Marion County RECORD

Marion schools to issue student laptops

Starting in the fall, Marion schools will equip all students in grades five through 12 with a laptop computer. The school board unanimously voted on Monday to spend $95,880 for 340 Acer Chromebook laptops. Superintendent Lee Leiker said the laptops should be able to do about 90 percent of the work classroom computers and computer labs are used for now, while allowing students to do more work at home.

Upgrades needed at Nighthawk and 130th

Safety was the main concern Monday when county commissioners met with Bruce Boettcher of BG Consultants to discuss improving driving conditions at the intersection of 130th St. and Nighthawk Rd. In a letter to the Kansas Bureau of Local Projects, Chairman Roger Fleming said the county was applying for funding because the intersection has offset section lines that endanger north and southbound traffic.

Supreme Court upholds 2011 rape conviction

The Kansas Supreme Court upheld the conviction of Terry Lee Bowen on two counts of rape and one count each of aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated kidnapping in an opinion released Friday. Bowen was convicted in June 2011, along with Lora Kay and Kenneth J. Frederick II, of the crimes against a then-14-year-old Peabody girl in June 2010. Bowen was sentenced to life in prison and was ordered to have no contact with his co-defendants or the victim. Bowen was registered as a sex offender at the time of the 2010 crimes.

Family moves cattle the old fashioned way

While horses are still commonly used in ranching operations, its isn’t often to see a large cattle drive to and from summer pastures. No access roads means Eugene Just and his band of cowboys had to push his 100 Angus cattle three miles to their summer vacation spot last week. He said the majority of his seven or eight cowboy crew look forward to the drive every year.

Boehm becomes permanent fixture in law practice

Those with legal issues could find Josh Boehm at the Law Offices of J. Robert Brookens in Marion and Hillsboro for two years, but now he will be a more permanent fixture. “I’d like to think our office has served the community well over the years but one man can’t do it all,” Bob Brookens said.

School coming to a close

The close of the school year is underway at Marion High School. Today is the last day of class for graduating seniors, as well as graduation rehearsal and baccalaureate. The baccalaureate service will be at 7 p.m. at Eastmoor United Methodist Church. Thursday events include the pops concert, awards night, and art show beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the performing arts center.

Mayor, clerk attend leadership conference

During a short meeting of the Marion City Council on Monday, Mayor Todd Heitschmidt and City Clerk Woodrow Crawshaw spoke about their experience at the League of Kansas Municipalities Leadership Summit and Mayors Conference last week in Manhattan. Crawshaw attended several sessions, learning about city budgets, Kansas Open Meetings Act, liquor laws and applications, and social media policies.

Business financials workshop is May 22

The Kansas Small Business Development Center will present a workshop on understanding business financials from 2 to 4 p.m. May 22 at the Butler Community College Marion campus, 412 N. Second St., Marion. The workshop will cover basic accounting terminology, financial statements such as profit and loss, balance sheets, and cash flow statements, and what they mean. Financial ratios, measurements, and controls will be discussed to provide better business oversight. It will also cover how to calculate mark-up and margin, how they are different, and how each affects profitability.

McPherson native files for state Senate race

Republican Richard E. Wilborn of McPherson filed to run for the 35th District Senate seat. Clark Shultz, who is running for Kansas Insurance Commissioner, currently holds the seat.

Chingawassa schedule for June 7 set

A complete schedule for Saturday Chingawassa Days has been released and is as follows: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Pancake feed.

Sheriff gets digital fingerprint grant

The sheriff’s office received a grant for digital fingerprinting equipment from Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office Monday. The grant for up to $22,186 from the county law enforcement equipment fund came from a one-time surplus in funds from concealed carry license fees.

Farmers can apply for new conservation easement program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Kansas is now accepting applications for its new Agricultural Conservation Easements Program. The program combines the former farm and ranch lands protection, grassland reserve, and wetlands reserve programs.

Disaster loans available for small businesses

Federal low-interestl disaster loans area available to non-farm businesses for revenue lost due to the drought beginning April 29. Because Marion is bordered by counties declared disaster areas, the county qualifies for loans to lessen the impact on businesses dependent on farmers and ranchers who will sustain losses because of the drought.

