Marion County RECORD

Pilot car collides into parked semi

As far as Kansas Highway Patrol master trooper C. Eric Rust could tell, there was no obvious reason a pilot car collided with a parked semi-tractor truck Monday afternoon, at approximately 2 p.m., in the Kansas Department of Transportation construction area on U.S. 77 near 140th Road. He said there was no evidence that the pilot car had attempted to stop. Kent Dewitt McEntire, 56, of Wichita, the driver of the 2004 Freightline truck owned by Groendyke Transfers Inc. followed the instructions of the flagger, was parked, and was waiting to move. He was hauling a 2010 Polar Trailer.

Visitor gets 'helping hand'

Although it would have been easier to pass the buck when McPherson County dropped a hitchhiker off in Hillsboro, Marion County Sheriff’s Department took a more humanitarian approach, with assistance from the Marion Ministerial Alliance. McPherson County Sheriff’s Department notified Marion County it would be dropping off the hitchhiker, who was on his way to Missouri, about 10:23 p.m., when storms were going through the county.

Food shortage expected at art stroll

Time is running short, but Jan Davis still is looking for ways to feed attendees at the annual art stroll. “I’m willing to take anyone who’s interested in helping out,” the event organizer said. “The restaurants will be open, but they often run out of food. We’re expecting a shortage because of the Big Scoop not being open. If anyone wants to do a fundraiser, like a bake sale or an eat-on-the-go booth, I’d be more than willing to hear from them.”

Florence post office hours cut 41 percent

The Florence post office’s hours have been cut by 15 hours per week. The change went into effect Saturday. Previously the hours were 8 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 to 9:15 a.m. Saturday. Now the hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 to 10:15 a.m. Saturday — a reduction of 41 percent.

Drug charges filed without distribution charge

A charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute was not among the charges filed against Ida French of Marion on Thursday. A criminal complaint filed Thursday charges French with possession of a hallucinogenic drug (marijuana), endangering a child, possession of marijuana without a taxation stamp, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Plenty to see, do at Chingawass Days

Concerts and meals are some of the biggest attractions to Chingawassa Days, but there are plenty of other things to see and do at the festival, which is June 7 through 9 this year. Competitions

Levi Brown

Levi Brown, 88, died May 11 at Peabody Care Center. He was born Sept. 1, 1924, to Michael and Lena (Muth) Brown in New Rockford, N.D. He married Georgia Dick on Oct. 3, 1942, in Marion County.

Jerry Dalke

Jerry Dalke, 67, died Monday at Via Christi-St. Francis in Wichita. He was born Oct. 28, 1945, to William and Opal (Longhofer) Dalke in Hillsboro.

Jeffrey L. Tomlinson

Jeffrey L. Tomlinson, 63, passed away May 17, 2013, at St. Luke Hospital in Marion as a result of cancer. He was born Nov. 9, 1949, in Charleston, W. Va. He was the son of Robert and Virginia (Berry) Tomlinson. Jeff was an Army veteran who proudly served his country in the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1968.

Kenneth Wiebe

Kenneth Wiebe, 77, of Hillsboro and formerly of Durham died Friday at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice in Wichita. He was born Nov. 22, 1935, to Isaac and Gladys (Redger) Wiebe in Hillsboro. He is survived by his wife, Sandy Wiebe of Hillsboro; two sons, Doyle of Durham and Arden of Gruver, Texas; a daughter, Teresa Wiebe of Durham; three brothers, Ransom of Durham, Clayton of Durham, and Richard of Tampa; two sisters, Lucille Mininger of Almena, Wis., and Christine Friesen of Muleshoe, Texas; and nine grandchildren.

Arlene Minard Williams

Arlene Minard Williams, 95, passed away May 19 2013 at Peabody Care Center in Peabody, Kan. She was born May 15, 1918 in Narka, Kan., to Raymond and Lena Dovel Smith.

Accidents reported

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County jail

Criminal cases

Deeds

Emergency dispatches

Hillsboro police

Marriage licenses

Offenses

Peabody police

Commission goal: 4.4 percent property tax cut

While setting dates to work on the budget, Marion County Commission set a goal of reducing property taxes by about three mills, or 4.4 percent. Commission Chairman Randy Dallke was the first to propose that goal. He said the county may have to cut some services to reach that figure, though.

Economic director hired

The City of Marion has hired an economic development director — Roger Holter of Topeka. Holter currently works as the general manager of Lowe’s Hardware stores in the Topeka area. City Administrator Doug Kjellin said Holter has about 30 years of experience in the business world, at least 25 years based in retail.

