Marion County RECORD

HEADLINES

New player enters hospital lawsuit
A motion was filed Thursday seeking to intervene in a Bank of Hays mortgage foreclosure lawsuit against the company that owns Hillsboro Community Hospital. Wichita lawyer Thomas Gilman, who represents hospital owner CAH Acquisitions Co. #5, filed the motion to intervene on behalf of Health Acquisition Co., LLC.
Lawyer for hospital group quits
The latest casualty on the list of people and companies owed money by the owners of Hillsboro Community Hospital appears to be the lawyer hired to defend them in Marion County District Court. Wichita lawyer Thomas Gilman filed motions Tuesday asking the court’s permission to withdraw from representing hospital owner CAH Acquisition Co. 5 and a related company, Health Acquisition Co., because they have not paid him as agreed.
Valuation notices to be mailed
Valuation notices will be mailed Friday from the Marion County Appraisers office. There were no significant increases or decreases in properties overall. When property is valued, appraisers look at structure/building conditions, use of property, and any changes that may have occurred in the previous year.
Former director gets jail, probation
Former county economic development director Teresa Huffman was sentenced Feb. 20 to time in jail and house arrest as well as probation for misuse of public funds. Huffman pleaded guilty in December to draining $46,870.89 from bank accounts of two charitable groups she oversaw while economic development director, and later depositing the money into her personal bank account. She later used part of the money to purchase a mobile home at the county lake.
Work begins on downtown renovation
The darkness on the south side of the 100 block of Main St. is the brightness of improvements to four blocks of downtown nearly 40 years in planning. This week work began on a long-anticipated $1 million downtown renovation first planned in 1980.
Solar energy coming to Marion
Marion was chosen by Kansas Power Pool as a location for a solar field and expected to be up and running in four to six weeks. “We are one of four cities to be part of the program,” city administrator Roger Holter said at Monday’s city council meeting.

OTHER NEWS

Games planned at aquatic center
Parents as Teachers and Marion County Head Start are planning a come-and-go games and swimming event from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Marion Aquatic Center and Sports Complex at 104 N. Tharp St. The PAT Olympics is for families with children ages birth to 5 years. Dads are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to spend time with their little children.
Massage therapist marks 23 years in Peabody
Each week we’ll be featuring a Marion County business in our Business Bio section. Learn about products, services and people here in your own county. Working as a cake decorator might not sound like the usual prelude to becoming a massage therapist, but that was the path chosen by Shirley Davis.
Fire chiefs decide not to amend burn resolution
Fire chiefs from across Marion County convened Friday at Hillsboro’s Scout House, to discuss changes to last year’s burn resolution but decided to keep it for now. “We really haven’t had a chance to exercise this,” Hillsboro chief Ben Stecketee said. “Last year people were unwilling to start fires, and wisely so.”
County commission looks to hire engineer
County commissioners Monday pored over a draft job description for an engineer they look to hire for the Road and Bridge department. The two-page description compiled by county clerk Tina Spencer contains a job summary, lists of essential and marginal functions, and minimum qualifications for the job.
Florence stays in black
For all the worry about spending in 2018, Florence managed to stay positive on the year’s audit report. Accountant Vonda Brecheisen of Knudesen, Monroe and Company, LLC was on hand Monday to review the audit report with the city council.
Box top collections bring $2,883 to schools
County schools are cashing in on box tops collected through the Box Tops for Education program to the tune of $2,883. General Mills started the program in 1996 to help support education and benefit America’s schools.

AUTO AND HOME

College auto program provides head start
For Centre High School graduate Jace Hett, getting his automotive technician certificate last year as a senior provided a head start on his career path. “If I didn’t do it my senior year, I’d have to do it after that,” he said. “It saved me a year and it was a lot cheaper.”
Start-up business provides handyman services
Need somebody to change a light bulb or clean up your backyard? Check out At Home Handyman in Marion.
How can businesses succeed in small town Kansas?
Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University, will speak at 7 p.m. March 4 at Remington High School about innovative entrepreneurs he calls “ruralpreneurs” who have built successful enterprises in small Kansas towns and strengthened their communities as a result. The meeting is sponsored by Frederic Remington Area Historical Society. The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
Winter is time to start planning
Winter isn’t time for planting, but it’s a great time to plan a garden plot. Jana Dalke, owner of Serenity Gardens, rural Hillsboro, said soil preparation can be done as soon as weather conditions permit.

