts into bloom.

A Centre High student warms up in the long jump at Marion Relays Friday. The boys failed to score at the meet but Centre's Alyssa Espinoza was 3rd in triple jump and Carly Deines was 3rd in long jump with Lili Espinoza snagging 6th.

Ready to spit or stomp at any predator, or perhaps kiss a human visitor, llamas stand guard over sheep at Carol Duerksen and Maynard Knepp's ranch near Goessel.

A city worker cuts into a branch of an old American Elm tree in the 200 block of E. Water St. that needed to come down Tuesday. The tree was dropping bark and branches and had become a hazard.

Marion County RECORD

Anglers at the county lake soon won’t have to drive out of town for bait and tackle. County commissioners Monday approved $15,000 for lake supervisor Isaac Hett to set up a bait shop and convenience store he hopes to open by Memorial Day weekend.

Mother nature shed her winter clothes and put on a party dress this past week as warm temperatures coaxed fruit trees to flower. The pretty blossoms have some growers wishing for apples, pears, and cherries, but a cold snap late this week might stunt the crop.

Toby Karnes, owner of Eagle Bonds in McPherson, is inside Marion County Jail three or four times a week. That’s not to mention in the jails of other counties where he bonds people out of jail.

Peabody-Burns High School’s junior class will have a drive-through pickup supper as a prom fundraiser from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the high school. The menu will be lasagna, bread, salad, and a dessert. Cost will be a donation.

Marion County is transitioning to a new website, though final tweaks are still being made. “It’s not coming up everywhere yet,” county clerk Tina Spencer said. “Some can see it and some can’t.”

The Technology Excellence in Education Network will meet at 6 p.m. April 21 at USD 410 District Office in Hillsboro.For questions or more information, please call Lena Kleiner at (620) 877-0237.

Flint Hills Counterpoint’s Musical Bike Adventure-Ride Marion County bike tour is set for Saturday. The rain dateis Sunday.

Orders for red and pink geraniums, flowering baskets, and Boston ferns are due April 26 for Marion City Library’s annual plant sale. Plants are $15 each and may be picked up between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. May 6.

People donating blood through April 30 will be entered in a drawing for one of five $1,000 e-gift cards that can be used at a merchant the winners’ choice. Blood will also be tested for COVID-19 antibodies.

Graveside services will be 1 p.m. today at Durham Park cemetery, rural Durham, for Daniel A. Frantz, 79, who died Thursday at Newton Medical Center. He was born Aug. 22, 1941, in Goessel to Albert and Anna (Ratzlaff) Frantz.

Services will be 10 a.m. Saturday, at Hillsboro M.B. Church for Gary L. Myers, 75, who died Saturday at the Cedars in McPherson. He was born June 25, 1945, in Flint, Michigan to Glenn L. and Dorothy (McDaniel) Myers.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at St. John’s Nepomucene Catholic Church in Pilsen for Rosemary and Duane Neuwirth. The public may attend.

Services will be Saturday for Ronald E. Unruh, 87, who died Monday at Schowalter Villa in Hesston. He was born Nov. 13, 1933, to Wesley and Ellen (Pankratz) Unruh, northwest of Durham on the family farm.

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

If you drive west of Goessel, you might encounter a pasture with a flock of sheep overseen by a pair of llamas. While it might seem odd to encounter Peruvian camelids in the midwest, to Carol Duerksen and Maynard Knepp, they’re just another part of their farm.

The new buzzword in agriculture is “regenerative.” It goes deeper than sustainability. Regenerative agriculture is a practice that attempts to restore the soil to its natural productive state.

Payton Harms didn’t like poetry when he was in high school, but he finds it coming to mind as he works with his father on Harms Plainview Ranch. “I’ll be working and see something or think of a phrase and put it in my phone,” he said.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Pop’s Diner in Peabody is having a fried chicken and baked ham dinner with sides from 12 to 3 p.m. Sunday as a fundraiser for the city’s Hearts 4 Hart Park Project.

4-H:

MEMORIES:

Marion’s boys’ baseball team split a doubleheader Tuesday with visiting Chase County, losing the opener 14-4 but coming back to win the nightcap 13-3. Friday, Marion dropped a pair to Inman, 11-7 and 11-5.

Hillsboro High School came in second place at its golf invitational. Hesston won with 375, followed by Hillsboro at 426, Herington at 426, Goessel at 427, Halstead at 433, and Minneapolis at 465.

Marion High students Braedon Mercer and Seth Lanning were invited to play in Kansas’ All Star game this past week at Pratt Community College. Mercer relished the opportunity to play against “the best of the best” seniors from all over the state.