BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
Information about what led to the arrest of Marion County’s former economic development director may be delayed another week at the request of her attorney, who in court filings has raised the issue of whether she may have confessed.
Wichita lawyer John Stang on Wednesday filed court documents saying he will represent former Marion County economic development director Teresa L. Huffman, charged with felony misuse of public funds.
Former Marion County economic development director Teresa L. Huffman was arrested Monday on a charge of misuse of public funds.
Huffman, who posted a $10,000 surety bond and was released from jail four hours after her arrest, was charged in district court Thursday.
Longtime Marion police chief Tyler Mermis’ last day patrolling the streets of the city was Tuesday.
Mermis’ letter of resignation, dated Monday, was given to city council members at their Tuesday meeting. The letter was succinct.
Marion County commissioners gave a unanimous vote of approval to submit an application for bridge reconstruction to the Federal Highway Administration Monday.
If accepted, FHA will pay 80 percent of costs, with the county paying the remaining bill.
Despite a forecast for rain and thunderstorms Saturday, the day turned out to be relatively mild, with slight misting from time to time.
A sizeable crowd showed up to enjoy food and entertainment in the park. Musical entertainment was in the community building, where people could stay warm while eating and visiting.
Friday night and Saturday morning’s chilly rain may have dampened enthusiasm for the fifth annual open class car show at Marion County Park and Lake, but it only made chili-lovers want their chili all the more.
Six vehicles lined the driveway for the car show, compared to 30 last year.
When Diane Stubblefield bought War Bird Pizza last year, her husband, Terry, didn’t plan on helping at the shop.
“I was a mechanic, I didn’t know how to cook,” he said. “My wife showed me how to make pizzas and I make a good pizza.”
Marion County should take advantage of its location near other population centers and develop more businesses with between 10 and 99 employees, the founder of a rural entrepreneurship center told area leaders last week.
The county lags in attracting younger residents and is having trouble attracting retirees in part because necessary services, including basic shopping, aren’t widely available, said Don Macke of the not-for-profit Center for Rural Entrepreneurship. He and the other founder of the center are both officials of a for-profit group that sells investment and philanthropy services.
It’s time for fall cleaning, getting rid of the stuff you’ve not used and been storing all year.
Waste Connections will make one pass through town Saturday to pick up waste from Peabody sidewalks.
Several area youth performed well in the state’s largest junior livestock show.
The 86th Kansas Junior Livestock Show was held Oct. 5-7 in Hutchinson. Competing were 723 4-H and FFA members from 91 counties who exhibited 1,519 head of livestock, the largest number of animals shown at KJLS since 1988.
Is it possible to live on $800 a month?
Right now, that is what Jennifer Hojda, 49, and her common law husband, David Leithoff, 45, are doing.
Harvey-Marion County Community Developmental Disability Organization will meet at 4 p.m. Monday at 500 N. Main St., Suite 204, Newton.
A public forum will be available at the beginning of the meeting.
Technology Excellence in Education Network (TEEN) will meet at 6 p.m. Oct. 17 at the USD 408 District Office in Marion.
For questions or more information, call Lena Kleiner at (620) 877-0237.
The economy may be booming, but people in the ag industry are tightening their belts. For some, that isn’t enough to survive.
Kent and Amy Sterk of Goessel are sad to be selling their dairy cows after 22 years in business.
Orlin Ensz of Hillsboro has a contract with Livestock Services, Inc., of Great Bend to grow hogs for market.
Ensz provides the buildings, labor, and utilities. The company provides the pigs, feed, and medication.
Dairy farming is not a common practice in Marion County. For Jason Wiebe, of Jason Wiebe Dairy, it’s in his blood.
“My dad worked the dairy before me, so it never stopped,” he said.
Farmers who have been hauling water to pastures since May have one less daily task now that substantial rain has fallen. As of 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, Marion Reservoir had recorded 3.85 inches of rain since early Saturday morning, with more to come.
Elevator managers in Marion and Hillsboro reported that most corn kept for grain had been harvested, and soybean harvest had begun.
Kansas specialty crop growers who attend the Great Lakes Expo Dec. 4-6 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, can apply for $100 reimbursement for registration and a $750 travel stipend — both available on a first come, first served basis — from Kansas Department of Agriculture.
Oct. 30 is the application deadline for both awards.
As if Marion County hadn’t been disappointed enough about economic development comes the news this past week that the county’s former development director is accused of misusing nearly $47,000.
No amount of feel-good ads and generic platitudes about supposed opportunities can erase the ugly truth that one of the biggest challenges the county faces is not just a largely unskilled work force and decaying infrastructure but government that seems hopelessly mired between rosy ineptitude and dark shadows of fraud.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
Seasons change, garden goodies going awayLETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Stream bank stabilization money available
Neo-Century Club members viewed on Oct. 1 the colorful and varied materials and patterns available at the Sew What Quilt Shop.
The group heard about Quilts of Valor and viewed some examples.
Jerry Keen, a woodworker from Wichita, will be guest speaker Oct. 18 at the 58th annual meeting of Senior Citizens of Marion County at Marion Senior Center.
Keen is editor of the newsletter, “The Knothole,” for Sunflower Woodworkers Guild in Wichita. He will share pictures of his wood projects from over the years.
Goessel Area Harvest Giving Walk Sunday raised over $4,000 for Mennonite Central Committee’s Network of Peacebuilding Schools project and the Tabor Mennonite Church food pantry.
The walk, starting at Goessel Mennonite Church, brought 33 participants who walked, ran, or biked one to six miles on a cool, humid afternoon to symbolize those in other countries who routinely have to walk to get clean water.
A bridge on US-50 at Newton is now reopened after being closed since Aug. 27.
According to Kansas Department of Transportation, the bridge deck was milled and patched in July and August. It was closed Aug. 27 for placement of a concrete overlay, application of masonry coating to bridge rails, and removal of a lighting system.
Marion County democrats met Oct. 5 at Marion Community Center.
Ellen Sieger attended DemoFest in Wichita.
Rex and Carolyn Savage presented a history and update on their proposed wind energy project in the county to the 20th Century Club at their Oct. 1 meeting.
The 14 members in attendance answered roll call by stating whether they would choose to have a wind turbine on their property.
SENIOR CENTER:
Marion students pitch in at senior center,
Marion Senior Center menuUPCOMING:
Calendar of eventsMEMORIES:
10,
25,
40,
55,
70,
110,
140 years agoMEMORIES IN FOCUS:
A tragic story of faith, Hope, and Charity
The Warriors’ cross-country team struggled in their final race before HOA Championships, with three of the four high schoolers running their slowest times since the first meet of the year.
Heidi Grimmett placed the best, finishing sixth with a 23:17.4. It ended a string of races where she tallied five finishes under 23:00.
Marion failed to win a set in either their match against Moundridge or Sterling Oct. 2, but the circumstances were polar opposites.
While facing the Moundridge Wildcats, the Warriors totaled just 27 serves, and Chloe Burkholder was the only player with more than five.
Trojan lineman-linebacker Wes Shaw hobbled off the Warrior Stadium field late in the third quarter Friday night and went straight to the Hillsboro bench.
Shaw spent most of what was left of the in-county battle between the Trojans and host Marion there, nursing a foot injury.
A kick-off return by Xavier Espinoza for a touchdown followed by a conversion run by Jensen Riffel got the Cougars off to a flying start Friday at Wakefield.
It was the first of nine touchdowns: four each by Espinoza and Riffel, and one by Kyle Naerebout.