Marion County RECORD

Hospital may face utility shutoff

After a $10,247.96 check bounced in December and with two additional months’ unpaid utility bills totaling $18,396.35, Hillsboro Community Hospital is in danger of having utilities shut off Jan. 4 because it is $28,644.31 in arrears. Hillsboro City Council met in special session Thursday to discuss the hospital’s unpaid bills.

Drug suspect arrested twice in two days

A Marion man was arrested Friday on a warrant and suspicion of two drug offenses, then arrested again Sunday evening on a new set of charges while still in jail from the first arrest. Brady L. Blazek, 25, was arrested Friday by sheriff’s deputies on a warrant for failure to report an accident. He was also arrested on suspicion of possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia. Bond on those charges is $8,500. Blazek is listed in jail records as living in Hillsboro.

Developer told to lose his outhouse - or his whole house

An outhouse at a lake house has drawn fire from county authorities. Garry and Sharlyn Dunnegan, Wichita, had a house built at 8 Horseshoe Rd. complete with a private well and an outhouse. Garry Dunnegan is developer of Saddle Creek Estates subdivision.

County attorney tabbed to be judge

Marion County attorney Courtney Boehm has been appointed district judge for Geary County, which is part of the Eighth Judicial District, according to Eighth Judicial District chief judge Michael Powers. There is no timetable for finding Boehm’s replacement, but there will be after she officially resigns, Marion County Republican Party chairman Bob Brookens said.

Reportedly stolen Jeep crashes after 6 miles

A man driving a Jeep Cherokee reportedly stolen from Marion early Friday didn’t get far before being loaded into an ambulance after being thrown out of the Jeep in a crash six miles west of town. Marion police chief Clinton Jeffrey said Zach Dvorak notified police at 4:19 a.m. Friday that a Jeep owned by his brother, Derrick Dvorak, had been stolen from the 800 block of E. Main St. and the driver fled west.

'Male' parrot puts up a squawk about her eggs

The African Grey parrot owned by Junior and Ginny Grimmett of rural Florence is at it again. She laid several eggs about two weeks ago. Unlike the first egg-laying episode almost two years ago, when the Grimmetts were surprised to discover that their male bird actually was a female, Zark gave no indication of what was about to occur. Ginny simply discovered her sitting beside an egg on the floor of her cage.

Real sole-mates

Jim and Norma Horinek of Pilsen have worked together repairing shoes all of their married life and have operated Family Shoe Repair in Pilsen since 1994. From the area covered, theirs is one of the few shoe-repair businesses in central Kansas.

A year to remember . . . or, perhaps, to forget

Although there was a fair amount of more uplifting news in 2018, controversy and scandal unfortunately dominated Marion County headlines like never before. 1. Acts of commission

Local federal offices open - for now

During a government shutdown, agencies that have funds appropriated in prior years that are carried forward can continue to serve customers until that money is used up. USDA Service Center in Marion includes two such agencies, Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources and Conservation Service. Both were open Thursday, the fifth day of the latest government shutdown.

Sobriety program examines underlying issues

For Durham native and mental health counselor Joy Waldbauer, the Restoration Center, Inc. is the opportunity for her to bring her passion to her home county. Before the center was set up at 125 E. Main St. in Marion, county residents had to travel to McPherson, Junction City, or Salina for drug and alcohol counseling. To provide more services in the county, local community corrections and judge Michael Powers of the Eighth Judicial District contacted Waldbauer.

County gas prices reach $2

County gas prices in four communities dipped under the $2 threshold Dec. 19, with every other area reaching the hitting the mark in the week since. The county price of gas sat at $2.37 heading into Thanksgiving, and the price has continued in the weeks since. The county average is at $1.96, which was two cents below the average price for Kansas.

Alleged backhoe joyriding questioned

Resident Dan Martel addressed members of Peabody City Council Thursday about concerns he had that public works employees “joyride” in the city’s backhoe. “Letting that good piece of equipment deteriorate because it’s used for jobs that it’s not necessary and not designed to do,” Martel said.

Florence stays within budget

Despite Florence City Council’s extensive deliberation over how much they could afford in water costs, they still ended 2018 in the black. Money from several reserve funds had to be used to stay within the budget, but the council won’t have the final numbers until Florence’s scheduled audit in mid-January.

