BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
A federal lawsuit seeking at least $950,000 in actual and punitive damages was filed Tuesday in connection with a police raid Aug. 11 on the Marion County Record newsroom.
The suit, filed by
A new sheriff’s deputy, on the job less than two weeks, was fired Sunday after being arrested in a domestic disturbance in Hillsboro.
Officers were called at 4:30 p.m. Saturday to a rental home at 112 N. Washington St. on a complaint of a disturbance involving deputy Byron D. McDonald, 39.
More than three weeks after a major snowstorm, county road crews still are working to make gravel roads accessible.
Some, such as 290th Rd. east of Lincolnville, still were being cleared from one lane to two Friday. By Tuesday afternoon, the road was a quagmire of ruts and mud.
Other counties continue to deal with weather-damaged roads despite warmer temperatures this week.
Some roads remained closed Tuesday in Harvey and Butler counties. East Lake Rd. in Harvey County has deep ruts.
An apparently overdosed man was airlifted Monday to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita after a series of bizarre incidents in the course of getting him treatment.
Marion ambulance was summoned at 3:37 p.m. Monday to a farm near 270th and Remington Rds.
Just less than four years after Jamie and Korie Hatton opened their hardware store in Peabody, Hatton’s Hometown Hardware is having its going-out-of-business sale
The sale will start at 9 a.m. Friday and continyue until noon Feb. 10. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Hours are subject to change as the inventory sells.
A sheriff’s sale of a building that formerly housed Herington Hospital’s clinic in Hillsboro was abruptly canceled last week for reasons not outlined in the court order canceling it.
The sheriff’s sale was scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday. It was to have been part of a $1.9 million lawsuit filed Oct. 9 by Emprise Bank against Herington Hospital.
Marion’s planning commission voted Tuesday to conditionally endorse the county’s request for a permit for construction of a new health department at the former site of the county food bank on Main St.
Planning commissioners considered the plan for a 5,000-square-foot, eight-office building with a drive-through garage.
Both Marion and Hillsboro are candidates for a Kansas Power Pool project to build arrays of solar panels to generate electricity in nine Kansas cities.
In November, Hillsboro approved leasing land to KPP for the solar array. Marion approved leasing land Jan. 22.
Marion and McPherson counties each are housing an inmate for the other because the inmates are related to sheriff’s office staff members.
Nick A. Wing, 44, McPherson, has been held in Marion County Jail since Dec. 15 — the same day he pleaded no contest in McPherson County District Court to rape and attempted indecent liberties. A charge of attempted aggravated indecent liberties was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 29.
Although not new to the barbering business or to Marion, Shawn Nguyen opened a new barbershop this month.
The barbershop is located between Silk Salon and the coin laundry on 2nd St.
An annual pancake breakfast and race sponsored by Peabody Community Foundation will be 1 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Breakfast will be served at the Peabody High School Brown Building.
Donations will support the foundation’s goal of improving housing in Peabody. They are eligible to be doubled by the Patterson Family Foundation.
It might be cold in February, but five chili cooks and numerous dessert makers will warm people’s mouths for a good cause Feb. 10.
A fundraiser chili feed from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Marion County Lake hall will provide not only a bang of spicy chili but also bangs of aerials over the lake in July.
Up to $10,000 donations to Peabody Community Foundation’s Sunflower Theatre Fund will be matched by an anonymous donor. Money will be used for renovation of the theater. When the $10,000 challenge is met, the theater will be eligible to apply for a $360,000 grant to help renovate it.
Donations are being accepted by Peabody Community Foundation, PO Box 18, Peabody KS 66866 or through the foundation’s online website. Sunflower Theatre officers include Susan Mayo, chairman; Marilyn Jones, vice-chairman; Cathy Weems, treasurer; Becki Yoder, secretary.,
A rural Marion rancher is applying for a grant to expand his operation to include on-farm processing, cold storage, and delivery to local food stores.
David Loewen, owner of the 25.9 Happy D Ranch on Nighthawk Rd. north of US-56, asked county commissioners Monday to sign off on his application for a state Department of Agriculture grant intended to build resilient food systems.
Loewen raises and markets beef and eggs but wants to expand into local produce production.
He is building a 4,550-square-foot greenhouse that he expects to use mostly to grow tomatoes and peppers by the summer of 2025.
Loewen, who could not be reached for comment, filed a letter with commissioners that said he would use grant money to purchase and install an on-farm cold storage unit; a small washing and packaging station; and a small, refrigerated trailer for packaging, storage, and delivery to local grocers.
“This project, if funded, will add to the resilience of the local food supply system for Marion County, Kansas, by shortening and strengthening the supply chain for year-round fresh market produce, adding flexibility to the harvest-processing-delivery timeline,” Loewen wrote.
Loewen said he plans to pursue his plan regardless of whether he gets grant money, but grant money would be “an enormous boost” to his start-up process.
Loewen, a county native, has a master’s degree in horticulture from Kansas State.
Marion and Marion County seem to be going through employees faster than NFL teams that didn’t make the playoffs.
Some have left for incompetence, like quarterbacks who throw too many interceptions. Some have left for transgressions, like players who get caught up in drugs or violence. Others have left for reasons not so clear — micromanagement by elected officials, sabotage or refusal to change by subordinates. These officials may emerge someday, as Andy Reid did in Kansas City after being fired in Philadelphia, as huge successes in their next endeavors.
Looking to blame someone? Take your pick: El Nino, bad gravel, motor grader operators, their bossses, or transgender space invaders sent by China to cross the Rio Grande and stuff our ballot boxes.
Whoever your villain might be, the only way county roads might be made worse is if some would-be hero were to try a quick-fix solution.
O
The song blessedly hasn’t extended that far, but I note with surprise how some local Christmas decorations have.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:
Where are you headed?
A series of events have been planned in 2024 by the Mennonite Heritage and Agricultural Museum in Goessel to celebrate the first Mennonite immigrants who came to Marion County in 1874.
The Mennonites who became the Alexanderwohl Church in southern Russia lived in Prussia for years before their 1820 immigration to Russia.
Cougar Cubs Daycare opened Jan. 18 in a new building north of the west wing of Centre schools.
It is a two-room facility that can take up to 28 children, ages newborn to 6. Fifteen children already are enrolled.
The family of Harold “Bud” Vinduska is requesting a card shower in honor of his 90th birthday Feb. 8.
Cards may be addressed to him at 116 E 9th St, Florence KS 66851.
Blood donations will be accepted 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at Marion High School. Appointments are required and may be made at (800) 733-2767.
Free food will be available Feb. 21 to 24 for low-income residents age 60 and older.
Recipients must have a monthly household income of no more than $1,580 plus $557 for each household member after the first.
MEMORIES:
15,
30,
45,
60,
75,
110,
145 years ago
Hillsboro
In a tightly contested game heading into the fourth quarter Friday, the Trojans were able to make key plays in the end, winning 51-36.
Centre vs. Peabody-Burns
Two county teams squared off Friday looking for their first victories of the season. Centre captured the honor, defeating Peabody-Burns, 41-16.
Hillsboro and Marion wrestlers traveled Friday to the Hoisington Cardinal Classic.
Hillsboro