DEATHS

Bob Dalke
Services for Bob Dalke, 70, who died Feb. 18 in Hillsboro, will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Hillsboro United Methodist Church in Hillsboro. Family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Jost Funeral Home in Hillsboro. He was born Sept. 22, 1948 at Goessel.
Jo Ann Thurston
Jo Ann Thurston, 82, died Monday at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro. Services will be at a later date. She was born Jan. 23, 1937 in Elmdale to Louis and Doris Buchman. She married James Thurston Nov. 22, 1957 in Elmdale.
Luella Snelling
Funeral services for Luella Snelling, 88, who died Feb. 19, were Friday at Ascension Lutheran Church in Wichita. Burial was in Hillcrest Cemetery in Florence.
IN MEMORIAM:
Christopher Schafers

DOCKET

OPINION

Straddling the fence is as painful as it sounds
Editorials aren’t what they used to be. Years ago, we had Republican papers, Democrat papers, Grange papers, Populist papers, immigrant papers — you name ’em, we had ’em, even in Marion County.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
Chicken Economics
CALENDAR:
Calendar of events

PEOPLE

Hip-hop class provides new focus for kids
In the past few weeks, Studio 23 started a hip-hop class taught by Tabor junior Juan Pigott, to increase involvement among male students. Before Pigott took an interest in dance five years ago, he didn’t think of it as an activity for men.
Blood donors sought
A blood drive will be 8:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Wednesday at Peabody High School. Appointments are made by calling (800) 733-2767 or visiting redcrossblood.org.
Commodities date changed
Marion Senior Center will distribute government surplus commodities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today due to last week’s weather conditions. County residents are encouraged to contact their distribution site for pick up information.
World Day of Prayer is March 1
World Day of Prayer will be observed at 7 p.m. Friday at Valley United Methodist Church. The theme is “Come, Everything is Ready,” written by Slovenia women. Music, scripture reading, and sharing will be included in the program.
4-H:
Lincolnville Wide Awake
SENIOR CENTER:
Valentine's Day celebrated, Marion Senior Center menu
MEMORIES:
10, 25, 40, 55, 70, 110, 140 years ago
MEMORIES IN FOCUS:
Clowning around to deliver a serious message

SCHOOL AND SPORTS

Warrior volleyball team earns all-state honors
Nearly five months after the Marion High School volleyball team’s season concluded, the awards are still coming in. The Warriors’ varsity team was selected recipient of the Kansas Volleyball Association’s Academic Team Award.
Two Marion Countians receive honors at Bethel
Two Marion County students were recognized Feb. 18 at the annual lamplighting ceremony at Bethel College in Newton. Kristen Herzet of Marion and Kailyn Riffel of Lincolnville were honored by the Department of Nursing for their commitment to the profession.
Scholastic book fair scheduled
Marion Elementary PAC is holding a Scholastic Book Fair March 1 to 8. Each purchase helps put free books in classrooms and the library.
College degrees and honors
Marion opens sub state with home win
The Marion boys made use of home-court advantage Monday, securing a 55-39 victory over Rossville in the first round of sub state. The second seeded Warriors took a commanding 18-5 in the first quarter, helped along by seven apiece from Evann Heidebrecht and Chase Stringer.
Centre teams end seasons at semi-finals
Centre basketball teams played aggressive competitive games last week in the semi-finals of the 1A regional at Lebo, but both finished on the short end. Girls
Marion grapplers struggle at state
The Class 3-2-1A state-wrestling tournament marked a possible sign of good things to come as well as a frustrating ending for the Warrior wrestling team. Just qualifying for the meat-grinder at Hays is a stiff enough challenge alone, much less earning a medal.
Bowling League Results
Singers to serve supper Tuesday
The Marion High School Singers will serve supper before Family Read Night 5 to 6:15 p.m. Tuesday in the elementary cafeteria. Family read night will be 6 to 8 p.m. at the elementary school.
Centre and Marion school menus

Marion County RECORD

The darkness on the south side of the 100 block of Main St. is the brightness of improvements to four blocks of downtown nearly 40 years in planning. This week work began on a long-anticipated $1 million downtown renovation first planned in 1980.

