Marion County RECORD

Volunteers hope to put city on a better path

It’s been 28 years since Marion Kiwanis and Lions Clubs teamed to build a nature trail at the south end of Central Park, and time and erosion have taken their toll. Once lined with plastic and covered with screenings, the trail has deteriorated into a dirt path scarred by ruts and tree roots. Originally equipped with lights, the lights were removed after being repeatedly vandalized.

Collection stolen, pastor unfazed

A couple of months ago on a Tuesday, or perhaps a Wednesday, Marion Presbyterian pastor Jeremiah Lange discovered something was missing: that past Sunday’s offering. “It had been secured in a place where we normally put it,” Lange said. “Somebody must have found it and decided it was an opportunity for them. It was labeled and somebody could see what it was.”

EMT shortage protested

Hillsboro officials on Monday expanded their public campaign for more ambulance staffing in Hillsboro when a contingent of 10 community members appeared before the county commission. However, with one-third of the days when Hillsboro’s ambulance will not be staffed this month already having passed, no significant problems have been noted. On one of the days, there were no calls in the Hillsboro area. On another day, the only call was an inter-hospital transfer handled by another county ambulance.

School buys $17,000 video sign

With its bright colors, large lettering, and high visibility, it is hard to miss USD 408’s new $17,400, two-sided video sign beaming onto Main St. from the high school’s front lawn. Superintendent Lee Leiker recently addressed rumors circulating in the community that the funding for the sign may have come from an anonymous donor or perhaps was a gift for the high school’s favorable rating on a list of top schools published by Newsweek magazine.

Marshmallows to landing strip?

Would county commissioners spend $35,000 to install a hard-surface runway for remote-controlled airplanes over the world record marshmallow roast burn pit at the county lake? “It’s just common sense that this commission doesn’t do $35,000 for something like that,” Commissioner Randy Dallke said last week.

A crop fit to kill: Rye grass impoves soil

People living west and north of Lincolnville may have noticed fields of tall, thick plants that were lush and dark green, then turned brown after being sprayed. Those fields were planted into rye grass by Shane Svitak and his father and Svitak thinks it is improving the porousness of the soil.

Group opposes wastewater well near Burdick

A group calling itself Flint Hills Stewards is protesting an application by Quail Oil and Gas Co. of Garden City for permission to inject saltwater into a new Morris County well near Burdick. The group contends that the well is close to a large fault line and could make the Flint Hills earthquake prone, as apparently has happened in areas of Oklahoma where disposal wells are sometimes connected with a different oil and gas extraction technique called fracking.

Theodore Heath

A graveside committal service for Peabody native Theodore “Doug” Heath Jr., 84, who died April 29 in Camarillo, California, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Prairie Lawn Cemetery in Peabody He was born May 24, 1933, to John and Myra (Fryburgher) Heath in Peabody. He was a graduate of Kansas State University and was a retired veterinarian.

Helen Murray

Former Burns teacher Helen L. Murray, 93, Newton, died Sunday. Born June 2, 1923, to Ernest and Carrie (Spiller)Farrar at Norwich, she attended school in Norwich and received an associate’s degree from Southwestern College and taught for two years in Burns.

Carolyn Woerz

Carolyn B. Woerz, 84, died May 10 at Marion Assisted Living. Born Aug. 4, 1932, to Richard and Claudia Bernice (Walthall) Hoffman in Kansas City, Kansas, she graduated from Wyandotte High School and Kansas City Junior College. After graduation, she taught school in Kansas City, Kansas.

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

Accidents reported

Civil division cases

County jail

Criminal division

Deeds reported

Emergency dispatches

Marriage licenses granted

Offenses reported

Police reports

Traffic division cases

Coping with an uptick in outdoor parasites

Health authorities are predicting a robust number of ticks and rising rates of tick-borne illnesses through September. Scott Amos, a public land manager for Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, encountered a lot of ticks last month.

Middle schoolers learn to avoid drugs

How to achieve a “natural high” was the focus of a family fun night for middle schoolers and parents April 26. The event, sponsored by Peabody-Burns High School Teens Against Drugs and Alcohol, included student presentations, videos, and literature about positive alternatives to drug use.

A room with a view

I’m probably the only person who can tell you right off the bat how many stairs lead up to the north courthouse entrance. That would be 10, unless you don’t want to count the final step up as a stair; then it would be nine. Would you like to know what bargains are hitting the shelves of St. Luke Auxiliary Shoppe next? Call me.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

Couple plans June wedding

The parents of 2016 Marion High School graduates Katie Kay Nordquist and Wesley Allen Dicks have announced their children’s engagement and approaching marriage. The bride-elect is a student at Butler Community College in El Dorado. The future groom is employed at Hillsboro Industries.