Georgia Brown

Georgia Brown, 90, died May 6 at Salem Home in Hillsboro. She was born April 21, 1924, to George and Molly (Eberhardt) Dick in Tampa. She married Levi Brown on Oct. 3, 1942. He preceded her in death in 2013.

Robert Jost

Robert C. Jost, 93, died May 6 at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro. He was born Aug. 12, 1920, to Peter G. and Elizabeth (Funk) Jost in Hillsboro. He is survived by his wife, Irene Jost of Hillsboro; a son, Lynn A. Jost of Sterling, Colo.; two daughters, Robetta Trapp of North Newton and Nancy Ozick of Falcon, Colo.; a brother, Karl Jost of Hillsboro; a sister, Katherine Sommerfeld of Lindsborg; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Ted McIrvin

Ted McIrvin, 89, of Lehigh died Feb. 13 at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro. He was born Nov. 24, 1924 to Rex and Anna (Prohaska) McIrvin in Cope, Colo. His wife, Darlene, preceded him in death. He is survived by four sons, Ken of Lehigh, Randy of Hudson, Colo., Cliff of McPherson, and Jim of Grahm, Texas; a daughter, Lori McIrvin of Engberg, Texas; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Tillie Schwendiman

Tillie Schwendiman, 92, of Marion died May 5 at St. Luke Living Center in Marion. She was born in Bartlesville, Okla., on April 24, 1921, the twin daughter of George L. and Susie (Balzer) Reiswig. She married Kenneth Schwendiman on March 26, 1946, and worked at a retail clothing store clerk.

IN MEMORIAM:

Accidents reported

Civil division cases

County Jail arrests and bookings

Criminal division cases

Deeds recorded

Emergency dispatches

Marriage licenses issued

Offenses reported

Police incident reports

Traffic division cases

Water aerobics take it easy on the body

Before water aerobics class Monday at USD 408 Sports and Aquatic Center in Marion, an older man walked in with a cane, and even that was laborious. Once he was in the water, though, he moved around without any apparent difficulty. He wasn’t part of the water aerobics class, but he demonstrated why some people choose water aerobics for exercise.

Limiting carbohydrates stabilized woman's blood sugar

Judy Forney of Marion County Lake was overweight and pre-diabetic in November when she joined the Kansas Take Off Pounds Sensibly Chapter 1075 in Marion. She struggled to lose weight until about six weeks ago when she and her husband decided to limit their carbohydrate (sugar and starch) intake while taking care to maintain a normal protein intake.

Losing weight my way

I recently started trying to eat better and get more exercise to help me lose weight. There are several good reasons for people to want to lose weight, and my biggest reason is my health. While I haven’t had any health problems because of my weight yet, I have a strong family history of heart disease. I want to get my weight under control before it becomes a problem.

Sun protection keeps summer weather fun

Winter has finally lost its grip on the area and spring and summer temperatures are driving many outside to play and work in the sun. Dr. Paige Hatcher of St. Luke Physician Clinic said the best way to ensure fun this summer is through prevention.

Avoid dangerous spider bites

It’s the time of the year where insects and arachnids are emerging from their winter hideaways; some, like butterflies, are pleasant and others, like spiders, not so much. The brown recluse is a spider that co-habitats with humans. It can be found in dark places within the home, in seldom worn clothing, and under furniture according to brownreclusespider.org.

School board makes an investment

Marion school board voted Monday to equip all students from fifth grade on with a laptop computer beginning in the fall, and they discussed the possibility of adding even earlier grades in the future. With a price tag of nearly $100,000, it’s a significant expense. More than that, though, it is an investment. The district will phase out many desktop computers — computer dinosaurs by the standards of many of today’s youths. This investment brings Marion even with other schools that already issue computers to students and gives it a leg up on schools that still rely entirely on desktops, computer labs, and computer carts, at least in attracting families to the school district.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

Heerey to graduate

Kayley J. Heerey of Marion graduated from Kansas Wesleyan University on Saturday. Heerey graduated with honors with a bachelor of arts and as a member of Alpha Chi Honor Society.

