HILLSBORO Star-Journal

HEADLINES

Paine announces retirement
Hillsboro city administrator Larry Paine made a stunning announcement Tuesday night when he told members of the city council he will retire at the end of June. Paine choked up several times as he thanked the people who have supported him these past 12 years, including staff, mayors and council members.
Coyote hunters are back in business
Marion County hunters and trappers now have a market for their coyote pelts through a buyer who visits Marion twice a month. Several hunters and trappers brought pelts, coyotes, and even a bobcat and fox to the parking lot of Ace Hardware in Marion Sunday to sell to a buyer for Lincoln, Nebraska-based Lincoln Fur.
Ambulance gets stuck on call, again
For the second time in two weeks, a Hillsboro ambulance crew got stuck on muddy roads while on a call. The crew was transporting a patient home from Newton Medical Center at 12:53 a.m. Saturday when the vehicle became mired in mud on Falcon Rd. between 140th and 150th Rds.
County might buy what it could have for free
The county is discussing the possibility of buying a Hillsboro building for living quarters for ambulance staff and constructing a two-bay garage for ambulances at an estimated cost of $150,000. In four to five years, it could have ambulance and employee housing free. The main ambulance at Hillsboro is stored free of charge in the Hillsboro firehouse.
Laundromats still valued in an age of convenience
A washer and dryer are conveniences often taken for granted, but both Marion County’s coin laundry businesses provide a vital service for those without their own appliances, Hillsboro resident Bob Patterson said. Sticker shock over appliance costs spurs Patterson to make a weekly trip to Marion Dry Cleaning and Laundry.
Commissioner angered by at-large appointment
County commissioner Dianne Novak had angry words for fellow county commissioners Tuesday after she alone voted against appointing Derek Belton to an at-large position on the planning and zoning commission a week after she removed him from the board. Commission chairman Jonah Gehring nominated Belton Tuesday for the position and Novak cast the lone “no” vote.

OTHER NEWS

Hitting the skids: Response to threat of slick streets varies
Area road departments took differing approaches in responding to the threat of severe weather caused by last week’s ice storm. Kansas Department of Transportation started staggering employees’ shifts around noon Thursday. The move allowed KDOT to keep workers on standby in case of bad weather overnight, said Ashley Perez, public affairs manager for Kansas Department of Transportation District 2, which includes Marion County.
Main Street Cafe and Bakery opens in Durham
Main Street Café and Bakery in Durham is now up and running after plenty of hard work put in by owners Mark and Kris Wiebe. The eatery will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Wind farm lawsuit loses more plaintiffs
A second group of plaintiffs have withdrawn from a lawsuit over a conditional use permit granted to a planned wind farm. Court documents filed Friday show 19 have withdrawn from the suit, originally filed Aug. 14 by Peabody farmer Randy Eitzen and 70 other plaintiffs.
Sheriffs' deputy graduates from law enforcement training center
Marion County Sheriff’s deputy Joshua Melizawas named last week as one of 22 December graduates of Kansas Law Enforcement’s training center near Yoder. Meliza has been working at the sheriff’s department seven months, according to sheriff Bob Craft, but now has his official registration.
Blood drive scheduled for Feb. 10
An American Red Cross blood drive will be 1 to 6 p.m. Feb. 10 at Goessel Mennonite Church. Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds, be at least 17 years old or have parental consent, and be in good health to be eligible.
Church to participate in Dallas faith gathering
A livestream event will be 6 to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 7 and 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at Hillsboro’s Grace Community Fellowship as part of IF:Gathering in Dallas. The international event provides space for women to talk about their faith and connect with peers.

DEATHS

Delores Cook
Services were Dec. 26. for Delores M. Cook, 74, Newton, who died Dec. 20 at Newton. Born Dec. 15, 1945, in Marion, to Willis Linn and Gertrude (Schill) Linn, she married Chilson Cook in 1964 in Marion.
IN MEMORIAM:
Stephen Davis

DOCKET

FARM

Family takes advantage of no-till farming
Lewis Unruh started using no-till farming with his father in 1996 and he has watched the practice grow in popularity since then. “It’s more than niche farming at this point,” he said. “In the mid-1990s was when it, all at once, became more practical.”

OPINION

Going the distance
Driving an all-too-familiar 551 miles — the exact same number as our old pre-dial home phone number more than half a century ago — is both literally and figuratively a pain in the backside. But it also provides a welcome opportunity for reflection, especially when traveling with a feline companion who views an Algonquin roundtable as something to jump up and sleep upon, not as a location for stimulating conversation.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
The volcabulary has changed

PEOPLE

CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Calendar of events
SENIOR CENTER:
Hillsboro menu

SPORTS AND SCHOOL

Honor roll
Hillsboro girls take 2nd loss of season
As if opponents haven’t been enough of a challenge for Hillsboro High School basketball teams to handle, they’ve been dealing with an unbeatable opponent on top of them — Mother Nature. Ice storms pushed Friday’s matchup to Saturday.
Hillsboro grapplers 6th at Halstead
Hillsboro High School wrestling didn’t show many signs of rust despite last week’s weather delays, finishing sixth among 22 schools and racking up five medalists Saturday at Halstead. Halstead Invitational became a one-day tournament because of bad weather.

HILLSBORO Star-Journal

For the second time in two weeks, a Hillsboro ambulance crew got stuck on muddy roads while on a call. The crew was transporting a patient home from Newton Medical Center at 12:53 a.m. Saturday when the vehicle became mired in mud on Falcon Rd. between 140th and 150th Rds.

Main Street Café and Bakery in Durham is now up and running after plenty of hard work put in by owners Mark and Kris Wiebe. The eatery will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

A second group of plaintiffs have withdrawn from a lawsuit over a conditional use permit granted to a planned wind farm. Court documents filed Friday show 19 have withdrawn from the suit, originally filed Aug. 14 by Peabody farmer Randy Eitzen and 70 other plaintiffs.

Marion County Sheriff’s deputy Joshua Melizawas named last week as one of 22 December graduates of Kansas Law Enforcement’s training center near Yoder. Meliza has been working at the sheriff’s department seven months, according to sheriff Bob Craft, but now has his official registration.

An American Red Cross blood drive will be 1 to 6 p.m. Feb. 10 at Goessel Mennonite Church. Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds, be at least 17 years old or have parental consent, and be in good health to be eligible.

A livestream event will be 6 to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 7 and 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at Hillsboro’s Grace Community Fellowship as part of IF:Gathering in Dallas. The international event provides space for women to talk about their faith and connect with peers.

Services were Dec. 26. for Delores M. Cook, 74, Newton, who died Dec. 20 at Newton. Born Dec. 15, 1945, in Marion, to Willis Linn and Gertrude (Schill) Linn, she married Chilson Cook in 1964 in Marion.

IN MEMORIAM:

Lewis Unruh started using no-till farming with his father in 1996 and he has watched the practice grow in popularity since then. “It’s more than niche farming at this point,” he said. “In the mid-1990s was when it, all at once, became more practical.”

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

SENIOR CENTER:

As if opponents haven’t been enough of a challenge for Hillsboro High School basketball teams to handle, they’ve been dealing with an unbeatable opponent on top of them — Mother Nature. Ice storms pushed Friday’s matchup to Saturday.

Hillsboro High School wrestling didn’t show many signs of rust despite last week’s weather delays, finishing sixth among 22 schools and racking up five medalists Saturday at Halstead. Halstead Invitational became a one-day tournament because of bad weather.