Marion County RECORD

Doggone confusing: Reports, postal changes differ

After months of claims that dogs are affecting Marion mail carriers’ ability to do their jobs, documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act indicate Marion postal workers have filed no dog complaints in two years and only three in four years. However as recently as this week Marion police reported ticketing a dog owner after a postal worker said the owner’s dog was dangerous and running free.

Split vote OK's wind farm plan

In a meeting that lasted more than 4 hours Monday, county planning and zoning commissioners approved Expedition Wind’s application for a conditional use permit by a 4-2 vote. Planning commission members Derek Belton, Dwight Flaming, Jim Schmidt, and Glenn Thiessen voted in favor of sending the plan to county commissioners after hearing company officials discuss the proposal and answer questions from commissioners. Duane Bair and William Kroupa voted against the plan.

Wind farm referendum unlikely

Whether to allow more wind farms in the county is unlikely to be decided by voters, county commissioners learned Monday. County counselor Brad Jantz said any petition seeking an election could be ruled inappropriate.

Senior meals imperiled

Seniors who showed up for a noon meal Monday at Marion Senior Center were out of luck. The newly hired cook didn’t show up, forcing diners to go elsewhere. Frozen meals were delivered to fulfill 16 meals-on-wheels requests.

FamLee Bakery to close June 29

A popular Marion bakery is closing its doors June 29. FamLee Bakery, which opened on Main St. in September 2016, is operated by sisters Catie Zurcher and Jenny Craft in partnership with their parents, Jeff and Dawn Lee.

Fund one and more follow, county learns

Having previously tapped rarely discussed funds brimming with hotel and liquor tax receipts, county commissioners faced the inevitable Monday, hearing from others making additional claims on the same money. First up was Families and Communities Together, which since 2012 had been distributing revenue from the county’s special alcohol tax through its substance abuse prevention coalition.

Truck veers into semi, driver flown to Wichita

A head-on collision with a semi Saturday sent a Hillsboro man to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. Undersheriff David Huntley said deputies did not know what caused Kent Funk, 58, Hillsboro, to veer across the centerline on US-56 Saturday, but his 2013 Chevrolet Silverado collided near Kanza Rd. with an oncoming 2018 Kenworth driven by William Racey, 34, Anna, Illinois,

Town rallies after teen dies at camp

Community members are rallying to offer support for the family of a high-schooler who died Friday at a Christian camp in Colorado. Garvie Schmidt, deacon at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, said a medical incident is believed to be Demarius Cox’s cause of death near Westcliffe, Colorado.

Rabid skunk bite worries dog owner at lake

When a rabid skunk bit Nancy Fee’s dog last week, her protective instincts kicked in. “This thing came through a chain-link fence and just zeroed in,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like it, and it grabbed my little dog by her butt. I beat the thing with a garden tool to make it turn loose.”

Music fest to go beyond bluegrass

Marion County Lake has been hosting Bluegrass at the Lake for 12 years, but fans keep the event from getting old, lake resident Pam Lyle said. “We always look forward to it,” she said. “The campsite is full, which is always fun, and they bring in quality acts. My kids at home know the bands, so they’re excited.”

Symphony to celebrate the celestial

Only 200 tickets are still available for Saturday’s Symphony in the Flint Hills. This year’s theme is Ad Astra, and celebrates the changing of the North Star, which will happen in 1,000 years.

Bakery intern finds her place in Marion

Michaela Warnke came from a town of 33,000, but quickly acclimated to small-town life in Marion. “My mom is from a small town in Nebraska of 300 people,” she said. “My grandparents lived close to me, so I’d constantly go see them. My grandfather always wanted to bake, and baking in a small town was something natural I fell in love with.”

Farmers' market gets new life

Thanks to Rachel Collett, Marion Farm and Art Market has been revived after nearly dying off. “There didn’t seem to be anybody who wanted to step up and coordinate the farmers’ market, and I didn’t want it to fall apart,” Collett said.

Organizers pleased with Chingawassa Days turnout

An estimated 1,300 attended this past weekend’s Chingawassa Days, which led the festival to break even financially, pleasing its organizers. Board member Todd Winter estimated the total number of visitors was “near what we had last year” but could not provide exact figures.

Lake algae causes worry for grandparent

Marion County Lake’s blue-green algae status became serious for Joe Robb when his 2-year-old grandson visited. “Suddenly, we get a little more worried about it,” the Newton weekender said. “We’re not letting him drink it, that’s an easy one. When you think about breathing and developing lungs, you get to grasp, ‘what do we do or not do?’ ”

Engineer asks for patience

The county’s newly hired engineer hopes people will be patient. The county’s poorly maintained roads and recent flood damage have left him with plenty on his plate. “We need to use the resources we have to fix the problems in priority,” Brice Goebel said. “There’s so much to be fixed, it’s not going to be fixed right away.”

Heavy equipment gets one-week dispensation

Enel Green Power will be able to drive normally forbidden metal-track vehicles on county roads for a week, provided a grader blade immediately follows them. The dispensation, granted Monday by the county commission, is designed to help Enel catch up on weather-delayed work related to its northern wind farm.

No appeal in hospital case

Former operators of Hillsboro Community Hospital last week lost their bid to appeal a January district court ruling that put the hospital into receivership. Cohesive Healthcare Management and Consulting was appointed receiver by the district court in January after Bank of Hays filed a mortgage foreclosure lawsuit against hospital owner, CAH Acquisitions Company #5 and others with a financial interest in the hospital, including the city of Hillsboro.

Florence council puts extraneous funds to use

Florence city council received a surprise blessing at Monday’s meeting when members voted to go ahead with gym floor repairs at the community building. The combination of insurance deductible and the new floor material will cost between $33,000 and $37,000.

