Marion County RECORD

Old Settlers Day to be different

Although nothing could cancel class reunions and trips to Marion for Old Settlers Day weekend, this year’s festivities will be different because of COVID-19 concerns. This year there will be no parade, meal at Central Park, or games sponsored by Marion Kiwanis.

Dead trucker goes unnoticed in Barkman lot

A trucker who died in his truck in a Barkman Honey parking lot was not found until nearly a day later, according to police chief Dan Kinning. “Nobody thought twice about it really,” he said. “It’s just a truck sitting there in a lot full of trucks.

Art in Park axed; Old Settlers, too?

A decision whether to cancel Old Settlers Day will be made today after city officials Monday canceled Art in the Park, which had been scheduled two weeks before Old Settlers Day. Chris Mercer, Kiwanis president, said the club’s board, members, and members of the public have discussed whether to have the event, but no parade theme has been selected and no plans have been made for a traditional meal at Central Park.

Cop's stun gun ends armed clash over dog

Peabody officer Megan Chizek had to act quickly Aug. 4 to take down a 42-year-old man who had let his anger over a dispute about a dog turn into an armed confrontation. She managed to do so by using her stun gun on Mitchell W. McMillen, whom she arrested and loaded into the back of her squad car without having to wait for help from other officers on their way.

County taxes, fees could rise 6.6%

After long deliberations in which no budgeted amounts were changed, county commissioners settled last week on a 2.5% property tax increase after first ensuring that enough money will be available to give every county employee a 1.5% raise — in addition to longevity, merit, and reclassification raises. The tax increase will cost the owner of a typical house with a fair-market value of $86,800 an estimated $18.36 more next year, raising the county portion of that homeowners’ tax bill to $740.92.

Bid to raze fountain falls flat

Mayor David Mayfield’s plan to replace Central Park’s half-century-old memorial fountain with a splash pad drew mixed reviews Monday and assurances from at least one city council member that the lighted fountain would be saved. He told council members he supported building a splash pad where the fountain, which needs repair, now stands.

Crime rate plummets except in Peabody

Crime in Marion County declined significantly last year, remaining at less than half the state average. But the number of offenses per 1,000 people rose sharply in Peabody, which has twice the crime rate of other cities in the county and now exceeds the state average.

Boys' lemonade stand helps teachers

Dawson and Easton Jones repeatedly asked their mother if they could sell lemonade from their own stand this summer. The brothers, ages 7 and 5, saw the fun a neighbor boy had with his stand, and they wanted to put up one, too.

Edwards closes, maybe forever

Edward’s Café in Marion is closed for the next two weeks and might not open again. Owner Mike Beneke said the manager had to leave the state to take care of family matters, and visit her children out-of-state.

County appraiser resigns

The county will have to look for a new appraiser. Lisa Berg resigned Monday to work as assistant appraiser for Dickinson County.

Ex-defendants want wind farm to pay

Defendants dropped from a suit filed by Expedition Wind are seeking reimbursement of $34,242.50 in legal expenses along with sanctions against the wind-farm company. Tom Britain, Susan Mayo, Brandon Butts, and Michelle Butts, along with Randall Eitzen, who remains a defendant, were sued in April for $35 million. They were accused of tortious interference and abuse of process by Eitzen. Eitzen, lead plaintiff in three suits earlier filed against the county, the wind farm company, and the planning commission, also was accused of abuse of process.

COVID onslaught slows as total cases hit 60

Even with one new COVID-19 case Tuesday, bringing Marion County’s total to 60, the county had a significant decrease this past week in the number of new cases reported. No new cases were reported from Friday evening until Tuesday, with four for the week as a whole.

Berniece Ensz

Services for Berniece J. Ensz, 88, Lawrence, who died Thursday, will be 11 a.m. Friday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church Cemetery. Born July 7, 1932, in Hillsboro, to Herman and Hazel Balzer, she graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1950.

LaVern Funk

Services for retired farmer LaVern Funk, 98, who died Aug. 8 in Hillsboro were to be this morning at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. Born Aug. 22, 1921, to Adolph and Anna (Enns) Funk in Wolf Point, Montana, he married Maxine Loewen in 1951 and raised four children on a farm south of Hillsboro.

