PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

Commissioners mull how to reopen county

With Kansas’ “stay at home” order set to expire May 3, county commissioners are turning their attention to how to relax county health department regulations put in place to combat COVID-19. County health nurse Diedre Serene told commissioners she doesn’t expect a new stay-home order to be issued unless something happens during the next week.

Treasurer won't seek office again

Jeannine Bateman plans to let someone else take over as Marion County treasurer when her term expires. “I just wish whoever takes it on enjoys it as much as I have,” Bateman said.

Couple helps struggling pet owners with food

As people stopped in front of Marion Senior Center Friday to pick up boxes of food for people struggling because of COVID-19 stay-home orders, Victor and Cindy Buckner helped with their pet food needs. While Marion Senior Center staff loaded food boxes into cars and trucks, the Buckners stepped over to ask drivers if they had pets.

Outages spur run on generators

Two lengthy power outages in less than one week led the owners of Lanning Pharmacy in Marion to make a decision they had contemplated for four years. An electric generator was installed for the store Wednesday.

Historical museum director remembered for enthusiasm, caring

Teresa Mills, who died Saturday, didn’t necessarily match what the board of Marion Historical Museum was looking for when choosing a new director two years ago. The board was hoping for someone from the community who had a few computer skills and grant writing experience.

False-positive virus test closes factory

A “positive” COVID-19 test from a Herington laboratory that caused the April 10 shutdown of a Salina pizza manufacturing plant turned out to be a false alarm. Schwan’s Shared Services, told an employee had tested positive for the virus, closed its Schwan’s Pizza plant for sanitizing and cleaning.

County has first COVID-19 death

A COVID-19-related death of a Marion County resident was confirmed Friday. County health nurse Diedre Serene on Friday sent a press release extending the department’s sympathy to the family and friends of the patient.

Goessel's weekend food sale raises $19,200

When Keith Banman heard Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale’s Hutchinson event was cancelled because of COVID-19, he knew he wanted to do something to help. Banman got the idea that he would donate meals from his catering business operated out of his Goessel grocery store, and people would make a donation to KMRS, supporting Mennonite Central Committee efforts.

Family agencies see no increase in cases

An agency that works with domestic violence and another that advocates for abused children in Marion County aren’t seeing increased caseloads during stay-home orders, but that doesn’t mean they don’t believe cases are increasing. Courtney Becker, interim director of Safehope, a domestic violence agency, said the numbers of new cases is about the same as this time last year.

A different kind of curbside delivery

Pickups were steady Friday at Marion Senior Center as disaster food boxes were distributed to people who needed them. The state Department for Children and Families sent a shipment of food for people struggling to buy food because of stay-home orders prompted by COVID-19 spread in the state.

Commission approves extension district plan

After reviewing a proposed operational agreement for a joint Marion and Dickinson county extension district, county commissioners voted Monday to approve the document. If Dickinson County commissioners approve the agreement in two weeks, it will be sent to the state attorney general’s office for approval.

Marion restaurant told 'no dining in'

The owner of a local diner has questions after an officer came to his café “to chase everyone out” and “threaten people.” Marion police officer Duane McCarty went to Edward’s café in north Marion last Wednesday after being sent there by the county health department because people were inside dining.

Teachers adapting remote learning as year wraps up

Marion County schools’ final week of classes is just around the corner, but Marion Spanish teacher Luis Medina said one of a teacher’s most important roles is to provide structure during a crisis that closed classrooms. “Their lives are so varied that taking them away from school, which has a setup for them, can actually be disruptive,” he said. “I figure something that will give them structure, even though it may be repetitive, that’s the case for language learning. With new language acquisition you have to do repetition.”

Marion plans drive-by procession for graduates

Marion school district is inviting residents to participate in a drive-by procession alongside staff May 9, recognizing seniors for their achievement. Staff will meet at Marion Aquatic Center at 3:45 p.m. The procession will start at 4 p.m., with plans to drive by the home of any senior who lives in Marion. Any seniors who don’t live in the city of Marion can stand along Main St. to receive recognition as motorists drive by.

Peabody council worried over waterline valves

A waterline in the 300 block of Peabody’s W. 2nd St. has eight stuck valves, but public works superintendent Lucas Larsen is unsure whether they are open or closed. If he cannot loosen the valves, then half of Peabody’s water will need to be shut off when repairs are made, he said at Monday’s city council meeting.

Raising city chickens about more than eggs

Chickens are typically a farm animal, but having four hens in town provides the experience of raising animals, Peabody resident Stephanie Hurst said. “Even just having four a day is plenty for us,” she said. “There’s that, and just having the experience for sure. I wouldn’t say I got them specifically for eggs. I got them basically as pets.”

IN MEMORIAM:

IN MEMORIAM:

Accidents reported

County jail arrests and bookings

Criminal division cases

Deeds recorded

Emergency dispatches

Offenses reported

Police activity reports

Traffic division cases

Gardening helps focus on better days to come

It might seem as if better days will never come, but one beloved hobby proves they will. Avid gardener Elora Robinson is planning for and working on her garden.

Kitchens provide valuable family experiences

Darlene Bartel took an interest in baking bread half a decade ago, but the hobby harkens back to her childhood. “It reminds me of my grandmother,” she said. “She made her own bread, so I think there’s some nostalgia there with great memories attached to it.”

A pandemic of finger-pointing

What next? That’s the question hanging over us like droplets of an infected sneeze. And it’s particularly problematic in areas such ours, which have not seen new COVID-19 cases in more than a week. Are we lucky? Has social distancing worked? Has COVID-19 not yet arrived? Or are we suffering more than we need to, merely because the epicenter of COVID-19 in the U.S. and globally is occurring in the epicenter of media influencers — New York City.

Learning how to kill a zombie

Like innocent townsfolk in a zombie movie, Marion County once again is being visited by the very embodiment of the undead. Voters killed the idea once. Commissioners killed a second time after it rose from the grave the first time. Now it appears to be coming back again, like the Ghost of Christmas Future, seeking thirds at the county’s budgetary trough.

The passing of two friends

This week marks the passing of two members of our extended “family” — devoted farmer and family man Jerry Plett, husband of longtime feature writer Rowena Plett, and energetic Marion Historical Museum director Teresa Mills, with whose assistance our weekly Memories in Focus column has been produced. Jerry finally lost a long battle with deteriorating health on his 84th birthday Monday. He was a regular in the newspaper office, nearly always joining Rowena for lunch and once a month offering a letter to the editor that often spoke with a powerful voice that belied his soft-spoken nature in conservation.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

CORRECTIONS:

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Couple to celebrate 60th anniversary

A card shower is requested for lifelong Marion residents Jerry and Faye (Bezdek) Makovec, who will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary May 7. They were married May 7, 1960, at St. Mark Catholic Church in Marion.

SERMON FOR THE WEEK:

SENIOR CENTER:

MEMORIES:

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