Marion County RECORD

HEADLINES

Prosecutor wants 53% pay raise
County attorney Joel Ensey told commissioners Tuesday that he wants a $40,000 raise. Ensey’s proposed pay increase would be 53% of his current salary of $75,000 a year.
9 months later, raid probe still incomplete
A report, originally promised by Tuesday, on the Aug. 11 raid of the Marion County Record still is incomplete. Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesman Melissa Underwood said at the beginning of the month that Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents were nearly finished with the report.
Semi kills 5 to 6 horses on US-50
Five to six horses that escaped a rural Peabody property and got onto US-50 were killed April 24 when the driver of a semi was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting them. Harmanpreet Singh, 21, Indianapolis, was driving west on US-50 just before 1 a.m. when he saw the horses in the roadway just east of Quail Creek Rd.
County misses mark on disaster money
Surrounding counties got federal disaster assistance for severe winter storms Jan. 8 to 16 but Marion County’s damage apparently didn’t cost enough to qualify. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Chase, Butler, and Morris counties are among 16 counties that got FEMA grants to help with repairing roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure.

OTHER NEWS

Peabody seeks proposals for development
Peabody Main Street Association is accepting proposals for leasing and eventually owning underused and historic properties at 107 and 117 N. Walnut St. in the town’s downtown historic district. Proposals may be for a full building or a smaller space within a proposed business incubator, contingent on funding from that program. A $1.5 million state grant will help pay for structural repairs, but applicants will be required to pay to finish the building to their specifications.
Father, son ride across country to spread awareness
Kahuulani and Kekoa Baox of Venice, Florida, were in Marion County last week as part of a 5,000-mile e-bike ride to raise awareness and donations for three organizations. Their “awareness by the mile” ride began 13 months ago outside Ashland and has taken them on a meandering route through southwest Kansas, eastern Colorado, Wyoming (where bad weather prompted them to re-route), Missouri, and back into Kansas. It will also take them through the Oklahoma panhandle.
Masons show off renovated lodge, award scholarship
A Marion High School junior got an early start on college scholarships April 24 when Alyera Koehn received a Masonic scholarship from Centre Lodge in Marion. Alyera won the scholarship for writing the winning essay in a contest.
Documentary on Peabody students to have its premiere
Saturday will be the premiere showing of a documentary art film featuring development of a plot of silphium at Flint Hills Counterpoint’s home base. “The Silphium Plot” will be shown at 7 p.m. at the home base, 1660 90th Rd.
Tabor building to be renovated
A $1.2 million gift to Tabor College has triggered renovation of a campus building into a home for business and entrepreneurship studies. Renovation of the Mary J. Regier Building was announced April 19. Located on the west portion of campus, the building will be expanded north.
Community foundation grants awarded
Goessel Community Foundation awarded community grants totaling $1,500 to seven nonprofit organizations on April 20. The grants are made possible by donations matched by the Patterson Family Foundation.

DEATHS

Michael Sorensen
Services for Michael Kelly Sorensen, 61, Durham, who died April 23 at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Durham Baptist Church. A barbecue meal in Durham Park will follow at noon. Born May 30, 1962, in Denver to Karl and Jackie (Greenrod) Sorensen, he married Sharon Kobilan on Nov. 7, 1982 in Fowler, Colorado.
IN MEMORIAM:
Sylvia Ehrlich
IN MEMORIAM:
Cladine Hartke

FARM

Farming can plant seeds of emotional distress
Land, property, and crops aren’t the only things that can be devastated by wildfires, drought, tornadoes, and floods. Those events can devastate lives, finances, and mental health, and farmers are especially vulnerable.

FOR THE RECORD

OPINION

Everything grows better in sunshine
Openness. Transparency. They’re good words. Nearly every politician, including all who won seats last fall on Marion’s city council, routinely stresses them in campaigns. But what do they mean? It’s not just a matter of restoring public comment periods or making sure topics aren’t voted on until after they are broached at a previous meeting. It’s a commitment to encouraging public engagement in everything government does.
So who's running?
CLEARLY DemonstratiNG what they don’t know about Kansas politics, some marketing geniuses somewhere appear to have decided that I’m the perfect person to survey on an almost daily basis about who should step into the void created by Jake LaTurner’s retreat and become the latest person to want to represent our overly gerrymandered district in Congress. The first survey showed up in my text messages probably before LaTurner had managed to tell his relatives he was not seeking re-election. Subsequent surveys continually have whittled the list of potential candidates. The latest lists only two declared candidates and one other.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
A cup of tea
CORRECTIONS:
Computer donation
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Land grab, Hall of Courage

