Marion County RECORD

HEADLINES

Repeated power failures costly to businesses
When Wagon Wheel Express’s electricity went out along with power to most of downtown Friday afternoon, owner Sherry Hess lost more than lights. She lost half a day’s business. “You’ve prepped dinner salads and have made suppers or special things,” she said. “I don’t do leftovers, so you lose that.”
Elgin backs off reports it's for sale
Historic Elgin Hotel’s co-owner is backing off published reports that she is looking to sell the hotel. Tammy Ensey told the Wichita Eagle last week that she was looking for someone to lease or buy the hotel or lease its restaurant.
Our seasons seem to be running hot and cold
If you think weather has been doing a number on us, you may be right. That, at least, is what some recent numbers about degree-days indicate — if our sudden shift from swell to sweltering hasn’t been enough.
Stuck button grounds LifeSafe flight
A sticky button in a helicopter’s emergency panel grounded a LifeSafe flight at St. Luke Hospital for several hours Sunday as the pilot struggled to reset it. A second aircraft was dispatched from Salina, and Marion ambulance was placed on standby to drive a patient to Wichita as efforts to free the jammed switch held up a patient’s transport.
Wind farm suit blamed for delaying sale
Because of uncertainty over a pending lawsuit, Marion city council members voted Monday to give a wind farm more time to complete purchase of a building in the city’s industrial park. The vote was 4-1, with council member Ruth Herbel opposed.
Woman gets longer jail visit than expected
A rural Marion woman’s visit to the county jail ended up being longer than she expected Thursday when she was booked on suspicion of criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. Rexana J. Siebert, 43, had caused issues a week before when she came to visit her friend, Richard Litton. She had been told not to come back the following week, undersheriff David Huntley said.

COUNTY

County tax burden rates lowest in region
Marion County has the lowest combined tax burden of any surrounding county, according a new analysis by financial technology company SmartAsset. Combined impact of income, sales, property, and fuel taxes are reflected in the analysis, released this past week.
Investigation leads to unrelated meth arrest
A 33-year-old Wichita man questioned in connection with an unrelated investigation with which he might not even have been involved was arrested at 11:09 a.m. Saturday after 0.2 of a gram of methamphetamine, a syringe, and a pipe were found in his vehicle. When trying to question Brandon W. Hammond, who had been mentioned in an unrelated investigation, at Casey’s General Store, police had to run his name and date of birth because he had no license at the time.
New owner is seeking to reform Westview Manor
Westview Manor in Peabody is under new ownership a year and a half after being placed in receivership for deplorable conditions, a quarter of a million dollars in unpaid bills, and financial abuse of residents. Ownership transferred May 29 to Access Mental Health of Wichita.
Pilsen church, museum to reopen
St. John Nepomucene Church will reopen and Mass will be celebrated for the first time at 8 a.m. Thursday and 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Parishioners will maintain six feet of social distancing.
No fizzle: Peabody dedicated to celebrating Fourth of July
There will be no carnival, vendors, or a large crowd at the park this year, but organizers of Peabody’s July Fourth celebrations intend to light up the night with fireworks. “We felt we could put on a good show in a modified way that would not include mass crowd gathering,” said Jay Gfeller, president of Peabody’s city council.
Intersection to add lights
The intersection of Nighthawk and 190th Rds. will get rumble strips and flashing lights under a state program for high risk roads. Kansas Department of Transportation will pay to install street lights, rumble strips, and flashing beacons.
County sets fireworks schedule for rural areas
Fireworks will be legal in rural areas of the county June 27 to July 5. County commissioners decided Monday to set the schedule to possess, sell, and discharge fireworks as:
Coroner blames vehicle accident for death of former jailer
An accident more than a year ago has finally claimed a victim in the guise of an accidental overdose of painkillers. That is the official view of coroner Don Hodson when assigning a cause to 38-year-old former jailer Joseph Kenneth Catron’s death last week.