Sweet potatoes rise in popularity

One of the frequently asked questions at Serendipity Gardens near Hillsboro last week was “when are the sweet potatoes coming in” and owner Jana Dalke’ s answer was “sometime next week.” Warm weather and sunny skies stirred the gardening bug in many area residents’ lives recently, and judging from garden shop traffic, most were on the hunt for traditional standards like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers to plant in their gardens.

Gardener spends time on his knees

David Fruth spends his noon hours watering and pulling weeds out of his flower garden for one reason: to watch them grow. “There’s just something about getting dirt under my fingernails that puts a smile on my face,” the 74-year-old Marion resident said. “I like to come out when the plants are smiling at the sun. They’re happy. I’m happy. Everyone wins.”

Part 6 of serialization

Msgr. Arthur Tonne, a prolific author, came to St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church in Pilsen to write this 1954 biography of Father Emil Kapaun, who recently was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and is under consideration for sainthood. Excerpts from “

Soldiering for God

From Chaplains’ School, Fort Devens, Mass., Father wrote, Sept. 2, 1944: “Most Reverend and dear Bishop,

Good luck commissioners

County Commissioners Randy Dallke and Dan Holub set an ambitious goal for the upcoming budget process — cutting county property taxes by about three mills, or 4.4 percent — while Roger Fleming remained fairly quiet on the matter. That would be an impressive reversal of a trend that has seen county property taxes increase 13.1 percent since 2007. Taxes have increased every year in that time. I wish them luck. It takes a lot of willpower to cut taxes, because that means cutting budgets. Yes, cutting taxes is popular with the general public, but commissioners hear more from department heads than from the general public, and department heads are more motivated to keep their budgets steady than Joe Q. Taxpayer is to see his taxes go down. Even a three-mill decrease in property taxes is only a $17.25 difference for a $50,000 home.

Good news and some bad

This weekend we received a message from a reader who was concerned about perceived callousness on the part of law enforcement officials toward a hitchhiker who was going to be dropped off at the county line during Saturday storms. She heard about it listening to her scanner for updates on the approaching storms. After listening to the radio transmissions, we’re happy to report that the situation wasn’t as she thought it was. It was McPherson County that dropped the hitchhiker off. Marion County Sheriff’s Office, with funding from the Marion Ministerial Alliance, took the humanitarian course and put the hitchhiker up in a hotel room during the storm.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

BALANCING ACT:

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:

Hospital board elections Tuesday

St. Luke Hospital’s board of directors election will be 7 p.m. Tuesday in hospital clinic basement. All residents of the hospital district, which includes Marion and part of Peabody, are eligible to vote in the election.

Brookens will speak at service

Marion’s annual Memorial Day service will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the Civil War Monument at Marion Cemetery. Bob Brookens, former representative for District 70 in the Kansas House of Representatives, will give the address. The Rev. Jeremiah Lange, pastor of Marion Presbyterian Church, will lead the prayer. The service will also include playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Taps” on trumpet, military honors presented by an honor guard, and a rifle salute. Marion Kiwanis Club will provide refreshments at Marion Elementary School following the ceremony.

Business workshop is June 20

A free Kansas Small Business Development Center workshop will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. June 20 at Butler Community College of Marion. The workshop will feature information about marketing, management, finances, and business idea feasibility. Registration is required by June 13. For more information, call (316) 218-6311 or email ksbdc@butlercc.edu.

Planning Commission to discuss park restrooms

Marion Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Its agenda will include a public hearing regarding new restrooms in Central Park.

WRAPS meeting is June 4

The Marion Reservoir Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy project is hosting a meeting and dinner 4 p.m. June 4 at the Marion Community Center in the city building. Concerned people are encouraged to ask questions about blue-green algae and water quality at Marion Reservoir. WRAPS coordinator Peggy Blackman will explain the protections WRAPS put in place to prevent algae and improve water quality. About $2 million in grant funds have been spent in the 200 square miles of the watershed.

Field day in Florence to address woodland management

The Kansas Forest Service, in conjunction with the Cottonwood River Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy will host a field day from 3:30 to 7 p.m. June 6 in Florence to address several aspects of tree planting and woodland management. This re-scheduled field day is to help landowners and professionals manage tree plantings, woodlands, and riparian area successfully.

Con men pose as contractors

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt is urging residents in areas damaged by weekend storms to sue caution during the cleanup and rebuilding to avoid scams by transient contractors. Home repair scams are common in natural disaster situations. Scammers will pose as contractors, approaching overwhelmed homeowners and offering to do repairs. They will often ask for cash in advance to purchase supplies, and then never return to do the work.