James Wullenweber

Services for former Countryside Feed worker James M. Wullenweber III, 77, who died Aug. 3 near Lincolnville, were Saturday at Zion Lutheran Church, Hillsboro. Born Feb. 25, 1943, in Milan, Indiana, to James Wullenweber Jr. and Alice (Harrington) Wullenweber, he married Mary Rhymes on April 18, 1981, in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

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Peabody leads in unpaid taxes as delinquencies plunge

Resolution of Hillsboro’s hospital bankruptcy helped spur a 42% reduction in unpaid taxes this year — the first decline in property tax delinquencies in four years. Even with Hillsboro Community Hospital excluded, delinquencies declined 15.6% in what would have been clear evidence of an improving economy before COVID-19 hit.

Transfer station costs keep mounting

The projected $1.87 million price for a county transfer station has swelled by $150,931 because of contaminated soil at the construction site and incorrect information about the location and size of city of Marion electrical wiring at the premises. Randy Purdue, engineer for Kaw Valley Engineering, asked commissioners Monday to approve two change orders for the project.

County to pursue damages to 190th

The county intends to send the operator of a tractor, whom the county sheriff’s office is still declining to name, a letter seeking $7,000 in damages after a disc was dragged 125 feet on a county road. The sheriff’s office has declined to release a report on the incident which shut 190th Rd. between Kanza and Limestone Rds. for two days.

Paperwork may delay Nighthawk

Long-awaited work on Nighthawk Rd. will be delayed. Reconstruction of portions of Nighthawk, 60th, and 330th Rds., which is to be paid in part by a grant from the state, will not be completed until more paperwork is filed with the state.

Businesses approved for COVID funds

County commissioners approved COVID-19 grants Monday for six county businesses from Peabody, Burns, and Pilsen: A Little Off the Top, a Peabody hair salon, will receive $5.000. CK Pharmacies, Peabody, will receive between $3,089 to $5,000. Pizza Rehea’s in Burns will receive $5,000. Burns antique dealer Rural Route Relics and Family Shoes of Pilsen also will receive $5,000.

Fall Fest to continue, but with changes

After recent cancellations for annual arts fairs in Marion and Hillsboro, Peabody Fall Festival will be sole craft event still planned. Precautions for the Sept. 26 event are being taken. Vendors are being distanced, and the event’s scope is being scaled down. Patrons will be urged to bring their own seating. The event will be two hours shorter, running from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Building center is getting hammered

It’s a strange problem to have. Homeowners tackling do-it-yourself projects have kept lumber and building suppliers like Morgan Wheeler, co-owner of the Building Center, busy with orders.

1st new house reaches halfway point

The first of Marion’s new Coble St. houses is roughly half completed, and, according to Marion economic development director Randy Collett, two more homes already are under contract. “No. 1, we need the housing,” he said. “No. 2, it’s nice to be able to point to someone and say that yes, they are going to be taking advantage of our moderate-income housing subdivision. It’s a happy relief.”

Feelings of loss still smolder months later

House fires often are impactful in the moment for communities, but for fire victims the loss is one they have to live with long after the smoke clears. “You don’t think straight for quite a while after,” Elaine Delk said. “You’re just kind of dazed like, ‘What do I have to do now?’ It takes a long time to even start to come back.”

Marion, state move against junkyard

Calling an illegal Marion dump site “dangerous,” city council members signed an agreement Monday for the state to reimburse the city 75% of the cost of the cleanup. The property at 702 S. Cedar St. is littered with vehicles and rubbish. It is surrounded by a wood and metal fence with pieces of the metal lying loose on the ground.

Marion paying brownout claims

The city of Marion paid three $500 insurance deductibles for residents who had damage from electrical brownouts this year. The city paid $1,000 to EMC Insurance for deductibles on Gambino’s Pizza and someone listed on the same city warrant list as a person identified only as Waner.

Drinking from a fountain of ignorance

Ever visit an old hunk of metal plopped out in the middle of New York harbor? You know, a big hunk of bronze that used to be brown but has turned green with age? It’s so blasted old workers have to hand make parts to repair it. We hear that yearly maintenance costs a pretty penny — something akin to its original color. Clearly, it’s time we replace the dumb old Statue of Liberty with something kids would like a whole lot more — a neon-lined Ferris wheel, perhaps, or maybe a Tilt-a-Whirl.