Hanschu wins excellence award

Jayson Hanschu of Hillsboro won the American Star Excellence award in Customer Experience Certification for his work with clients with American Family Insurance. Hanschu has been with American Family since 1998.

CDDO to meet

Members of the board of directors of the Harvey-Marion County CDDO will meet at 4 p.m. May 19 at the CDDO office in Newton,500 N. Main St., Suite #204, Newton.

Victoria Smolik turning 90

The family of Victoria Smolik wish to invite friends to attend a reception honoring her 90th birthday at 4 p.m. May 25 at Marion City Library. In lieu of gifts, cards to Smolik may be sent to 103 Eisenhower Dr., Marion, KS 66861.

Marion grad to receive doctorate

Tedra Eis Hett, a 2007 graduate of Marion High School, will graduate from the University of Kansas with a doctor of pharmacy degree Sunday. Tedra is the daughter of Danette and Steve Eis. She is married to Kyle Hett, also a 2007 graduate from Marion.

Memorial Day services set in Pilsen

Services for Memorial Day will be at 9:30 a.m. May 26 at Pilsen Cemetery. In case of inclement weather, services will be held at the community center.

Couple to celebrate 40th anniversary

Gary and Barbara (Peters) Friesen of Hutchinson will celebrate their 40th anniversary with a come-and-go reception from 2 to 4 p.m. May 25 at American Legion Post 68, 730 W. Fourth St., Hutchinson. The family requests no gifts, but cards are welcome. They married on May 25, 1974, at Lehigh Mennonite Church in Lehigh.

Ann Holt completes 31-mile bike ride

Ann Holt of Marion completed the 50-kilometer (about 31-mile) portion of the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure on Saturday in Wichita in about four hours. Holt said this was her third year biking in the event, but her first time doing the 50-kilometer ride. She had previously done shorter rides. The event also has 25-kilometer, 100-kilometer, and 5-kilometer rides.

Kiwanis hears from economic developer

New Marion economic developer Terry Jones spoke to 14 Kiwanis members on Tuesday, giving background on himself and what his goals are. He grew up in Topeka and received an economics degree from Kansas State University. He and his wife, Chelsea, have a 17-month-old son, Dawson.

Auxiliary volunteers recognized

St. Luke Auxiliary members ate a potluck meal during a luncheon Thursday in the St. Luke Physician Clinic basement. Auxiliary Board President Janet Herzet led a prayer and thanked all members for their volunteer service. Herzet said the luncheon was originally planned for April during “Volunteer Month,” but planning conflicts moved the date to May.

BIRTHS:

MARION SENIOR CENTER:

MEMORIES:

9 to graduate from Marion with perfect grades

Marion High School is set to have nine seniors graduate with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. They are Katey Ehrlich, Kelli Hess, Alicia Maloney, Caitlyn Maloney, Lauren McLinden, Nicholas Meyer, Zach Robson, Amanda Stuchlik, and Kaelyn Thierolf. This week they shared about where their academic motivation comes from, what subjects have challenged them, who helped them on the way, and what their plans are after high school.

Teacher gets technology grant

Sue Buchholz, special education teacher at Marion Elementary School and Hillsboro Middle School, received a $500 grant earlier this month from the Kansas Association of American Educators to purchase an iPad, headphones, and computer applications to help students she teaches. She received the grant through a competitive application process with winners selected by a committee of teachers who conducted a blind review of applications.

Marion ag technology team places 1st at state

State FFA career development competitions were held at Kansas State University on April 29. Marion’s agriculture technology management team placed first overall. Individually, Nicholas Meyer placed first, Bret Voth second, and Clint Kroupa fourth. Raleigh Kroupa also was a member of the team.

Marion FFA has Ag Awareness Day

Ninety third grade students from Hillsboro and Marion took part in an Ag Awareness Day on May 9 at the Marion football stadium hosted by Marion/Florence FFA chapter. Students participated in sessions centered around farming practices involving equipment, safety, and animals.

Hamm awarded scholarship

Hillsboro High School senior Morganne Hamm received a $500 scholarship from Alpah Omega Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma for the 2014-15 school year. She will attend the University of Kansas and major in elementary education.

