PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

HEADLINES

Baker Furniture leaving after 112 years
Signs in day-glow orange and green and posters staked into the ground along the highway tell the tale. Baker Furniture is leaving Peabody after 112 years as a downtown anchor.
Peabody firefighters receive state grant
Fire Chief Brett O’Dell has been notified of state approval of a $4,985 grant to Marion County Fourth Fire District. The department will use the grant to help purchase a slide-in pump unit to battle grass fires, O’Dell said.
Florence hits the right notes
It wasn’t the crowd they had hoped for, but organizers consider the Prelude to the Symphony this weekend at Florence a success. Nearly 7,500 people attended the Symphony in the Flint Hills Saturday evening on a farm northeast of Florence.
Storms flood roads, demolish buildings
A line of strong thunderstorms pelted Marion County with wind, heavy rain, and hail Monday night and Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service reported quarter to half-dollar size hail near Florence, tree and barn damage three miles southeast of Goessel, and winds measured at 60 mph five miles west of Marion.
Vet hospital in line to get $354,400 loan from USDA
It’s not official yet but all indications are Brendon Kraus, owner of Spur Ridge Veterinary Hospital, received a $354,400 loan for construction and equipment of a new facility in Marion. The low-interest loan will be provided the Rural Economic Loan Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and awarded to Butler Rural Electric Cooperative in El Dorado. RECA then will serve as a pass-through agent, lending the funds to Kraus.
Atrazine less a peril, expert says
Atrazine, which the cities of Marion and Hillsboro are suing over, is of relatively little concern to local water quality, a K-State professor says. Philip Barnes will speak Thursday night in Marion. He says the cities have some of the best source water in the region.

DEATHS

Lois Bailey
A graveside service for Lois J. Bailey, 75, will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Hillcrest Cemetery, Florence. The Rev. Peter Banning will officiate. Visitation will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday at Zeiner Funeral Home, Florence.
Wallace Seibel
Wallace C. “Vic” Seibel was born Dec. 2, 1921, in rural Marion County. He left this life of June 15 at the age of 87. He was preceded in death by his parents, David and Bertha Seibel, and brothers, LeRoy and Vernon. He is survived by Betty, his wife of 66 years; five children, Judy Eskridge, Patricia Hall and husband Gary, David Seibel and wife Debra, Richard Seibel and wife Sharla, and Deb Brewer and husband Bruce; 14 grandchildren; and 26 great-grandchildren. His 27th great-grandchild is expected in July.
Marsha Reimer
Marsha D. Reimer, 64, died June 10, 2009, at South Wind Hospice, Pratt. Born Sept. 14, 1944, in Newton, to Marvin and Evelyn Mellott, she graduated in 1962 from Peabody High School and in 1965 from a radiology program at Axtell Hospital, Newton.

DOCKET

GOVERNMENT

Appraisal policies questioned
Appraiser Cindy Magill was reappointed to another four-year term Monday but it was not unanimous. Commissioner Randy Dallke, who represents Marion County’s third district, voted against reappointing her because he has concerns about appraisal of homes in the southern portion of the county.
Concerns raised about jail tax
Commissioners Dan Holub and Randy Dallke have concerns about financing for a new law enforcement center. Holub, Dallke and commissioner Bob Hein met with Marion County Public Safety and Law Enforcement Center Committee last week to discuss the committee’s plans.

OPINION

Where were you?
Marion County and Florence can be proud after hosting Prelude to the Symphony this weekend. Downtown was clean and orderly. Volunteers were cheerful and eager to greet visitors as they arrived. Vendors with interesting items lined the street, eager to show their wares and demonstrations on wool spinning and being a mountain man. Historian Kevin Hiebert entertained the crowd, as did musicians and gunslingers.
Everyone should pay and know
When discussing ways to fund a new jail, the county jail committee discussed a tax just for homeowners because it believed it was unfair to tax business owner twice — at home and at the store. The problem is, many businesses are owned by people living outside the county. We commend Commissioners Dan Holub and Randy Dallke for responding to public comments and proposing fair taxation for everyone — including out-of-town business owners. It’s a good example of what happens when people talk about public issues.

