BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
Burning in the county has been banned due to dry and hazardous conditions.
Acting on a recommendation from fire chiefs, county commissioners approved the ban at today’s meeting.
During nine years as a sheriff’s deputy, Mike Ottensmeier has dealt with plenty of wayward, cantankerous cattle that were never as cooperative as most people with whom he has had professional encounters.
“I do have a little experience pushing cows,” Ottensmeier said. “I’ve come to find out cattle are probably among the stupidest animals that ever lived.”
Christopher Young, 45, Peabody-Burns High School social studies teacher charged with eight felony charges alleging sex offenses with two students, surrendered at the courthouse Monday afternoon.
Young was greeted in the hallway by 40 supporters when he arrived for his hearing, scheduled by Wichita defense lawyer John Rapp. His supporters ranged from high school students to retirees. Most walked over to hug him, patted him on the back, and assured him it will get better. Young hugged people and thanked them for being there, and occasionally dabbed his cheek with a tissue.
The final bow was tied on the Diamond Vista wind farm project Wednesday when commissioners approved the project to go forward. Construction will begin immediately.
The first stage will be roadwork to prepare county roads for hauling of turbine parts.
Hillsboro city council members got their first look at interim city administrator Don Osenbaugh at Tuesday’s meeting.
After mayor Lou Thurston introduced him, Osenbaugh explained what his approach will be while filling administrator Larry Paine’s chair as Paine recovers from medical issues.
A community splash pad project is gathering momentum.
A Hillsboro Community Foundation initiative, the splash pad fund has $25,000 so far.
With spring quickly approaching comes the promise for warmer weather and the beginning of softball and baseball season.
Hillsboro Sports Complex is now home to three new score boxes, compliments of the Hillsboro Recreation Commission.
A military transport flatbed carrying a large road scraper turned over Sunday at the US-56/77/K-150 roundabout east of Marion, the fourth accident involving a truck this year.
“We’re baffled right now, we really are,” said Joe Palic with the Marion office of the Department of Transportation. “It’s been good for two years; maybe it’s just an anomaly.”
New county park and lake director Isaac Hett has several items on his “to do before summer” list.
A Marion native, Hett is the son of Jerry and Loreen Hett.
Sunflower Rd. will be a smoother drive in a few weeks.
County commissioners at Wednesday’s meeting approved a $32,665 bid from Circle C Paving to seal cracks in pavement along the 10 miles of Sunflower Rd. from Marion to US-50.
Lincolnville, Marion, Tampa, and Lost Springs firefighters responded to a structure fire called in early Friday morning by Mike Benda of Lincolnville.
Lincolnville fire chief Lester Kaiser said the call came in at 1:20 a.m., and four area fire departments automatically responded.
Another commission meeting, another transfer station proposal.
Commissioners on Monday heard from Rocky Hett of Marion, who owns a former rock quarry a mile and a quarter north of US-56 on Timber Rd. Hett proposed the county build its own landfill for county use.
Despite county officials’ original plans to hold a special election later this month to extend a 2011 half-cent sales tax, the tax will end July 1.
Commissioners had planned to hold an election in the hope of extending a 2011 half-cent sales tax that funded construction of the jail.
Services for Gordon Jaeger, 90, who died Feb. 26 at Salem Home in Hillsboro, will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Salem Home Chapel, with interment at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Cemetery.
He was born Jan. 25, 1928, to Leon and Lela (Wolfe) Jaeger in Hillsboro.
IN MEMORIAM:
Brandon Gillett
IN MEMORIAM:
Dorothy Lawrence
IN MEMORIAM:
John Weems
Borrowing money has become extremely easy with the use of credit cards, which is what shoppers are doing every time they use them.
Debit card transactions, on the other hand, result in money taken out of the cardholder’s bank account almost immediately. Credit card transactions are billed in a monthly statement.
Regular users of county libraries may not stop to think how much they’re saving by not paying for materials and services they use for free, but the value they receive is substantial.
Peabody Township Library users get a clue every time they check out.
Start with a plan.
Set goals and decide how much can realistically be put aside on a regular basis.
Just two segments of the original Marion to McPherson Santa Fe rail line remain in use today. They are between Ellenwood and Lyons and from three miles west of Conway to three miles east of McPherson.
Christopher Blackman, 47, of Marion, oversees usage of those lines along with several other segments that are part of the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad.
Jeremy and Shannon James of Marion were living in Newton 15 years ago when they became friends with Brett Oslee.
Oslee had no relationship with his father. His grandparents had died, and his mother had died soon after.
A reception in honor of Jackie Hett’s 90th birthday will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Elgin Hotel.
All friends and family are invited to come and wish her a happy birthday.
SENIOR CENTER:
Menu
Four months ago, the Trojan boys’ basketball team began its quest to return to Manhattan’s Class 2A state basketball tournament at the Moundridge Preseason Tournament.
Last week, two-thirds of the field Hillsboro upended en route to capturing the tournament title, Moundridge and Inman, would be foes again.
The Goessel Bluebirds girls’ basketball team closed out the season in heartbreaking fashion Thursday as a buzzer-beating 3-point bid for overtime missed the mark, handing Berean Academy a hard-fought 32-29 substate semifinals win.
The Bluebirds were hoping to avenge a Feb. 16 34-20 loss to the Warriors.
Hillsboro Elementary principal Evan Yoder is promising to dress up as a chicken and do the chicken dance as an incentive in one of several fundraisers the school’s library is conducting this month.
In addition to selling books at the school and online and participating in other commercial ventures, the library is urging students to bring in loose change and dollar bills.
Four Hillsboro High School singers were part of state honor choirs that performed Feb. 23-24 at the Kansas Music Educators Association conference at Century II in Wichita.
Freshmen Tristan Reedand Carson Linnens performed with the mid-level choir that performed Feb. 23.
Tabor College’s symphonic band and Hillsboro High School’s wind ensemble will present a joint concert at 7 p.m. Monday in Richert Auditorium at Shari Flaming Center for the Arts.
The ensemble will perform its award-winning music festival repertoire. The symphonic band will follow with works by John Williams, Hugh Stuart, John Mackey and Charles Carter. The two groups will combine to perform two final selections.
Hillsboro school district children who will be 5 years old by Aug. 31 will be screened for kindergarten enrollment April 5 and 6 at Hillsboro Elementary School.
Appointments are being accepted at (620) 947-3184, extension 1.
MENUS:
Goessel and Hillsboro menus
Kids from kindergarten on up interested in learning and honing soccer skills can register for the fourth annual Tabor College Youth Soccer Academy, sponsored by the college’s women’s soccer team.
The academy will provide fun, positive, age and ability appropriate training sessions with competitive games at the college practice soccer field south of the football parking lot.
Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce will meet for lunch at noon Tuesday at Hillsboro Senior Center.
A meal of oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli and carrots, fruit, roll, and beverage will be served for $6.
Senior Citizens of Marion County will meet at 9:30 a.m. March 16 at Peabody Senior Center.
Reservations can be made by March 14 by calling (620) 983-2226 or (62) 382-3580. Anyone needing transportation should call by March 15.
Marion County Democrats will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday in the basement of Marion Community Center. An elevator is available.
Food donations to Marion County Resource Center’s food bank will be accepted.