Refusing to tolerate intolerance

Having found ourselves neck-deep in mud dredged up not from county roads but slung from every direction during recent congressional and senatorial primaries, we were encouraged by how little of the icky, sticky stuff seemed to be flung about in local elections. That encouragement came to a screeching halt — faster than a car avoiding chasm-sized ruts in badly graded rural roads — while we were wandering the halls of the courthouse awaiting results election night.

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91-year-old enrolls in swimming lessons

Marion resident Madonna Schafers is living proof that you’re never too old to learn something new. Schafers, 91, is taking private swimming lessons at Marion Sports and Aquatics Center twice a week under the tutelage of Randy Carlson, assistant manager of the center.

Cafe purchase inspired by highway number

Deciding to buy the former FamLee Bakery on Main St. in Marion was more than a personal decision, Tim Melendy said. It was a sign his wife, Babs, had been looking for. Located on K-256, Main St. in Marion, it was one of several places Babs saw “256,” starting with her home address as a child.

Friends keep quilts, businesses together

Longtime friends who ran their businesses in the same downtown Hillsboro location for several years — until the building was sold in February —set up shop together again Aug. 1. Kessler Kreations, run by Marie Kessler, and Backdoor Quilting, run by Neva Kreutziger, used to operate at 112 S. Main St. They now are operating in the former Chisholm Trail Outfitters building at 805 Western Heights Circle.

Move east excites new principal

After spending all of his life in western Kansas, Trevor Siebert is happy to be closer to some of the bigger cities in Kansas. Siebert, the new principal for grades 6 to 12 at Centre schools, and his wife, Rachelle, are excited about having a shorter commute to sports events at Kansas State University.

Golf tournament nears

Peabody American Legion’s Sandgreen Masters, an annual golf tournament in memory of Joe Hurst, will be 11 a.m. Sept. 6 at Peabody Country Club, with registration at 10 a.m. The four-person scramble will cost $25 a person. Golf cart rentals also will be available for $25. Cart reservations are being taken through Aug. 24 by Myrna Wood at (316) 772-2669.

Disability, tech groups to meet

Harvey-Marion County Developmental Disability Organization board members will meet online at 4 p.m.Monday. The meeting may be accessed at https://harveymarioncddo.com/meetings. Technology Excellence in Education Network’s monthly meeting will be via video conference at 6 p.m. Aug. 19. Additional information is available from Lena Kleiner at(620) 877-0237.

Seniors to meet Aug. 21

Lunch reservations have been requested for Senior Citizens of Marion County’s August board meeting at 10 a.m. Aug. 21 at Marion Senior Center. Lunch will be served by Marion seniors. Reservations are being accepted through Aug. 19 at (620) 382-2942.

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Marion school board OKs reopening plans

Marion school board members took aim at a moving target Monday night, as they approved plans to reopen schools this fall. “What is the case today may not be the case tomorrow, it may not be the case by 9 p.m.,” superintendent Aaron Homburg said.

Marion athletes urged to pull together

Evan as two of the nation’s premier collegiate conferences were pulling the plug on all fall sports, athletic director Jason Hett was telling Marion athletes to draw strength from each other as they all struggle with change. The theme for Marion athletics this year is “Stronger Together,” he told about 100 students and parents gathered Tuesday evening at the school’s stadium.

Tabor College welcomes students back to campus

New Tabor College students sat in a coffee shop in the Shari Flaming Arts Center and waited for the results of a key test Thursday with their parents. Their college journey started with a temperature check, a health screen, and a nose swab at a staging area.

Centre approves plans for return to school

Centre students returning to school Sept. 9 will have the option to meet in classrooms unless or until COVID-19 active cases rise to 2.99% of the school population, at which time they would switch to all online classes. If a student in one classroom is exposed to the virus, all the students in that classroom will be and separately transported to and from school.

Hillsboro school district's sports practices to begin Monday

Hillsboro’s plan for all high school sports is to have practices begin Monday, but what happens on the field also depends on what happens in classrooms. Classes are to have options available for in-person and distance learning, according to what students and parents are comfortable with. Students learning from home will be allowed to participate in sports, but that doesn’t mean attendance requirements will go out the window.

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