PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

HEADLINES

Liquor store owner eager to provide good service
Janie Hampton will be the “J” and her daughter Mallory Hall will be the “M” in the name of Peabody’s newest business, J & M Liquor. The women began investigating the potential of a liquor store several months ago when Rebekah Carter decided to close her store for health reasons Dec. 31.
Flood forces evacuation
Homes and campsites were evacuated and roads closed Monday because of flooding from heavy rain that fell overnight Sunday. Amounts varied, with reports generally ranging from 2½ to 4 inches. The largest rainfall was reported by a Weather Underground reporting station in Durham.
Fishing tourney reels in big catfish
After a five-year hiatus, 26 teams participated Saturday in Craig White Fishing Tournament for the Needy. “Participation had fallen below that when we were having it every June,” White’s sister-in-law, Myrna Wood said. “We had two-man teams this year from Florence, Valley Center, Kansas City, Wichita, and Texas, as well as from Peabody.”
Chickens scratched from fair, fouling kids' projects
Aubrey Craig of Florence had the champion standard bantam chicken last year at the county fair. She won’t this year. Neither will anyone else.
County road projects listed
With the amount of rain Marion County has been receiving this year, many of the roads have been needing repair. At a county commission meeting on Monday, road superintendent Randy Crawford proposed a possible plan for 2016 and 2017.
Seniors become card sharks on Tuesdays
Sadie Decker, Sally Matz, Bessie Michaelis, and Hazel Smith linger at Peabody Senior Center for a couple of hours after it closes each Tuesday afternoon to play pinochle. “We’d love to have more people using the center for activities like these gals do,” site manager Ruth Lott said.
Threat of rain fails to wash out classic car show
The weather was all bark and no bite. For the 30 participants in the Route 56 Classic Cruisers car show Saturday at Memorial Park in Hillsboro, the threat of rain was no excuse to deprive themselves of a good time. Event organizer Kim Abrahams of Hillsboro said attendance would have been greater had the forecast not been so ominous, but he was pleased nonetheless.

OTHER HEADLINES

Blue-green algae resumes at reservoir
The water level isn’t the only thing that’s high at Marion Reservoir. So, too, is the level of blue-green algae, enough so that Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued the first warning of the year Thursday.
Rains swamp wheat harvest
Alan Hett of Marion said Monday what is on the mind of every farmer who has wheat to harvest: “I wish it’d stop raining.” Torrential rain late Sunday into early Monday dashed hopes that combines would be moving into fields before the end of the week. Additional rain could push that back even further.
Concert to feature local musicians, beer garden
Local musicians and a beer garden will be among the attractions Saturday at Bluegrass at the Lake. The Marion County Lake concert will feature Tallgrass Express String Band from 6 to 8 p.m. and Serenity String Band from 8 to 10 p.m.
Nearly 1,000 fellow riders spend night in her hometown
It was hot and humid, and Denise Duerksen was riding her bicycle down a shimmering highway, headed toward her hometown. By the time Duerksen reached Goessel High School, her alma mater, she had ridden 54 miles that day, was a touch saddle sore, and was ready for a break.

DEATHS

Ron Balzer
Farmer and rancher Richard E. Balzer, 85, who moved from Hillsboro to Halstead in 1965, died Monday at Via Christi-St. Francis Hospital in Wichita. A committal service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Haven of Rest Cemetery, Hillsboro. A celebration of life will follow at 11:30 a.m. at First Mennonite Church, Halstead. Visitation will be 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Kaufman Funeral Home, 418 Chestnut St., Halstead.
Mary Overton
Mary J. Overton, 70, died June 10 at Pine Village, Moundridge. She was born May 23, 1945, at Grinnell to Fred and Mary (Meerian) Wolf. On Aug. 16, 1965, she married Alan E. Overton, who survives.
IN MEMORIAM:
Ron Funk, Neva Heidebrecht, 'Luke' Siebert

DOCKET

OPINION

Volunteers were ready for flood
In case you have not heard this yet, I would like to clue you in on one result of rising floodwaters in Peabody early Monday morning. During the night I heard rain and noticed dim flashes of lightning from time to time. Even with the foggy realization that rain was coming down, I was a bit surprised when someone from our office in Marion called Monday morning to tell me that reports had Peabody surrounded by water and travel next to impossible. They needed pictures and some kind of information about where the flooding had occurred and whether anyone was stranded. I was out the door in no time. It is a given that there are several places to check for floodwaters with every heavy rain. We can count on the track south of the football field being under water. Adjacent park property, the bridge, and the south end of Locust St. generally are also under water. Moving east a bit, S. Olive St. always floods, and Spring Creek overflows its banks, leaving families there in need of evacuation. The south end of Walnut and Maple Sts. and the stretch of Central Ave. between them also looks like a pond for hours before the floodwaters go down.
Publisher to collaborate with Dallas newspaper
Publisher Eric Meyer, who when not working here is a tenured journalism professor at the University of Illinois, has been selected by the Scripps-Howard Foundation to serve as a visiting professor of social media for the next two weeks at the Dallas Morning News. Meyer is among six journalism professors worldwide chosen to consult with leading news organizations as part of a competition conducted by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

