HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Board member angry about graduation

Hillsboro school board member Rod Koons made no secret Monday of his displeasure over the 2018 Hillsboro graduation ceremony. Speaking after middle and high school principal Clint Corby gave his quarterly report, Koons told Corby he left this year’s graduation “disgusted and embarrassed” by the behavior of some of the students.

Recent car thefts point to leaving keys in car

Recent car thefts have been reported in Hillsboro and nearby in the county have one common element: Keys were left in the cars. As recently as Friday and Sunday, cars were stolen from Hillsboro.

Church members make impact on community

Rarely will you find anything in life free, but when five or six couples from Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church started brainstorming how to make an impact on the community, they hit upon serving free meals from a food truck. Their food truck serves sausage sandwiches from Dale’s Supermarket, hot dogs, chips, and a bottle of water. The truck made its debut at the end of March at Birch and D Sts. and hit the scene again June 2.

Football, cheerleading camps in full swing

It’s not even officially summer yet, but Hillsboro’s cheerleading and football teams already have fall sports season on the brain. Senior wide receiver Darian Ratzlaff was among football players hitting the field Monday to kick off a week of football camp.

Time for biting remarks about chiggers

“OMG!” That’s what some people are saying about this year’s crop of chiggers.

County sales tax to decrease

Sales tax rates in the county will drop by half a percent July 1, when a five-year-old special tax imposed to build a $3.5 million jail expires. County Clerk Tina Spencer said the county would continue to collect revenue from the tax in July and August from sales occurring before July 1.

Bait machine comeing to county lake

Bait and a limited supply of fishing tackle once again will be available at the county lake after county commissioners approved the purchase of a vending machine for outside the lake office. Lake superintendent Isaac Hett talked to commissioners Monday about a bait vending machine formerly at The Lumberyard in Hillsboro.

Hillsboro man pleads guilty to child abuse

A Hillsboro man whose charges took three years to be filed has pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse a year after 10 original charges were filed. Isaac Gene Hilliard, 27, pleaded guilty to abuse of a child June 4. As part of a plea agreement, Hilliard will complete a batterer’s intervention program.

Yields vary widely as wheat harvest begins

Wheat yields ranging from 10 to 50 bushels per acre are being reported across the county as harvest begins. Jason Kruse of Marion, combining wheat on Darryl Ehrlich’s land just west of Canada at 190th and Nighthawk Rds., said his crew had just started harvesting Monday.

Food available to low income residents

Free food will be available at Marion County senior centers to families with monthly income of less than $1,316 for a single person plus $468 for each additional person. Marion Senior Center will start giving away surplus government commodities from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 21.

Democrats to meet

Marion County Democrats will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday in Marion Community Center’s conference room, accessible by elevator from the ground floor.

Drunk camper falls into ditch

A dispute among intoxicated Marion Reservoir campers early Saturday led to an hour-long search of the Cottonwood Point area for a man who had fallen into a ditch after defying authorities to find him. Sheriff Rob Craft said officers were called after Armando Martinez, 37, got into a dispute with his girlfriend. The pair were on a camping trip with two companions at the time. Martinez left the campsite on foot shortly before 4 a.m.

Donald Beisel

Services for Tampa resident Donald L. Beisel, 76, who died May 30, were June 5 in Herington. Born July 5, 1941, in Tampa, he was the second of eight children born to Fred and Anna Beisel.

Ella Fast

Services for former nursing instructor Ella Wiebe Fast, 89, who died June 6 at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro, were Tuesday with burial at rural Gnadenau Cemetery. Born Aug. 4, 1929, in North Newton to Edward and Bertha Voth, she married Arthur Wiebe in 1954. He died in 2008. She married David Fast in 2013. He died in 2016.

Thomas Smith

Army veteran and former Boeing engineer Thomas H. Smith, 64, Marion, died Saturday at Lake Wilson. No services are planned. Born Aug. 18, 1953, in Douglass to John and Delores Smith, he is survived by wife Candy of the home, brother John Smith, sisters Millard Bergstrom and Debra Gould, children John Boese, Samantha Hays, Lacy Westmoland, and Shawna Garten, and five grandchildren.

Shirley Slaymaker

Services for former Peabody resident Shirley Temple Slaymaker, 82, who died Thursday in Emporia, will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Granada Theater, 807 Commercial St., Emporia. Visitation will be 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at the theater. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery, Emporia.

Accidents reported

County jail bookings

Criminal division cases

Deeds recorded

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Municipal court cases

Offenses reported

Police incident reports

Cloth fades, but memories remain

As four widowed women and a couple, all residents of Parkside Homes, gathered in a small room preparing for Parkside’s annual wedding dress display June 21 through July 2, many differences are evident - - differences in styles, dates, churches, and stories. However, one theme rang true: Behind each vintage dress or photograph, love was ever present.

Not a bit gun-shy; 64-year-old protects herself with concealed weapon

Marion County had 315 people with concealed-carry permits in June 2017. One was Nanette Lowry of Marion. She had been teaching in Wichita when she became afraid for her safety and bought a gun.

Litkes to celebrate 70th anniversary

Virgil and Phyllis (Wiens) Litke of rural Marion will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary with relatives. Married June 15, 1948, at Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church near Hillsboro, they farmed and traveled for more than 40 years with their Litke Products cutlery and statuary business.

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Friends fish their way through college

Cramming for tests, making it to class on time, and figuring out which fishing lure would snag a largemouth bass were the unusual topics of concern for two local anglers who both competed on Kansas State University’s fishing team while college students. Aaron Barney, 32, graduated from K-state almost a decade ago. He passed his love for competitive fishing on to his friend, Grant Srajer, 22, and encouraged him to follow in his footsteps.

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