TEEN to meet June 19

The Technology Excellence in Education Network’s regular monthly meeting will be 6 p.m.June 19 at the Marion district office. More information is available from Lena Kleiner at(620) 877-0237.

Wilbur Hanneman

Services for Wilbur Hanneman, 95, who died Thursday at Parkside Homes, will be 2 p.m. today at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. Interment will be at Frick Cemetery in Durham. He was born Dec. 17, 1923, to Henry and Pauline Hanneman in Inola, Oklahoma. He married Mildred Frick on Feb. 4, 1945, in Durham.

IN MEMORIAM:

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The future is now

Drive by JR Hatters and Merchantile at 201 E. Main St. in Marion late some weekend night and you’re as likely as not to see a light on and either Johsie Reid or Erin Page working to stock their new store. The store’s hours aren’t quite there yet — just weekends, mainly for tourist trade — but the effort they’re putting into their new store, like the effort Brent and Robin Miles are putting into their new Silk Salon at 1240 Commercial Dr. on Marion’s far northern edge, represents both the challenging present and the potentially bright future of economic development here.

Not a bad hare day

Good news and bad are the tortoise and hare of journalism. Bad news jumps out front early, often with big headlines on Page 1. Good news typically starts farther back, in smaller type, even if it slowly but surely will eventually win the race. We try our best to report the good and the bad — and everything interesting in between. We love it when circumstance gives us the opportunity to accord good news the prominence normally reserved for unexpected developments. But good news often is less about big, unexpected developments than it is about everyday dedication. As a result, it often doesn’t get as much attention.

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Couple combine hairstyling and spa

Brent Miles owns and operates two spas in Wichita, and his wife, Robin, has been a hairstylist for 25 years. With 40 combined years of experience in the industry, it made sense for them to invest their talents into one salon. They became owners of Miles by Design at 1240 Commercial Dr. in Marion on May 7.

Couple to celebrate 40th anniversary

Bob and Karen (Sondergard) Ehrlich of Marion will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary with a family celebration Sunday at the home of son Mike and daughter-in-law Kathy Ehrlich in Marion. Married June 16, 1979, in Marion, Bob and Karen have five children and four grandchildren.

Reception to mark 90th birthday

Family members will be hosts for a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. June 30 at St. Luke Living Center to observe the 90th birthday of Patricia Oller, who was born July 4, 1929. Hosts will include Linda and Albert Holub of Culbertson, Nebraska; Rita and Tim Zulkoski of Caldwell; and Neva and Gale Cooper of Marion.

Library prepares for movies

Wednesday afternoon movies at Marion City Library begin 2 p.m. June 19 in the Santa Fe room and run through July 17. Snacks will be provided. An adult must accompany children younger than 7 years old.

Maverick Pontious

Maverick Oliver Lee Pontious, son of Ethan and Rebecca (Mardis) Pontious of Newkirk, Oklahoma, was born 12:15 a.m. May 24 at Ponca City Medical Center in Oklahoma. He weighed 9 pounds 10.1 ounces and was 21 inches long.

Turquoise table invites conversation

A turquoise table sits in the front yard of a home on South Ash St. in Hillsboro, beckoning people to stop and visit or take a rest. It signifies a place where people can meet in small groups to establish a sense of community. Connie Wiens and her neighbor, Renae Plett, got the idea for a “turquoise table” from a book by that name by Kristin Schell, who wrote about how she came up with a turquoise table as a way to develop relationships with people in her own community in Austin, Texas.

Senior citizens to meet at Hillsboro

Senior Citizens of Marion County will have their monthly meeting at 10 a.m. June 21 at Hillsboro Senior Center. Hillsboro seniors will be serving lunch. Reservations are due by June 19 and can be made by calling Brenda Moss at (620) 947-2304 or Department on Aging at (620) 382-3580.

Disability group to meet

A public forum will begin June’s monthly meeting of Harvey and Marion Counties’ organization for services to people with developmental disabilities. The Community Developmental Disability Organization board will meet at 4 p.m. Monday at 500 N. Main St., Suite 204, in Newton.

Democrats to meet

Marion County Democrats will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday at Peabody Public Library, 214 N. Walnut St. Refreshments will be served.

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Puzzles bind senior residents together

Evelyn Matz brought a lifelong hobby to other seniors living at Homestead Senior Residences soon after she moved there in September. Residents were looking for an activity that would let them spend time together and get better acquainted.

Senior preps for state golf circuit

Don Noller is in his 12th year competing in the Kansas Golf Association Senior Series, but the circuit still sparks his competitive drive. “What I like is that there’s a points system,” he said. “Within the year the top 15 get to play in the championship and that’s what I work for.”

Commodities available

An array of surplus government commodities will arrive at county senior centers June 19 for free distribution to qualified low-income households. To qualify, single-person households must have no more than $1,354 in monthly income. For each additional person in the household, the income limit increases by $479.

Small dog returns from 10-day vacation

The Memorial Day weekend is always a somber time to remember those that have sacrificed for the benefit of our country. A different kind of sadness struck a Marion couple early that Sunday night when their tiny dog, Jazz, made an escape out the door in the 300 block of Locust St.

New boarding house a 'luxury' for dogs

Chingawassa wasn’t the only celebration in Marion on Saturday. People and dogs roamed freely throughout and around a new pet boarding house at Spur Ridge Veterinary Hospital at 901 Industrial Rd. at an open house that included a bouncy house, kids’ games, and door prizes. Several clients who came to view the new boarding house said they appreciated the care their pets got and the concern the operators showed for them.

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