BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
With temperatures likely to be near zero the next two nights, the city of Marion has canceled their Jan. 29 and 30 planned power outage.
City administrator Roger Holter said repairs will be rescheduled when the weather is warmer.
The first official report to the court from the receiver managing Hillsboro Community Hospital shows numerous problems at the facility.
Cohesive Healthcare Management + Consulting filed its report to the court Friday.
There will be a planned water outage all day Monday from W. Grand to W. D Sts. in Hillsboro.
The water department will be doing a valve shut-off as part of ongoing water line replacement project.
Discussion of road conditions and planning for roadwork drew 11 members of the public to Tuesday’s county commission meeting.
Before comments began, commission chairman Kent Becker issued a warning to people assembled for the discussion.
Democrats and Republicans alike met Saturday to choose their candidates for two newly created county commission districts.
The county Republican Party elected David Crofoot as its District 4 candidate after hearing from Crofoot, former commissioner Dan Holub, and Dick McLinden.
Temporary administrators for Hillsboro Community Hospital are going through records and shaking their heads, Hillsboro city administrator Larry Paine said Tuesday.
A Friday court ruling put the hospital under management of Shawnee, Oklahoma-based Cohesive Healthcare Management + Consulting.
Joe Palic of Marion is hesitant to speak about his 30 years with the Kansas Department of Transportation. He is superintendent of the Marion area and oversees McPherson, Morris, Chase, and Marion counties.
“I’m a low-key guy who likes to stay behind the scenes,” he said. “Others do more important things that have a bigger impact on people, like building bridges and maintaining roads.”
The Republican Party cast a narrow vote Saturday to appoint a Salina public defender as county attorney, passing over former county attorney Susan Robson.
The appointment is to fill the vacant seat of Courtney Boehm, whose last day on the job was Tuesday. She is now a district judge.
Residents of Ramona, rural Tampa, and the surrounding area had a cold night without power last week after an electric transmission line developed trouble.
DS&O Electric Cooperative communications manager Derrick Rutherford said the Ramona substation is fed by a Westar Energy transmission line. That line caused the power outage Wednesday night.
With the city council split, Florence’s discussion on 2019’s water and sewer rates Monday came down to the decision of mayor Bob Gayle.
He voted to keep water rates as they are, but he also expressed concern that the city’s water and sewer expenses will increase in the next few years due to aging equipment.
Children who go to St. Luke Hospital’s emergency room get wrapped in loving warmth, thanks to an anonymous quilter.
The Marion woman, who gives quilts anonymously, started the project five years ago.
After 31 years as a first responder, as a firefighter in Lincolnville, and later as an EMT in Marion, Kim Ross reached her retirement at the end of December.
Ross became the first female fire captain in Marion County with the Lincolnville department in the mid-’90s, but she saw resistance along the way.
Older Kansans interested in politics and public policy can register to become candidates for the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature.
KSHL gives seniors an educational experience in state politics and an opportunity to identify policy issues important for older Kansans and caregivers. Each year, members of KSHL meet to identify issues, develop and discuss bills and resolutions, and present KSHL bills to members of the legislature.
The Harvey-Marion County Community Developmental Disability Organization will meet at 4 p.m. Monday in the meeting room at 500 N. Main, Suite 204, in Newton.
The 2018 independent audit report will be presented. There will be a public forum at the beginning of the meeting.
Services for Louise J. Shumate, 92, of Strong City, formerly of Cedar Point, who died last Thursday, at Chase County Care and Rehabilitation Center will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Brown-Bennett-Alexander Funeral Home, Cottonwood Falls. Interment will follow in Cedar Point Cemetery.
Visitation will be 6 to 7:30 tonight at Brown-Bennett-Alexander Funeral Home.
IN MEMORIAM:
John Garrard
After two weeks of silence at Marion Farm Service Agency, the office reopened, though just for Thursday, Friday, and Tuesday, before closing again.
The shutdown has been strenuous for those involved with the federal farm programs, FSA Kansas executive director Derek Schemm said.
Cattlemen are in survival mode these days as they battle wind, rain, snow, and mud to keep livestock fed and watered.
Sarah Stuchlik of rural Lost Springs was a city girl. She said the biggest challenge her husband, Monte, and sons Ross and Daniel face is anticipating what is coming weather-wise and being prepared for it.
Beef cattle industry leaders are reporting that beef demand remains strong, led by the loin and ground beef.