Crash numbers return to normal

March was a busy month for ambulances being called to car crashes, but the number of crashes returned to normal in April. A month after responding to 15 crashes, ambulances responded to three. County ambulances responded to 76 total calls in April, including 26 medical emergencies, 17 transfers, 13 no-transport calls, seven standbys, four each of falls and cardiac emergencies, three motor vehicle accidents, and two canceled calls. The total through the first four months of 2013 is 351 calls.

Rhino scramble is July 14

The third annual Rhino Scramble golf tournament, sponsored by the Marion Chamber of Commerce, will be held July 14 at the Marion Country Club. The four-person scramble will start at 1 p.m. Scores will be flighted, and there will be hole prizes. There also will be a cookout after the tournament.

Democratic women meet

The Marion County Democratic Women will meet noon Friday at Marion Senior Center. Members are encouraged to bring boxed mac and cheese for the food bank.

County clerk attends conference

Marion County Clerk Tina Spencer attended the Kansas County Clerks and Election Officials annual spring conference May 8 through 10 in Manhattan. She heard presentations about emotional intelligence, county clerks, dealing with employee leaves of absence, and social media and free speech.

Celiac patient gets reprieve

A smile crossed Elizabeth Perry’s face when she passed the gluten-free section and made a beeline for the wheat bread. “I haven’t had anything but gluten-free crap for the past nine years,” she said. “It’s going to be good to sink my teeth into this loaf.”

Senator accepting internship applications

Sen. Jerry Moran is accepting applications for congressional internships in his Washington, D.C., and Kansas offices for the fall. As a University of Kansas student, Moran had a summer internship with Rep. Keith Sebelius in 1974 while the Watergate scandal was at its height.

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Kirkham gets degree

Ashley Kirkham of Marion participated in a pinning ceremony May 5 at Hesston College for the work she had done to receive an associate degree in nursing. She was named to the dean’s list. To qualify for the dean’s list, students must have a 3.9 grade point average or higher.

Centre students receive awards

Centre High School students received numerous academic and athletic awards at the activities banquet May 14. The Centre chapter of the National Honor Society inducted nine new members: Justin Bina, Cassie Hill, Nellie Kassebaum, Shelby Makovec, Callie Riffel, Kailyn Riffel, Brenna Shields, Dakota Stimpson, and Brianna Svoboda.

Ft. Riley signs contract with Centre

A group of nine soldiers from the 299th Brigade Support Battalion at Fort Riley Army Base came to Centre May 15 for the official signing of a community partnership pact with the district. The agreement was signed by Superintendent Jerri Kemble, Counselor Mallory Jacobs, Commanding Lieutenant General Eric M. Schwartz, and Bryon Starks, Command Sgt. Major.

Centre chapter looking for funds

The Centre Future Leaders of America chapter still needs about $3,000 to fund the trip to the national convention for 12 qualifying students, according to sponsor Lisa Beye. Members plan to have a baked potato bar at Chingawassa Days in Marion June 8. Any other donations would be appreciated, Beye said.

In the shadow of a legend

In an effort to live up to the expectations that come with his name, Hogan Lovelady spends every moment he can on the green. “You’ve got to be good at golf if you’re named after Ben Hogan,” the Marion High School senior said.

Regional baseball title means new goals

Before the season, Marion baseball coach Roger Schroeder’s goal for the Warriors was to make it to the state tournament in Manhattan. Now that the team has advanced to state, the goal is to advance in the tournament.

Warriors to send 14 to state track

The Marion Warriors will have 14 entries in the state track meet Friday and Saturday at Cessna Stadium in Wichita. The Marion boys tied for second place with Southeast of Saline behind Sacred Heart on Friday at the regional meet at home. The girls placed sixth. Junior James Jones won the triple jump with a jump of 43 feet, 6½ inches. He also placed second in long jump at 21-5½. Sophomore Kyle Palic won the javelin with a throw of 165-2 and placed third in discus at 148-3.

Seven Centre athletes qualify for state

Of the seven Centre High School athletes who qualified for state competition in the regional track tournament Friday at Burlington, two placed in the 3,200-meter run. They had to finish in the top four to qualify. Sophomore Shelby Makovec had a repeat performance of the previous year, finishing third. Her time was 13 minutes, 44.69 seconds. Freshman Nellie Kassebaum finished fourth with a time of 14:21.98, setting a new personal record by more than 30 seconds.

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