PEOPLE

Musicians earn top ratings
Marion singers and band players competed in a solo and small ensemble festival Saturday at Tabor College in Hillsboro. Receiving top ratings of I were:
Freshmen win in ag mechanics
Members of the Marion FFA chapter finished first as a team in a freshman ag mechanics contest April 24 at Newton High School. Individually, Teegan Kraus placed first; Colt Smith, 3rd; and Hitch Soyez, fourth.
Farmhouse table to be sold
A handcrafted farmhouse table made by students at Marion High School is up for auction. This table is made with oak and walnut and seats eight.
Senior center menus
MEMORIES:
15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 110, 145 years ago

SPORTS

Marion may be at home to start playoffs
Marion split a doubleheader Friday against Inman, losing 7-5 in the first but winning 20-4 in the second. “Unfortunately, we played with some poor effort on Friday in Game 1 and didn’t do the little things right and we ended up on the wrong side of one,” coach Roger Schroeder said. “It is disappointing for this team as we needed to win the remainder of our league games to clinch a share of the league championship.”
Hillsboro is host for invitational
The Trojans were hosts for their annual James Thomas Invitational on Friday. The boys placed fifth place out of 16 schools. The girls finished eighth. Anders Weisbeck won in discus with his teammate Angel Rivera in a close fourth.
Swimmers 3rd at Maize
Out of 19 schools that participated in Friday’s Maize girls invitational, the combined Marion, Hillsboro, Centre, Peabody-Burns team placed third. Lauryn Vogt won in the 100 butterfly and the 50 freestyle.

MORE…

HOVER OVER IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT

Advanced ballet students dance to "Pure Imagination" at a Hillsboro Studio 23 dance recital Saturday at Hillsboro High School auditorium. From left are: Eliana Smith, Jolene Abrahams, and Lillianna Salamone-Harris. The trio was instructed by Lexi Miln

Kahuulani, left, and Kekoa Baox stand next to their Troxus e-bikes at Marion County Park and Lake, where they spent a night last week on their mission to raise awareness for organizations they consider worthwhile

Zander Haslett rounds first after a base hit but will come back to first after not seeing a clear path to second. Haslett would then go on to steal second shortly after. Haslett led the team in steals with four out of the 12 in Hillsboros win over Nickerson on Friday in game two.

Cheyanne Plenert is credited with Hillsboro's first victory of the season as starting pitcher in Friday's first game. She pitched the entire game. The Trojans won, 11-10.

Marion County RECORD

County attorney Joel Ensey told commissioners Tuesday that he wants a $40,000 raise. Ensey’s proposed pay increase would be 53% of his current salary of $75,000 a year.

A report, originally promised by Tuesday, on the Aug. 11 raid of the Marion County Record still is incomplete. Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesman Melissa Underwood said at the beginning of the month that Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents were nearly finished with the report.

A Marion High School junior got an early start on college scholarships April 24 when Alyera Koehn received a Masonic scholarship from Centre Lodge in Marion. Alyera won the scholarship for writing the winning essay in a contest.

Saturday will be the premiere showing of a documentary art film featuring development of a plot of silphium at Flint Hills Counterpoint’s home base. “The Silphium Plot” will be shown at 7 p.m. at the home base, 1660 90th Rd.

A $1.2 million gift to Tabor College has triggered renovation of a campus building into a home for business and entrepreneurship studies. Renovation of the Mary J. Regier Building was announced April 19. Located on the west portion of campus, the building will be expanded north.

Goessel Community Foundation awarded community grants totaling $1,500 to seven nonprofit organizations on April 20. The grants are made possible by donations matched by the Patterson Family Foundation.

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

Land, property, and crops aren’t the only things that can be devastated by wildfires, drought, tornadoes, and floods. Those events can devastate lives, finances, and mental health, and farmers are especially vulnerable.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

CORRECTIONS:

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Marion singers and band players competed in a solo and small ensemble festival Saturday at Tabor College in Hillsboro. Receiving top ratings of I were:

Members of the Marion FFA chapter finished first as a team in a freshman ag mechanics contest April 24 at Newton High School. Individually, Teegan Kraus placed first; Colt Smith, 3rd; and Hitch Soyez, fourth.

A handcrafted farmhouse table made by students at Marion High School is up for auction. This table is made with oak and walnut and seats eight.

MEMORIES:

The Trojans were hosts for their annual James Thomas Invitational on Friday. The boys placed fifth place out of 16 schools. The girls finished eighth. Anders Weisbeck won in discus with his teammate Angel Rivera in a close fourth.

Out of 19 schools that participated in Friday’s Maize girls invitational, the combined Marion, Hillsboro, Centre, Peabody-Burns team placed third. Lauryn Vogt won in the 100 butterfly and the 50 freestyle.