OTHER NEWS

Marion takes first look at budget
Next year’s budget wish list for Marion department heads comes to $10.8 million, $300,000 more than they were authorized to spend this year. City council members got their first look at budget requests Monday.
Threat suspect remains missing after manhunt
A 26-year-old Marion man remains missing and wanted by police after an incident Thursday in the 500 block of N. Cedar St. A woman reported that the man, identified as Rusty B. Daniels, used a knife to break her vehicle’s right-front window during an argument that morning.
Corn-stover processor shows interest in locating in Peabody
An undisclosed corn-stover processing company has expressed interest in establishing a manufacturing plant in Peabody, city officials were told Monday. If the company sets up a processing plant in Peabody it would employ 10 to 15 people, require a 35,000-square-foot building, and use city utilities, mayor Tom Spencer said at Monday’s city council meeting.
Sale to benefit museum expansion
Marion Historical Museum’s garage sale Friday and Saturday will help pay for a new space in which to expand. Items from rural Peabody resident Marvin Larsen’s posthumous donations will be featured. The sale will include only those items difficult to fit in, like some glassware, or modern items like a four-burner gas range.
Officer's DJ-ing passion started with pain
As Marion County’s last remaining DJ, Duane McCarty knows how to break out of the mold. A police officer in Marion, McCarty always has been a lover of music. His interest in being a DJ, however, began in 1987, when he thought he’d no longer be able to play bass guitar.
Pop-up performance presents possibilities
Saturday was Susan Mayo’s first outdoor performance at Peabody’s Sunflower Theatre along Main St., but she hopes the concept doesn’t stop there. “This is an experiment to model what music might look like around the country as we move forward,” she said. “It’s a difficult time for musicians. It’s difficult for us to know — should we rehearse inside, can we not?”
TEEN to meet
Technology Excellence in Education Network’s monthly meeting will be 6 p.m. June 17 via video conference.

DEATHS

Joseph Catron
Joseph Kenneth Catron, 38, former Marion County correction officer, died June 3 at his residence in rural Hillsboro. Visitation was Tuesday. No other services are planned. He was born Nov. 27, 1981, in Wichita to Joseph and Delores Norvell Catron.
IN MEMORIAM:
Jim Davis
IN MEMORIAM:
Cheryl Goertz
IN MEMORIAM:
Rene Starkey

DOCKET

EDUCATION

New ways of learning sprout from STEM camp
Hillsboro recreation’s STEM camp is still weeks away, but Koen Janzen already is excited after attending last year’s camp. “It was really not the same as sports,” he said. “It was more fun, but I do love sports.”
Library to reopen with reading event
Patrons of Marion City Library will be able to kick off their summer reading Monday when the building reopens to the public. However, staff members will follow strict guidelines set by the Library Board to keep staff members and visitors safe, said Janet Marler, the library’s director.
Marion replaces aging activities bus
A $100,000 activity bus replaced a decades-old vehicle for the Marion school district, superintendent Aaron Homburg said. Marion got $16,000 in trade and signed a three-year lease-purchase agreement for the 48-passenger bus with American Bus Sales, Oklahoma.
Hillsboro to stop stocking instruments
Hillsboro school district will sell most of its more than 100 band instruments, the school board decided Monday. Enough will be retained to provide loaner instruments as needed. But the school will expect most students’ parents to buy their own instruments.
Youth bowling camp, league planned
A youth bowling camp for Hillsboro 6th through 12th graders is planned for 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. June 22 through 26 at Bluejay Lanes in Hillsboro. The $25 cost will include instruction in bowling skills, etiquette, and scoring averages.
Alumnus receives livestock scholarship
Centre alumnus Zach Barney was named Tuesday as a recipient of a $1,500 Douglas A. Laue Memorial Scholarship from Kansas Livestock Foundation. A junior in Kansas State University’s feed science program, Barney is one of 28 students receiving the scholarship, which is offered to juniors and seniors pursuing agricultural degrees at Kansas State University or Fort Hays State University.