Marion was chosen by Kansas Power Pool as a location for a solar field and expected to be up and running in four to six weeks. “We are one of four cities to be part of the program,” city administrator Roger Holter said at Monday’s city council meeting.

Each week we’ll be featuring a Marion County business in our Business Bio section. Learn about products, services and people here in your own county. Working as a cake decorator might not sound like the usual prelude to becoming a massage therapist, but that was the path chosen by Shirley Davis.

For all the worry about spending in 2018, Florence managed to stay positive on the year’s audit report. Accountant Vonda Brecheisen of Knudesen, Monroe and Company, LLC was on hand Monday to review the audit report with the city council.

County schools are cashing in on box tops collected through the Box Tops for Education program to the tune of $2,883. General Mills started the program in 1996 to help support education and benefit America’s schools.

For Centre High School graduate Jace Hett, getting his automotive technician certificate last year as a senior provided a head start on his career path. “If I didn’t do it my senior year, I’d have to do it after that,” he said. “It saved me a year and it was a lot cheaper.”

Need somebody to change a light bulb or clean up your backyard? Check out At Home Handyman in Marion.

Winter isn’t time for planting, but it’s a great time to plan a garden plot. Jana Dalke, owner of Serenity Gardens, rural Hillsboro, said soil preparation can be done as soon as weather conditions permit.

Services for Bob Dalke, 70, who died Feb. 18 in Hillsboro, will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Hillsboro United Methodist Church in Hillsboro. Family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Jost Funeral Home in Hillsboro. He was born Sept. 22, 1948 at Goessel.

Jo Ann Thurston, 82, died Monday at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro. Services will be at a later date. She was born Jan. 23, 1937 in Elmdale to Louis and Doris Buchman. She married James Thurston Nov. 22, 1957 in Elmdale.

Funeral services for Luella Snelling, 88, who died Feb. 19, were Friday at Ascension Lutheran Church in Wichita. Burial was in Hillcrest Cemetery in Florence.

IN MEMORIAM:

Editorials aren’t what they used to be. Years ago, we had Republican papers, Democrat papers, Grange papers, Populist papers, immigrant papers — you name ’em, we had ’em, even in Marion County.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

CALENDAR:

In the past few weeks, Studio 23 started a hip-hop class taught by Tabor junior Juan Pigott, to increase involvement among male students. Before Pigott took an interest in dance five years ago, he didn’t think of it as an activity for men.

A blood drive will be 8:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Wednesday at Peabody High School. Appointments are made by calling (800) 733-2767 or visiting redcrossblood.org.

Marion Senior Center will distribute government surplus commodities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today due to last week’s weather conditions. County residents are encouraged to contact their distribution site for pick up information.

World Day of Prayer will be observed at 7 p.m. Friday at Valley United Methodist Church. The theme is “Come, Everything is Ready,” written by Slovenia women. Music, scripture reading, and sharing will be included in the program.

4-H:

SENIOR CENTER:

MEMORIES:

MEMORIES IN FOCUS:

Nearly five months after the Marion High School volleyball team’s season concluded, the awards are still coming in. The Warriors’ varsity team was selected recipient of the Kansas Volleyball Association’s Academic Team Award.

Two Marion County students were recognized Feb. 18 at the annual lamplighting ceremony at Bethel College in Newton. Kristen Herzet of Marion and Kailyn Riffel of Lincolnville were honored by the Department of Nursing for their commitment to the profession.

Marion Elementary PAC is holding a Scholastic Book Fair March 1 to 8. Each purchase helps put free books in classrooms and the library.

The Marion boys made use of home-court advantage Monday, securing a 55-39 victory over Rossville in the first round of sub state. The second seeded Warriors took a commanding 18-5 in the first quarter, helped along by seven apiece from Evann Heidebrecht and Chase Stringer.

Centre basketball teams played aggressive competitive games last week in the semi-finals of the 1A regional at Lebo, but both finished on the short end. Girls

The Class 3-2-1A state-wrestling tournament marked a possible sign of good things to come as well as a frustrating ending for the Warrior wrestling team. Just qualifying for the meat-grinder at Hays is a stiff enough challenge alone, much less earning a medal.

The Marion High School Singers will serve supper before Family Read Night 5 to 6:15 p.m. Tuesday in the elementary cafeteria. Family read night will be 6 to 8 p.m. at the elementary school.