PEOPLE

The Ol’ Coot: He keeps going and going . . .
It’s not unusual for Dick Pracht of Marion to pick up the phone and hear, “Are you the ol’ coot?” “Yes, I am,” he replies without hesitation.
Days of Yore
Vernon Lowden is ignoring the mosquitoes and has begun fishing at night on the Red River. So far, he has caught three 30-pound channel cats in one night. His goal is to catch four in an evening. Helen Storbeck was honored at the National Quilting Association meeting June 24 through 27 in Omaha, for her years of service to the organization.
CORRESPONDENTS:
Ammeter, Milton, Wonsevu

SPORTS

Fishing tourney lands big ones
Fantastic weather Saturday helped the eighth annual Craig White Fishing Tournament to be the best ever, tournament organizers said. “We had 30 teams this year and they really hauled in the fish,” Todd Henderson said. He is a member of the Sons of the American Legion and White’s brother.
Peabody Super Swimmers cleanup at Herington meet
Peabody Super Swimmers won their first meet June 13 at Herington with 600 points. Abilene was second with 400 and Herington took third with 200. Peabody results were: Girls 8 and younger: Tori Pickens — 2nd backstroke, 2nd freestyle. Sydney Hodges— 3rd fly, 5th backstroke, 5th breaststroke. Adrianna Newman — 4th fly, 4th breaststroke, 6th freestyle. Emma Schroeder — 5th fly, 6th breaststroke. Lexi Schreiber — 5th backstroke. Medley relay — 1st Hodges, Schroeder, Newman, Pickens. Free relay — 2nd Hodges, Schreider, Newman, Pickens, second. Boys 8 and younger: Zach Stephy — 3rd fly, 3rd backstroke, 3rd freestyle. Koby Schroeder — 5th fly, 5th breaststroke, 6th freestyle. Anderson — 4th breaststroke, 4th freestyle. Medley relay — 1st Schroeder, Stephy, Anderson. Free relay — 1st Stephy, Schroeder, Anderson. Girls 9 to 10: Mallory Harris — 5th individual medley, 6th fly. Anna Lubbers — 2nd breaststroke, 5th fly, 6th individual medley. Raegen Schreiber — 3rd breaststroke, 3rd distance, 4th backstroke. Sam Frye — 5th backstroke. Medley relay — 3rd Schreiber, Lubbers, Harris. Free relay — 3rd Lubbers, Harris, Frye, Schreiber. Boys 9 to 10: Derik Newman — 3rd backstroke, 3rd distance, 4th freestyle, 6th fly. Bryant Young — 4th distance, 6th breaststroke. Girls 11 to 12: Katy Benson — 1st fly, 2nd individual medley, 3rd breaststroke, third freestyle. Carlee Wentworth — 2nd distance, 3rd fly, 4th freestyle. Alex Lewis — 1st backstroke, 2nd fly, 4th distance. Mackenzie Young — 2nd backstroke, 2nd breaststroke, 4th freestyle. Lexie Anderson — 3rd backstroke. Alanis Bishop — 1st breaststroke, 2nd freestyle, 2nd individual medley. April Newfield — 6th distance. Medley relay A — 1st Young, Bishop, Lewis, Benson. Medley relay B — 2nd Wentworth, Anderson, Newfield. Free relay A — 1st Lewis, Wentworth, Benson. Free relay B — 2nd Young, Newfield, Anderson. Boys 11 to 12: Brooks Hodges — 1st fly, 1st distance, 2nd freestyle, 3rd backstroke. Braxton Kyle — 1st breaststroke, 2nd individual medley, 3rd fly, 3rd freestyle. Nicholas Preheim — 2nd backstroke, 3rd individual medley, 4th fly, 4th freestyle. Henry Cain — 2nd distance, 5th backstroke, 5th breaststroke. Medley relay — 1st Preheim, Kyle, Brooks, Hodges. Free relay — 1st Hodges, Kyle, Preheim. Girls 13 to 14: Paige Lewis — 1st fly, 1st breaststroke, 1st freestyle, 1st distance. Kortney Foth — 2nd breaststroke, 3rd fly, 3rd distance, 5th freestyle. Leslie Cain — 1st backstroke, 2nd freestyle, 2nd distance, 4th fly. Lily Harris — 3rd individual medley, 4th backstroke, 4th breaststroke. Medley relay — 1st Lewis, Harris, Foth. Free relay — 1st Foth, Harris, Cain, Lewis. Boys 13 to 14: Zach Preheim — 1st fly, 1st backstroke, 1st freestyle, 1st distance. Garret Schroeder — 1st individual medley, 2nd breaststroke, 4th fly. Medley relay — 1st Preheim, Seth Topham, Schroeder. Girls 15 to 18: Embry Hodges — 1st fly, 1st backstroke, 1st freestyle, 1st distance. Julie Wedel — 2nd fly, 2nd breaststroke, 2nd freestyle, 2nd individual medley. Kaitlyn Preheim — 2nd distance, 3rd fly, 4th backstroke. Mikayala Winter — 2nd backstroke, 3rd breaststroke, 3rd individual medley, 4th freestyle. Michaela Methvin — 1st breaststroke, 1st individual medley, 6th freestyle. Medley relay A — 1st Hodges, Methvin, Preheim. Medley relay B — 2nd Winter, Wedel, Cain. Free relay — 1st Wedel, Winter, Preheim, Hodges. Boys 15 to 18: Brody Kyle — 1st backstroke, 1st individual medley, 2nd fly, 2nd freestyle. Storm Pickens — 1st fly, 1st freestyle, 2nd backstroke, 2nd individual medley. Trevor Foth — 1st distance, 3rd fly, 3rd free. Jordan Riggs — 2nd distance, 4th backstroke, 4th breaststroke, 5th freestyle. Seth Methvin — 1st breaststroke, 3rd individual medley. Medley relay — 1st Kyle, Methvin, Foth. Free relay A — 1st Pickens, Methvin, Foth, Kyle. Free relay B — 2nd Riggs, Jason Wingert, G. Schroeder, Preheim.

