BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
For the third week in a row, Marion County Lake will be under a blue-green algae advisory.
An algae warning imposed two weeks ago was lowered to a watch last week and renewed Friday for another week.
Much of the county, particularly the Hillsboro area, was hammered by wind and thunderstorms Monday night.
County road and bridge crews out from 1 until 9 a.m. Tuesday — some later — cutting limbs and trees off county roads.
On the heels of a meeting with the mayor and city administrator but not their fire chief, only two Marion firefighters responded with Chief Chris Killough to fight a hay fire Monday.
So few firefighters responded that Killough had to ask for help from Florence and Cedar Point.
Uncertain of the legality of products found in Carlsons’ Grocery in Marion, police seized 160 cans and bottles of THC beverages Saturday.
Bearing names such as “Nowadays,” “Drink Easy,” “Drinking Buds,” and “Happi,” some come in flavors such as raspberry honeysuckle.
Like blue eyes and blonde hair, demolition derby competition is a trait that passes from one generation to another.
Gavin Druse, 16, Marion, began creating derby cars to smash when he was only 11. This is his fifth year to compete in derbies.
Ever since a financed commodities program providing free food to more than 250 low-income county families was paused in June, local organizers have fretted over those they are unable to feed.
The good news is that some organizations are launching their own programs to battle food insecurity.
A rural Lost Springs man’s death Thursday from an apparent heart attack prompted county commissioner Kent Becker to question interim ambulance director Mickey Price Monday whether an agreement was needed with nearby counties to respond to ambulance calls in remote areas of the county.
Such an agreement has been in place with Dickinson County since 2012, but was not invoked in the apparent heart attack death Thursday. Neither Price not Becker was aware of the agreement when they spoke Monday.
Newly appointed State Representative Greg Wilson promoted misinformation and conspiracy theories on two public social media accounts.
Both accounts list Abilene as Wilson’s place of residence, use his full name, and include pictures of him and family members.
Improvements are coming to Rural Water District No. 1.
The district was in hot water earlier this month after Tampa and Ramona residents reported dark-brown water coming from their taps.
For the first time since May 22, Marion Reservoir no longer faces a blue-green algae advisory or warning, and what had been a warning for Marion County Lake was lowered Friday to a less serious watch.
In all, six Kansas bodies of water will be under warnings until July 25, and 12 will be under watches.
Kirsten Dahlgren came to Marion for family. Now, she says, she’s leaving for the same reason.
Having been in town for 13 months, Dahlgren is selling the building that serves as her residence and coffee shop, The Sit Down.
Sunday’s hot weather, which peaked at 99 degrees, had decreased only slightly, to 94, when Marion County Fair’s horse show began at 6 p.m.
With zero cloud cover and an outdoor arena bereft of shade, spectators in the bleachers sipped from Big Gulp cups and sweated the showcase out.
John R. “Rocky” Hett, 81, Marion, died Monday. Services are pending.
Yazel-Megli Funeral Home, Marion, is in charge of arrangement.
Services for Melba Jean Hill, 89, who died July 15, were Monday at Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church, rural Hillsboro. Burial was at the church cemetery.
Born April 2, 1936, near Hillsboro to E.W. and Helen (Ediger) Hein, she attended Finch School, five miles southeast of Hillsboro, graduated in 1954 from Hillsboro High School, and attended Tabor College in 1954-’55.
IN MEMORIAM:
Bettie BattIN MEMORIAM:
Darren Makovec
Feline companion Zenger might be jealous, but while curiosity kills cats, it is the lifeblood of journalists — even if it occasionally results in catty comments about us.
This week’s news is full of curious developments. We aren’t wise enough or presumptive enough to tell you what to make of them. That’s up to you. We just let you know about them and let you make up your own mind what they might mean.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
The games of lifeLETTERS:
Voter apathy
A dog bite July 16 in Marion turned out to be only a minor scratch that needed no treatment beyond having the wound cleaned.
Interim Police Chief Zach Hudlin said the dog hadn’t behaved aggressively toward the man who was bitten. The man had walked to a neighbor’s fence to pet the dog, which ran over and jumped up on the fence to greet him.
A public hearing on development of a downtown Marion historical district, originally scheduled for Monday evening, was postponed to an uncertain date.
City Administrator Brian Wells told council members Monday that he had made attempts to reach Ben Moore Studio, the architectural firm that began working on the project in 2019, but had not heard back.
Blood drives are planned for 1:15 to 6:15 p.m. today at Eastmoor United Methodist Church in Marion and 1 to 6 p.m. Aug. 4 at Goessel Church in Goessel.
Appointments are being accepted at http://redcrossblood.org.
Eli Groening talked about showing corn at the fair, and Noah Schmidt talked about breeding cows when Happy Hustlers 4-H club met July 7 at Marion County Lake hall.
Tickets for a hog raffle were distributed, and club members discussed voting at the group’s next meeting, at 7 p.m. Aug. 4 at the lake hall, to pay for fair prizes.
MEMORIES:
15,
30,
45,
60,
75,
110,
145 years ago
In between smoking cigarettes, crushing beers, and reminiscing about old classmates, the Peabody-Burns baseball alumni realized they didn’t have enough players to field a team.
The alumni were scheduled to scrimmage a formidable group of coaches and players, led by Jim Philpott, during the first day of the under-16 Babe Ruth baseball tournament in Peabody’s city park last week.
A Cottonwood Valley team made up of seven Peabody teens, two Marion and Whitewater-area teens, and one each from Hillsboro, Moundridge, and El Dorado won the state Babe Ruth 16-and-younger championship Saturday in Peabody.
The team defeated Fredonia 22-1 in a game shortened to four innings.
Like Peabody, Hillsboro was host for a Babe Ruth state baseball tournament this weekend, this one for players 10 and younger.
The five competing teams arrived for a baseball clinic and picnic Wednesday night before competing Thursday to Sunday.