FINANCE

New businesses battle uphill
Loss of business hit across the board in the wake of COVID-19, but options for Marion County’s young entrepreneurs and recent startups were limited by not having a well-established brand or customer base. Megan Semer and sister Grace Overton made occasional porch deliveries for West Main Co., their recently opened store at 126 W. Main St. in Marion. But business was significantly less than when the business opened in December.
County to dole out $117,000
After deducting $35,000 for food banks and feeding programs and $15,000 for the grant’s administrators, $117,000 of a $165,000 grant the county received last week will be available to businesses. The county decided Monday to accept applications from throughout the county June 12 to July 2.
Meat lockers booked solid
Disruptions in the meat processing industry have made what’s typically a slow season so busy that Burdick Meat Market & Locker is booked into February, owner Dan Hageberg said last week. “There are other places I’ve heard about that have got the whole year booked up for 2021,” Hageberg said.
Auctioneers find new ways
Bans on mass gatherings inspired a Cottonwood Falls auction company to explore new ways to conduct sales. Chuck Maggard, auctioneer for Griffin Real Estate and Auctions, said the business was trying virtual tours of homes and online auctions.

OPINION

A little bit of knowledge . . .
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
Having the last say
CORRECTIONS:
Cost misstated

PEOPLE

Senior centers reopen for lunch
Seniors once again are welcome to visit their local centers for lunch, but managers are proceeding with caution when serving an age group susceptible to severe illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Delivery and pickup of meals still will be offered in Marion, Hillsboro and Peabody.
County's seniors to meet
Senior Citizens of Marion County will meet at 10 a.m. June 19 at Marion Senior Center. Lunch reservations due June 17 are being accepted at (620) 382-2942.
Commodities to be available
Free government commodities will be available for low-income residents next week To qualify, individuals must have less than $1,383 in monthly income. For each additional household member with up to four, add $485 to the maximum income. JUNE 17 Burns — Community center, morning. Durham — Picnic shelter, 4 to 5 p.m. Goessel — Mennonite church, 5 p.m. Lincolnville — Community center, 11 a.m. to noon. Peabody — Senior center, 10 to 11:30 a.m. Pilsen — 11:30 a.m. Ramona — Community center, morning Tampa — Senior center, 3 to 4 p.m. JUNE 18 Florence — Senior center, 9 to 11 a.m. Marion — Curbside at front door of senior center, 4 to 6 p.m. JUNE 20 Hillsboro — Main Street Ministries, 9 a.m. to noon. (Also for Lehigh residents.) UNABLE TO PICKUP Call county department on aging at (620) 382-3580.
Deputy graduates
Sheriff’s deputy CJ Perry was named among 24 graduates last week from theKansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Yoder. Graduates receive certification as law enforcement officers from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training.
Grads get scholarships
Graduating seniors Maddy Daniels, Hillsboro, and Cassie Meyer, Marion, will each receive a $250 scholarship from Marion County Democrats.
Disability group to meet
Harvey-Marion County Developmental Disability Organization board of directors will meet at 4 p.m. Monday by video conference, which can be accessed through the organization’s website.
4-H:
Happy Hustlers
ANNIVERSARY:
Couple to celebrate 60th anniversary
SERMON FOR THE WEEK:
And now, for the rest of the story . . .
SENIOR CENTER:
Hillsboro, Marion, Peabody menus
MEMORIES:
10, 25, 40, 55, 70, 100, 140 years ago
MEMORIES IN FOCUS:
The Last Days of Shaniko

Marion County RECORD

Historic Elgin Hotel’s co-owner is backing off published reports that she is looking to sell the hotel. Tammy Ensey told the Wichita Eagle last week that she was looking for someone to lease or buy the hotel or lease its restaurant.

If you think weather has been doing a number on us, you may be right. That, at least, is what some recent numbers about degree-days indicate — if our sudden shift from swell to sweltering hasn’t been enough.

Because of uncertainty over a pending lawsuit, Marion city council members voted Monday to give a wind farm more time to complete purchase of a building in the city’s industrial park. The vote was 4-1, with council member Ruth Herbel opposed.

Marion County has the lowest combined tax burden of any surrounding county, according a new analysis by financial technology company SmartAsset. Combined impact of income, sales, property, and fuel taxes are reflected in the analysis, released this past week.

Westview Manor in Peabody is under new ownership a year and a half after being placed in receivership for deplorable conditions, a quarter of a million dollars in unpaid bills, and financial abuse of residents. Ownership transferred May 29 to Access Mental Health of Wichita.