Signs in day-glow orange and green and posters staked into the ground along the highway tell the tale. Baker Furniture is leaving Peabody after 112 years as a downtown anchor.

Fire Chief Brett O’Dell has been notified of state approval of a $4,985 grant to Marion County Fourth Fire District. The department will use the grant to help purchase a slide-in pump unit to battle grass fires, O’Dell said.

It wasn’t the crowd they had hoped for, but organizers consider the Prelude to the Symphony this weekend at Florence a success. Nearly 7,500 people attended the Symphony in the Flint Hills Saturday evening on a farm northeast of Florence.

Atrazine, which the cities of Marion and Hillsboro are suing over, is of relatively little concern to local water quality, a K-State professor says. Philip Barnes will speak Thursday night in Marion. He says the cities have some of the best source water in the region.

A graveside service for Lois J. Bailey, 75, will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Hillcrest Cemetery, Florence. The Rev. Peter Banning will officiate. Visitation will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday at Zeiner Funeral Home, Florence.

Marsha D. Reimer, 64, died June 10, 2009, at South Wind Hospice, Pratt. Born Sept. 14, 1944, in Newton, to Marvin and Evelyn Mellott, she graduated in 1962 from Peabody High School and in 1965 from a radiology program at Axtell Hospital, Newton.

Appraiser Cindy Magill was reappointed to another four-year term Monday but it was not unanimous. Commissioner Randy Dallke, who represents Marion County’s third district, voted against reappointing her because he has concerns about appraisal of homes in the southern portion of the county.

Commissioners Dan Holub and Randy Dallke have concerns about financing for a new law enforcement center. Holub, Dallke and commissioner Bob Hein met with Marion County Public Safety and Law Enforcement Center Committee last week to discuss the committee’s plans.

It’s not unusual for Dick Pracht of Marion to pick up the phone and hear, “Are you the ol’ coot?” “Yes, I am,” he replies without hesitation.

CORRESPONDENTS:

Fantastic weather Saturday helped the eighth annual Craig White Fishing Tournament to be the best ever, tournament organizers said. “We had 30 teams this year and they really hauled in the fish,” Todd Henderson said. He is a member of the Sons of the American Legion and White’s brother.