Economic analysis confirms consumers responding positively to the higher quality beef supply available in the marketplace.
Something’s very wrong with democracy in Marion County, and contrary to popular belief it has nothing to do with any of the people involved. It has to do with a system that, over time, has been transformed into something it never was intended to be.
As much as we worry about who gets elected to various positions, most of the positions we fill by election have little if any latitude to actually impact lives.
We’ve heard nothing but good about Trayce Warner, one of two nominees for the new gerrymandered commissioner district that includes the southern but not northern portion of Marion.
She has successfully navigated contentious meetings as a Florence council member and would seem a fine addition to the commission. Her talking points after being nominated were entirely positive.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
Strengthening the coreCALENDAR:
Calendar of events
St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary members and guests, 92 in all, were treated to a new event at the annual meeting Thursday at Marion Community Center.
Co-manager Mary Ann Conyers emceed a style show featuring outfits created from items purchased at St. Luke Auxiliary Shoppe.
Descendants of Henry and Ethel Collett gathered Jan. 20 to celebrate January birthdays of 13 family members.
Especially noted were birthdays of Howard Collett (90) and Anita Collett Sly (84). Other birthdays were those of Mark Collett, Lyle Erickson, Anne Collett, Joan Erickson, Liz Burton, Campbell Parazin, Sara Nelson Collett, Gina Marx, Mary Beth Bowers, and Josh Bunnell.
Marion chiropractor Lane Smith gave a program on “a healthy spine” at Neo Century Club’s January meeting.
Officers for 2019 will be Karen Ehrlich, president; Jackie Hett, vice president; Lenore Dieter, secretary; and Joyce Duke, treasurer.
Marion County Department on Aging will be assisting with the homestead claim and Low Income Energy Assistance Program at sites across the county starting next week. Tax assistance will start Feb. 4.
Department director Gayla Ratzlaff will be at Hillsboro Senior Center on Jan. 25 and Peabody Senior Center on Jan. 29 to assist with the homestead and energy assistance applications. Appointments are being accepted at (620) 947-2304 in Hillsboro and (620) 983-2226 in Peabody.
Evelyn Hensley’s 100th birthday celebration, slated for Jan. 19, was postponed due to prospects for inclement weather.
The rescheduled celebration is 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Tampa Senior Center.
SENIOR CENTER:
Senior center will celebrate Kansas Day on Tuesday,
Marion Senior Center menuMEMORIES:
10,
25,
40,
55,
70,
110,
140 years agoMEMORIES IN FOCUS:
Turn-of-the-century family gathering
After two Centre teachers resigned earlier this year, two others have been hired to fill their positions.
Josie Patterson
Marion elementary’s One School, One Book initiative focused on a story about an adventurous mouse, but Friday was all about owls, from their talons to their pellets.
The program, funded by the Parents Advisory Council, wrapped up after two weeks of reading the book Poppy by Avi.
For the second time since August, Marion high school has a new vocal instructor, this time from closer to home.
Ruth Springer graduated from Tabor in December with a vocal music degree, and that proximity is already proving an asset.
Thursday was full of good fortune for the Marion Warriors, as the boys and girls each closed the Cougar Classic with a win.
The boys came in as the four-seed, but won all their games, eventually defeating Elyria Christian 47-36 in the championship. The Warriors locked down Rural Vista 55-46 the day before as well. Marion stifled opponents in all three games, holding teams to 39.3 points per game.
After victories Jan. 15 against Peabody-Burns basketball teams in the opening round of the Cougar Classic, Centre teams lost in the second round Wednesday. The girls lost against Herington, eventual champions, 52-44; the boys against Elyria, 36-33.
The girls finished Thursday in third place, winning 55-45 against Solomon. The boys finished fourth, losing to Rural Vista, 56-38.
Seven Centre FFA members participated Jan. 16 in different divisions of prepared public speaking at the South Central District speech contest at Buhler.
Each member picked an agriculture-related topic, researched it, wrote the speech, committed it to memory, then presented it to judges.
Centre High School will be crowning winter homecoming royalty Friday during halftime of the boys varsity game with Peabody-Burns.
Queen candidates are Mickey Spohn, daughter of Barbara and Daniel Spohn, Tampa; Athena Salamone, daughter of Susan Salamone, Tampa; and Haley Steele Meyer, daughter of Layla and Jerico Meyer, Lost Springs.