St. John Nepomucene Church will reopen and Mass will be celebrated for the first time at 8 a.m. Thursday and 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Parishioners will maintain six feet of social distancing.

The intersection of Nighthawk and 190th Rds. will get rumble strips and flashing lights under a state program for high risk roads. Kansas Department of Transportation will pay to install street lights, rumble strips, and flashing beacons.

Fireworks will be legal in rural areas of the county June 27 to July 5. County commissioners decided Monday to set the schedule to possess, sell, and discharge fireworks as:

An accident more than a year ago has finally claimed a victim in the guise of an accidental overdose of painkillers. That is the official view of coroner Don Hodson when assigning a cause to 38-year-old former jailer Joseph Kenneth Catron’s death last week.

Next year’s budget wish list for Marion department heads comes to $10.8 million, $300,000 more than they were authorized to spend this year. City council members got their first look at budget requests Monday.

A 26-year-old Marion man remains missing and wanted by police after an incident Thursday in the 500 block of N. Cedar St. A woman reported that the man, identified as Rusty B. Daniels, used a knife to break her vehicle’s right-front window during an argument that morning.

As Marion County’s last remaining DJ, Duane McCarty knows how to break out of the mold. A police officer in Marion, McCarty always has been a lover of music. His interest in being a DJ, however, began in 1987, when he thought he’d no longer be able to play bass guitar.

Technology Excellence in Education Network’s monthly meeting will be 6 p.m. June 17 via video conference.

Joseph Kenneth Catron, 38, former Marion County correction officer, died June 3 at his residence in rural Hillsboro. Visitation was Tuesday. No other services are planned. He was born Nov. 27, 1981, in Wichita to Joseph and Delores Norvell Catron.

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

Hillsboro recreation’s STEM camp is still weeks away, but Koen Janzen already is excited after attending last year’s camp. “It was really not the same as sports,” he said. “It was more fun, but I do love sports.”

Patrons of Marion City Library will be able to kick off their summer reading Monday when the building reopens to the public. However, staff members will follow strict guidelines set by the Library Board to keep staff members and visitors safe, said Janet Marler, the library’s director.

A $100,000 activity bus replaced a decades-old vehicle for the Marion school district, superintendent Aaron Homburg said. Marion got $16,000 in trade and signed a three-year lease-purchase agreement for the 48-passenger bus with American Bus Sales, Oklahoma.

Hillsboro school district will sell most of its more than 100 band instruments, the school board decided Monday. Enough will be retained to provide loaner instruments as needed. But the school will expect most students’ parents to buy their own instruments.

A youth bowling camp for Hillsboro 6th through 12th graders is planned for 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. June 22 through 26 at Bluejay Lanes in Hillsboro. The $25 cost will include instruction in bowling skills, etiquette, and scoring averages.

After deducting $35,000 for food banks and feeding programs and $15,000 for the grant’s administrators, $117,000 of a $165,000 grant the county received last week will be available to businesses. The county decided Monday to accept applications from throughout the county June 12 to July 2.

Bans on mass gatherings inspired a Cottonwood Falls auction company to explore new ways to conduct sales. Chuck Maggard, auctioneer for Griffin Real Estate and Auctions, said the business was trying virtual tours of homes and online auctions.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

CORRECTIONS:

Seniors once again are welcome to visit their local centers for lunch, but managers are proceeding with caution when serving an age group susceptible to severe illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Delivery and pickup of meals still will be offered in Marion, Hillsboro and Peabody.

Senior Citizens of Marion County will meet at 10 a.m. June 19 at Marion Senior Center. Lunch reservations due June 17 are being accepted at (620) 382-2942.

Sheriff’s deputy CJ Perry was named among 24 graduates last week from theKansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Yoder. Graduates receive certification as law enforcement officers from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training.

Graduating seniors Maddy Daniels, Hillsboro, and Cassie Meyer, Marion, will each receive a $250 scholarship from Marion County Democrats.

Harvey-Marion County Developmental Disability Organization board of directors will meet at 4 p.m. Monday by video conference, which can be accessed through the organization’s website.

4-H:

ANNIVERSARY:

SERMON FOR THE WEEK:

SENIOR CENTER:

MEMORIES:

MEMORIES IN FOCUS: