PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

Judge dismisses lawsuit to block wind farm plans

A district judge has dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit seeking to block development of a wind farm in Marion County. The lawsuit, originally filed May 16, was against wind farm developer Expedition Wind, the board of county commissioners, and the county clerk.

Councilman seeks to boost pool attendance

Councilman Lindsay Hutchison Monday proposed adding an option to Peabody’s water bill to sponsor children’s swim passes as a way to draw more swimmers to Peabody’s pool. “I have a hard time with seeing kids not being able to go in because they don’t have $1.50,” she said. “I really struggle with that. If we have a lot of people in town willing to support kids, then it’s $30 for a pool pass.”

Reservoir reopens cove to primitive camping

“I would stress that it’s primitive,” he said. “We even put that on our voice message because we had lots of people calling to ask.” Marion Cove is getting a steady trickle of boaters as it is still the only open boat ramp, but the interest in camping is limited to a few die-hards, McCoy said.

Recycled cooking oil has many uses

Cooking oil use is vital for area restaurants, but it is just as useful when it is repurposed. Restaurants don’t see leftover oil after it is picked up, but it can be cleaned, recycled, and used in pet food, biofuel, or a variety of other uses.

Cancer battles drive volunteers to help raise money for charity

Debbie Conner said watching her mother die from breast cancer that metastasized into liver cancer spurred her involvement with cancer charity Relay For Life. Her mother was a strong woman, but her battle with cancer steadily weakened her until she could no longer do things that were once everyday tasks.

Commissioners discuss various security measures

The county’s courthouse will get a security upgrade, but what it will look like is anyone’s guess. The district court requested security upgrades months ago, and commissioners decided to table the subject for further discussion.

New signs for county roads

All Marion County road signs will be replaced because many are missing or in poor condition. County engineer Brice Goebel said emergency medical services director Travis Parmley has asked for replacement signs because missing and rotated signs confuse many drivers.

Leading Florence parade with love

It was love of the area’s people that beckoned Harold and Shirley Grinstead to retire to Florence, and it’s that love that keeps them here. The couple will be grand marshals of the Florence Labor Day parade Sept. 2.

Weather may force change of location

Possible inclement weather may force Florence Labor Day Celebration Saturday events to move indoors to the Florence Gym at 7th and Dean Streets. Sunday evening’s vintage baseball game and fireworks will depend on the field’s condition. For information on change of locations and cancellations, call Melvin Honeyfield, (620) 382-6434 or Melanie Grimmett, (620) 381-1083.

Child screenings available Sept. 10

A free developmental screening for newborns through five-year-old children will be Sept. 10 at Peabody. Appointments are available from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

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Marion volleyball emphasizing unity

Marion setter Chloe Burkholder has already seen improvement in the second year of being coached by her mother, Kris Burkholder. “We mesh really well together,” Chloe said. “We’ve added different sets for sure.”

Warriors looking for better outcome 2019 season

Both Shaun Kraft and Marion High had a challenging year after coaching great Grant Thierolf’s departure. Last year’s team saw a 2-8 ending on a loss to a very beatable Pleasanton Bluejay team — a frustrating record for seniors who never had a losing season in four years.

Marion runners double members in seasonal pursuit

One year after sending Heidi Grimmett to the state meet, Marion cross-country is looking to make a greater impact in races this year. Alfwenna Meyer joins fellow senior Bethany Grimmett and sophomore Heidi, raising the team to three members.

Coping with adversity key to Trojan football

The Trojans and their new coach Demetrius Cox face this season still healing from a tragedy that shook the team and the community. Coach Cox’s son, Demarius, passed away while at Sky Ranch Horn Creek summer church camp in Colorado from what was thought to be a blood clot in his lung.

Future stays bright for Panzer's second season

First-year coach Trojan cross-country coach Kodi Panzer and her young team was already looking ahead to the 2019 season before 2018 even wrapped up the final weekend in October. Both Panzer and her team thought that with their returning runners Hillsboro was only going to get better.

Hillsboro spikers poised for better 2019 season

Has it really been 5 years since the Trojan volleyball team last made the state tournament? That used to be a date circled on Hillsboro’s calendar, and there was plenty of reason to.

Tennis looks to recapture state berth

Kyla Isaac no longer has the same partner from when she went to state, but she is looking to get back the magic that inspired her to succeed in 2017. “It’s a fun challenge trying to get back,” she said. “It’s also intimidating since I don’t have my partner anymore.”

Goessel football will rely on speed and precision

With 17 reporting for practice, and six returning letter winners, Goessel football is looking to finally breach the .500 mark. Leading the Bluebirds will be senior quarterback Dylan Lindeman, who has two years’ experience as a starter.

Centre football hopes for a healthy year

The 2018-19 season wasn’t an easy one for Centre football. However, despite numerous injuries, the team ended the season with a record of 7-3. All six of last year’s starters are returning, including Braxton Smith, who was sidelined with an ACL injury this past season.

Experience should benefit Centre volleyball

The Centre volleyball team is small, with 10 players, including two newcomers, but they’ve been practicing all summer to improve their skills. The team has played in tournaments at Hesston, Manhattan, and Hillsboro, often against bigger schools.

Peabody-Burns makes use of experience

Peabody-Burns running back Noal Reynolds understands the difference between 8-man and 11-man football, he has experience with both. “In 8-man there’s less field to cover, so you aren’t taking as much time trying to find the hole,” he said. “You know where you’re going.”

Goessel cross-country races for success as a team

Goessel cross-country has become a happy family. “We look out for each other,” senior Elyse Boden said. “No one is left behind.”

Confidence will determine Goessel volleyball success

Senior Elizabeth Alderfer says Goessel’s confidence as a team will determine how far they can go in 2019. “Confidence will make the difference this year,” she said.

Peabody-Burns volleyball sets sights on regionals

Peabody-Burns volleyball team has its hopes set on a run through regionals. “We have the potential,” outside hitter Lexi Schreiber said. “It’s about if we put our minds to it. This is going to be one of our better years.”

Centre girls' golfers aim for more medals

Centre girls’ golf lost one player to graduation and gained another this year, to keep the team at three. Samantha Engler and Cecilia Rziha are returning juniors, and Jorja Peterson is a freshman.

Laboring to make sense of a holiday

Despite great celebrations in Florence and Burdick and a traditional season-ending rush of tourism at local lakes, Labor Day has become yet another of our nation’s orphaned holidays — orphaned because its original purpose has been lost. Trade unions, which the holiday was intended to celebrate, no longer dominate our nation’s economy.

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Marion teacher a semi-finalist in excellence competition

The sparkle in Mark Meyer’s eyes as he walks around his Marion High School classroom shows the passion he has for what he teaches. The Tampa resident’s mission is to furnish his students with skills that will help them land good jobs.

Buckle up, you might get some extra bucks

Volunteers in 51 Kansas towns will hand out money to drivers with everyone buckled up as a part of a safety belt awareness campaign “Bucks for Buckles” now through Sept. 8. The effort sponsored by Safe Kids Kansas, State Farm, and KDOT, is meant to encourage families to buckle up over the Labor Day weekend.

Coed softball enrolling now

Enrollment for Marion recreation commission’s coed softball league is through Friday. The games will be at the baseball/softball complex on six consecutive Sundays starting Sept. 8. The tournament will be Oct. 13. Games will begin at 5 p.m., with two or three games a night.

CRP enrollees qualify for incentive payments

Marion County farmers with land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program are eligible to receive onetime incentive payments from Kansas for restoring impaired conservation practices on their land. This includes grassed waterways, shallow water areas for wildlife, filter strips, riparian buffers, wetland restorations, and improvements to farmable wetland and farmable wetland buffers.

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Peabody couple claims harassment

Scheduled to talk about a grass complaint and tires being dumped on one of their rental properties, Kenny Rogers and Joan Berg took 40 minutes at Monday’s city council meeting to expound on a litany of past conflicts with city officials to allege they’ve been harassed and ignored. Rogers’ immediate complaint stemmed from a $200 bill he received from the city for mowing grass at 501 N. Poplar St., a rental property he owns, that was deemed to be in violation of the city’s lawn height regulations.

Suspected shooter leaves Marion police

While an investigation into a June 20 officer-involved shooting in Lehigh is still weeks away from completion, the Marion officer believed to have fired the fatal shot has left the department. Local law enforcement officials and Kansas Bureau of Investigation have repeatedly refused to identify the officer who shot Robb Stewart, 50, who was reported by Sheriff Rob Craft to be drunk, armed with a pistol, and suicidal.

Council derides 'politics' of economic corporation

Peabody council members reacted strongly Monday to a perceived infusion of politics into the new county economic development corporation by withholding a $7,000 payment until the corporation board answers in person for bylaws changes. Bowing to demands from Hillsboro, Marion County Economic Development Corporation changed its bylaws Aug. 17 to allow government employees and elected officials to be appointed to its board.

Fire chiefs want county reserves for radio

Now that word is out of a possible $16 million cash in county coffers, the first group asking for a piece of the pie — county fire districts — popped up at Monday’s commission meeting. Lincolnville fire chief Les Kaiser joined two other chiefs to ask for a portion of the reserves to pay for new 800 MHz radios.

Sprinkler damage leads to right-of-way debate

The county will pay the bill for a property owner whose lawn irrigation system that encroached on county property was damaged by a road maintainer. Road and bridge supervisor Jesse Hamm presented a bill to commissioners for a $38 sprinkler head from Gerald Jost.

Burn resolution proposal gets public airing

A proposed burn resolution backed by county fire chiefs will be touched up before county commissioners take it up for a vote. Landowners voiced concerns at a Friday night meeting at Marion County Lake Hall.

Graffiti in Goessel, Hillsboro

Intermixed with vulgarity and the letters “KTP” were peace signs and flowers spray painted onto numerous buildings, schools, vehicles, and other property in Hillsboro, Goessel, and rural areas of the county last week. “Graffiti is always here to a point, but not to this level,” sheriff Robert Craft said.

Merry Maids mix-up leads to clean house

A Hillsboro resident in the 200 block of S. Washington St. who thought her home was being burglarized got something better than a broken-in house. She got a freshly-cleaned one. The resident called Hillsboro Police to report a burglary that was in progress, and when officers arrived, they did not find a suspect, but rather a home-cleaning service that was accidentally cleaning the wrong house.

Pump prices rise in wake of Hurricane Harvey

As a hurricane and tropical storm continues to dump near-record amounts of rain over the refinery-laden Texas coastline, its effects are already being felt at gas pumps in Marion County. Although the storm’s devastation might seem far away, gas prices at local pumps have risen six cents a gallon over the last four days.

Safehope takes one step closer

Help after domestic violence and sexual assault will soon be closer for county residents. A domestic violence agency based in Newton but long serving this county is leasing an office at 422 E. Main, Marion. Safehope provides advocacy services for victims immediately after police are summoned.

Kevin Gresham

A private family service will be held for greyhound trainer and breeder Kevin Joel Gresham, 62, Durham, who died Thursday at Hillsboro Community Hospital. He was born March 27, 1955, to Chester and Helen (Kennedy) Gresham in Emporia. He married Javonni Sparlin on May 31, 1974, at Maize. He owned and operated Gresham’s Greyhound Farm.

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Labor filled with love: A baker's edition

In the wee hours of the morning when most county residents are fast asleep, sisters Emma Lee and Catie Zurcher are baking away in FamLee Bakery in Marion. Zurcher arrives at midnight to begin the prep work and the baking continues as Lee’s alarm buzzes at 5 a.m. to arrive by 6 a.m.

Spencers named Labor Day grand marshals

Longtime Florence native Carolyn Spencer remembers watching the Florence Labor Day parade each year with family and friends, and she never once thought that maybe one day she, too, would be grand marshal. “No, no, no,” Spencer, 73, said. “I never expected it.”

Service to others a passion for Burdick grand marshals

After spending a lifetime in service to others, Burdick native Bill Peterson and his wife, Judy, of Herington have been selected as grand marshals for the Burdick Labor Day parade. Pastor Bill, as he was known by many, retired July 1 after serving Good Neighbor Parish for 10 years. The parish was formed in 2007 to include Hebron Lutheran Church at Burdick, where he was baptized and confirmed, and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Herington.

A delicate unveiling

A little over two months ago, Robb Stewart lost his life in an officer-involved shooting in Lehigh. Law enforcement officials haven’t officially identified the officer who fired the shot, and neither have we, even though we were confident from our sources that we knew who he was.

Chris-crossed

As the county’s economic development task force went about its work, eventually coming up with Marion County Community Economic Development Corporation, one of the more endearing aspects of the process was then-chairman Chris Hernandez’s unabashed idealism. The task force and corporation would be free from politics, he said, because everyone was represented at the table. Consensus would trump ages-old rivalries and self-interest. There would be no politics when people understood that development anywhere in the county benefited everyone in the county. Hernandez was a true believer.

A flock of chicks and chicklets

Now that I am back home in Kansas from my summer in California, I have to solicit “news reports” about the chicken experiment we started. I called my 10-year-old grandson Saturday morning. He answered the phone knowing it was me with caller ID. “Hi Baba,” he said, sounding all excited.

Foster families get new online resources

Current and prospective foster parents have new online resources available through the Kansas Department for Children and Families. New features include a calendar of foster care events such as trainings, support groups, and appreciation events. Other new features include foster parent and former youth-in-care blogs. The resources can be found at fosterkskids.org

Foster families get new online resources

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Lady Warriors come up short at home tourney

Peabody-Burns found the going tough in Saturday’s expanded home volleyball tournament, dropping all five matches it played in the marathon event. The Lady Warriors’ final consolation match against Harford was a microcosm of how most of the day played out, a mixture of disheartening dry spells and spirited runs that came up just short.

School has bats in the belfry

The new school year has brought new students to the Hill Building — 500 bats. Marion-Florence superintendent Aaron Homburg told the board of education Monday that the bats invaded the attic and bell tower over the summer.

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PHS class of '67 to have reunion Sunday

A come and go reception and a dinner will mark the 50-year reunion of Peabody High School class of 1967 on Sunday at Marion County Park and Lake Hall. “We had one for our 35th,” co-organizer Patti Gaines said. “We’ve kind of missed them since then. We’re going to make up for lost time. We have over 50 percent of the class coming.”

Driver safety course offered at Peabody Senior Center

Seniors can qualify for car insurance premium reductions by completing a two-day Smart Driver Safety Course from 1 to 5 p.m. Sept. 11-12 at Peabody Senior Center. Participants will receive workbooks and participate in discussions led by instructors Richard and Marilyn Riemer of Hillsboro. No driving will be involved.

Lifelong Learning sessions begin

Collecting, preserving, and interpreting museum treasures will be the first topic of Tabor College’s Lifelong Learning Sessions that begin Friday. Hillsboro museum director Steve Fast will lead the session at 9:45 a.m. Friday at Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church.

Pschigoda reception will be Friday

Longtime State Farm Insurance employee Kris Pschigoda will be honored with a retirement reception from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday at the State Farm office at 114 N. Main, Hillsboro.

Masons bring free cancer screenings to Art in the Park

Finding out early if someone has signs of cancer can make all the difference in beating the disease. Members of Centre Masonic Lodge #147 at Marion have arranged free cancer screenings Sept. 16 during Art in the Park.

Calendar of events

Other events: 5 p.m. — Hillsboro Arts and Crafts Association meeting, Hillsboro Chamber office.

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