TEEN to meet May 21

The Technology Excellence in Education Network will meet at 6 p.m. May 21 via a phone conference. The conference will be initiated from USD 410 Central Office in Hillsboro.

Ty Simons receives senior citizens scholarship

Ty Simons of Lincolnville, a Centre High School senior, has been awarded a $500 scholarship from Senior Citizens of Marion County. The SCMC board awards this scholarship each year to a Marion County high school senior who is pursuing a degree in medicine, nursing, therapy, social work, or gerontology.

Centre FFA competes in state career events

Centre FFA members traveled May 4 through 6 to Manhattan where 19 members formed eight teams to compete in State FFA Career Development events. The agriculture sales team placed eighth overall with member Kevin Lewis placing 14th individually.

Centre board approves weight room upgrades

After a firsthand examination of the weight room building and the weight room interior, the Centre school board approved an expenditure of up to $4,000 for improvements. The building includes a storage area for outdoor equipment and a concession stand.

4 centre athletes finish on top at Herington

Centre senior Ty Simons returned to the track team Thursday at the Herington Invitational and placed first in the 110-meter high hurdles. Dakota Stimpson placed first in the 300 intermediate hurdles, Marie Miklus in long jump, and Brenna Shields in the 100.

Baseball wins share of league championship

The Marion Warriors baseball team swept Ell-Saline Thursday on the road to claim a share of the Heart of America League championship. They shared the title with Sedgwick; their losses to each other were the teams’ only league losses this season. Senior shortstop Dylan Seacat was excited about the league championship, a first for this year’s seniors after three close calls in the past.

Shot put trio takes top 3 spots

The Marion boys’ track team won the Hesston Relays on Thursday, defeating 10 other teams. Morgan Wheeler, Kyle Palic, and Nick Meyer took the top three places in shot put with throws of 46-6, 46-5, and 45-7, respectively. Palic won discus, 145-1, and placed second in javelin, 163-10. Meyer placed fourth in discus, 136-4, and John Nordquist placed third in javelin, 158-0.

Softball sweeps Little River

The Marion softball team swept Little River on Tuesday to guarantee the team a winning record for the season. The victories also guaranteed them a home game to start the regional tournament. The Warriors overwhelmed Little River in the first game, winning by 15-run mercy rule in 2½ innings, 18-0.

Golfers play at home, Hillsboro, Hutchinson

Marion and Peabody-Burns golfers played 36 holes and two full rounds of golf Friday at Marion and Hillsboro golf courses in the annual Marion County Invitational. Senior Jared Hague shot the lowest for the team at both courses. At Hillsboro, he scored 100. He improved by eight strokes at Marion to score a 92 and finish with a combined two-round total of 192 strokes. He placed 40th out of 72 golfers.

Hague to run cross-country at Hesston College

Marion High School senior Jared Hague will join the cross-country team at Hesston College this fall. Hague has participated in cross-country, basketball, and golf. He was a key part of the 2012 MHS cross-country team that advanced to the state meet.

Several compete in scholarship golf tourney

Twelve team participated in the Marion High School Coaches Scholarship golf tournament May 3. Money raised added $3,000 to a scholarship for Marion High School athletes. results

First flight, first place — score of 61: Tod Gordon, Jeff Goering, Kelly Robson, and Roger Schroeder.

First flight, second place — score of 62: Chris Costello, Don Bredemeier, Herschel Crainer, and Doug Hague.

Second flight, first place — score of 65: Gene Winkler, Stu Meador, Mitch Carlson, and Marlin Buchholz.

Second flight, second place — score of 67: Jay Woerz, Charlie Pankratz, Dough Peck, and Larry David.

Third flight, first place — score of 69: Stan Hett, Fletcher Miller, Harry Kassner, and Bill Darrow.

Third flight, second place — score of 73: Rick Vogt, Charlie Unruh, Dave Schrag, and Travis Carlson.

Special hole prizes: longest drive, Jeff Harper; closest to the pin, John Wilson; longest putt, Jeff Goering; and closest to the pin, Bill Lundy.

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