PEOPLE

National Guard band to perform in Marion
The Kansas National Guard’s 35th Infantry Division Band will present a free “Home Front Concert” 7 p.m. June 23 at Marion High School Performing Arts Center. The band, with roughly 42 musicians, are traveling throughout Kansas to present concerts that include military marches, vocal music, patriotic tunes and big band selections along with popular rock.
Peabody Achievers take mini farm tour
Peabody Achievers 4-H Club met and toured local farms Sunday evening. At Noel and Deb McSweeney’s home to learn about Guernsey goats and dairy products they provide. At Gary and Marilyn Jones’s farm they learned about sheep. Joneses also have a peacock and llama, which younger members enjoyed.
County seniors board to meet
Senior Citizens of Marion County Inc. will meet 9:30 a.m. Friday at Marion Senior Center. The board will discuss mill levy requests for tax money.
Art entries due July 1
Entries of original artwork for More information is available from 5StarArtsFest@gmail.com.
Calendar of events
BURNS:
Burns seniors have June meeting
WONSEVU:
Rodeo trips and family dinners

SCHOOL

Area colleges honor roll

SENIOR LIVING

Kids get crafty with volunteerism
The three of them stood nervously in the hallway, not knowing what to expect. It was the first time participating in Bethesda Home’s junior volunteer summer program for Logan Sterk, 11; Kendall Hiebert, 14; and Delica Ewert, 13. It’s not that they were unfamiliar with the place; Delica’s great-grandmother lives there, Kendall had been there before, and Logan had just finished fifth grade, which has a program, Generation Bridge, that takes fifth graders to the nursing home to help out.
Coffee women boast gift of gab
A sisterhood of loquacious women has been meeting the first Tuesday of every month at various locations in Marion under the guise of coffee sipping, but their motive is clear. They just love to chat.

PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

Janie Hampton will be the “J” and her daughter Mallory Hall will be the “M” in the name of Peabody’s newest business, J & M Liquor. The women began investigating the potential of a liquor store several months ago when Rebekah Carter decided to close her store for health reasons Dec. 31.

Homes and campsites were evacuated and roads closed Monday because of flooding from heavy rain that fell overnight Sunday. Amounts varied, with reports generally ranging from 2½ to 4 inches. The largest rainfall was reported by a Weather Underground reporting station in Durham.

Aubrey Craig of Florence had the champion standard bantam chicken last year at the county fair. She won’t this year. Neither will anyone else.

With the amount of rain Marion County has been receiving this year, many of the roads have been needing repair. At a county commission meeting on Monday, road superintendent Randy Crawford proposed a possible plan for 2016 and 2017.

Sadie Decker, Sally Matz, Bessie Michaelis, and Hazel Smith linger at Peabody Senior Center for a couple of hours after it closes each Tuesday afternoon to play pinochle. “We’d love to have more people using the center for activities like these gals do,” site manager Ruth Lott said.

The water level isn’t the only thing that’s high at Marion Reservoir. So, too, is the level of blue-green algae, enough so that Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued the first warning of the year Thursday.

Local musicians and a beer garden will be among the attractions Saturday at Bluegrass at the Lake. The Marion County Lake concert will feature Tallgrass Express String Band from 6 to 8 p.m. and Serenity String Band from 8 to 10 p.m.

It was hot and humid, and Denise Duerksen was riding her bicycle down a shimmering highway, headed toward her hometown. By the time Duerksen reached Goessel High School, her alma mater, she had ridden 54 miles that day, was a touch saddle sore, and was ready for a break.

Mary J. Overton, 70, died June 10 at Pine Village, Moundridge. She was born May 23, 1945, at Grinnell to Fred and Mary (Meerian) Wolf. On Aug. 16, 1965, she married Alan E. Overton, who survives.

IN MEMORIAM:

Peabody Achievers 4-H Club met and toured local farms Sunday evening. At Noel and Deb McSweeney’s home to learn about Guernsey goats and dairy products they provide. At Gary and Marilyn Jones’s farm they learned about sheep. Joneses also have a peacock and llama, which younger members enjoyed.

Senior Citizens of Marion County Inc. will meet 9:30 a.m. Friday at Marion Senior Center. The board will discuss mill levy requests for tax money.

Entries of original artwork for More information is available from 5StarArtsFest@gmail.com.

BURNS:

WONSEVU:

A sisterhood of loquacious women has been meeting the first Tuesday of every month at various locations in Marion under the guise of coffee sipping, but their motive is clear. They just love to chat.