Hospital calls police for man in bathroom

Hillsboro hospital employees summoned police early Saturday after a black man stayed too long in the bathroom. “A guy came in late at night and asked to use the restroom,” Hillsboro officer David Funk said. “He was in there a little too long, and they called police. By the time we got there, he was gone.”

Hillsboro chamber to unveil app

Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce members will be introduced to a new Shop Hillsboro First app at a noon luncheon Jan. 8 in the city building’s East Room. David Vogel will demonstrate the free app, which will offer advertising to Hillsboro businesses, on computers and smart phones brought by members.

Anne Driver

Services for Anne Driver, 76, who died Dec. 24 at Hillsboro Community Hospital, were to be at 11 a.m. Dec. 29 at Hillsboro United Methodist Church with visitation from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 28 at Jost Funeral Home. Born Sept. 27, 1942, in Wichita to Noel and Betty (Hoover) Albert, she married Vincent Driver on Nov. 28, 1970, in Wichita.

Jim Thiessen

Services for Jim Thiessen, 80, who died Dec. 21 at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro, were scheduled for 11 a.m. Dec. 28 at Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church in Hillsboro. Interment was to be at Gnadenau Cemetery. Born March 28, 1938, in Hutchinson to Jake and Mary (Warkentin) Thiessen, he married Joyce Frantz on Nov. 17, 1958, at Gnadenau Church.

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

Accidents reported

Civil division cases

County jail arrests and bookings

Deeds reported

Emergency dispatches

Police incident reports

Traffic Division cases

Looking for a resolution

As yet another seemingly leaderless year draws to a close, it’s worth a moment of our revelry to reflect on how much real leadership actually means. Operating behind a maze of shell corporations, Hillsboro Community Hospital and Westview Manor are facing challenges that St. Luke Hospital has managed to avoid precisely because visionary community leaders dared to take on conventional wisdom in the 1960s and draft new legislation to allow St. Luke to operate as a public hospital district.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

One war, two wives, 30,000 chickens

His life, by his own admission, can be summed up as fighting in a war and outliving two wives. Don Fruechting, 87, said, “My guardian angel has been a busy person.”

Hotel to offer inaugural dining

The Historic Elgin Hotel will treat guests to a gourmet meal Jan. 5 at their inaugural Dine Out at the Elgin event. The chef for the evening will be Josh Tajchman, owner of Taco’s Food Truck. Despite working with the food truck more recently, Tajchman has prior experience with gourmet food, hotel proprietor Tammy Ensey said.

Peabody Hub gets surprise gift

Three people and one business have a little more cash in their pockets, thanks to the Peabody Holiday Shopping Spree. Peabody residents Tricia Oursler took home the big bucks — $500 — and Terry and Melissa Johnson received $100. The $250 award was a surprise.

Give a plant a chance: Don't toss that poinsettia just yet

The beautiful, bright red leaves, called bracts, of the ever-popular Poinsettia brighten the holidays. They are popular gifts to give and receive. However, they have gotten a reputation for being a bit finicky. With a little tender, loving care they can be kept looking good for months to come, University of Kansas extension agent Tristen Cope said.

SENIOR CENTER:

MEMORIES:

MEMORIES IN FOCUS:

Scoreboard doesn't tell whole story

Defeated. Again. It’s enough to make the strongest person give up, go home, and call it a day. But the Peabody-Burns girls basketball team members are stronger than most.

No home team is no problem for this athlete

Peabody-Burns doesn’t have a softball team, but freshman pitcher Skylre Stucky is managing to excel in the sport anyway. Instead of playing for a high school team, Skylre spends her summers as a member of the Wichita Patriots travel-league. Her performance has gone so well that she was invited to compete on a national team in the Dominican Republic to promote goodwill between American student-athletes and those from other countries.

Hillsboro cheer camp dates set

Hillsboro High School is holding its fourth annual cheer clinic for boys and girls from kindergarten through sixth grade 3:45-4:45 p.m. Jan. 22-24. The camp will be in the elementary gymnasium, with Hillsboro varsity cheerleaders leading the program.

More all-state honors for Hillsboro football

Post-season honors continue to roll in for Hillsboro High School football players. Senior offensive lineman Wes Shaw, wide receiver Darian Ratzlaff, and linebacker Brooks Gardner were named in December to the Kansas Football Coaches Association’s all-state team for Class 1A.

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