Christensens to celebrate 60th anniversary

The children of Eugene and Marge Christensen have invited people to attend a celebration of their parents’ 60th wedding anniversary from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in the Wesley Center at Eastmoor United Methodist Church in Marion. The Christensens were married May19, 1957, in the Evangelical Church in Marion.

MEMORIES:

SENIOR CENTER:

Curing senioritis: Class of '17 to graduate 42

It is that insane time of year again, when high school seniors battle a mysterious phenomenon called “senioritis” as they prepare to uproot and to seek out their respective dreams and paths.

Class earns $160k in scholarships

Marion High School Class of 2017 collectively accepted $160,377 in scholarships for their dual credit and transition into different continuing education, according to information provided by school counselor Mark Felvus. If students continue meeting the requirements of their respective scholarships and scholarships are all received across the next two to four years the award amount could potentially triple to $481,534.

Principal, teacher may kiss a pig

Marion Elementary students may witness a curious display of porky public affection Friday. School librarian Lori Kirkpatrick is organizing the event as a potential reward for participating in Children’s Book week.

In the zone" Meet the middle school record breakers

Five Marion Middle School Wildcats let out mighty roars this year, as they respectively either broke or tied previous track and field records that were about as old as they are, or in some cases, several decades older. Sprinter Anthony Brooks and distance runner Heidi Grimmett, both seventh graders, were swift enough in their respective events to chase down two records each. Brooks did it with a 25.28-second 200-meter and a 57.63-second 400.

Lyons too much for Warrior girls

Home field proved to be no advantage for the Marion High softball team Monday. The Warriors were eliminated from regional competition at Marion Sports Complex by losing 13-1 to Lyons. Fans anticipated a close contest between Lyons (13-7) and Marion (12-8), with the fourth-seeded Lions slotted as the home team against the fifth-seeded Warriors.

Warriors run away with the title

A record-setting discus throw by Tyler Palic, a personal-best-tying vault by Bryce Shults, and a huge winning leap by Tyler Arocha in the long jump, gave Marion a comfortable lead going into running events finals at the Heart of America league meet Friday in Sterling. When Jack Schneider and Colin Williams came through with anticipated wins, no other team could come close as the Warriors amassed 126 points to win the league championship by a 49-point margin over runner-up Bennington.

Marion golfer qualifies for state

In his first and final year golfing for Marion High School, senior Ryan Cochran shot a 98 to place ninth of 39 golfers Monday at regionals in Marion and qualify for the 3A state golf tournament. “Ryan has worked as hard as or harder than any golfer we’ve ever had,” principal Tod Gordon said. “It is exciting to see him succeed.”

8 from Centre to compete at regional

Six boys and two girls will compete for Centre at Friday’s 1A regional track meet in Burlington. The top four finishers in each event will qualify for state.

County baseball teams to square off in baseball today

School classifications and season records go out the window today when the Hillsboro/Peabody-Burns baseball team plays Marion/Centre at 1 p.m. in second round regional action at Southeast of Saline. It’s a rematch of an early season doubleheader that Marion won 6-5 and 13-3. Marion enters as the favorite with an 18-1 record, No. 1 seed, and first-round bye.

20 teams to compete, but not in Marion

Twenty traveling teams from across Kansas will participate in a fast-pitch softball tournament for girls 12 and younger Saturday at Hillsboro. Additional games will be played at Canton-Galva. In the past, they often were scheduled for Marion. However, tournament sponsor Doug Sisk, who also is Hillsboro’s recreation director, said Marion’s sports complex was not available this year.

College honors and degrees

Online doubles Centre's class

Nearly half of the 43 high school diplomas Centre will present at 2 p.m. Sunday will go to online learners. Centre does not select a valedictorian or salutatorian, but several of the 22 local seniors will graduate with honors.

Barney elected Centre FFA president

New Centre FFA officers were installed at the conclusion of the annual FFA awards banquet last Wednesday. They are Zach Barney, president; Grace Knepp, vice president; Grace Peterson, secretary/treasurer; Meghan David, reporter; and Jensen Riffel, sentinel. About 120 people attended the event led by this year’s president Raeanne Bryant.

Area school menu

Weekly horseshoes to begin Thursday

A series of free summer horseshoes games will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday in Marion Central Park. Games will start as a casual social situation but may evolve into tournaments.

Memorial Day service planned

Military honors, a speech, and musical performances will highlight Memorial Day ceremonies at Pilsen Cemetery at 9:30 a.m. May 29. American Legion will provide a rifle salute. Deanna Klenda will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. After those assembled sing “God Bless America,” William Benda will speak and read a veterans’ honor roll, and Klenda will place a wreath. “Taps” will be sung by Mary Griffith, accompanied on trumpet by Adam Makovec.

Calendar of events

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