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    AssistantBandConductor

    Hillsboro High School pep band director Bruce Major receives some assistance from a pint-sized guest conductor during Saturday night’s basketball finale at the annual Trojan Classic. The diminutive director is Lily Major, who happens to be Major’s daughter. The pep

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County seeks public help to stop road-sign vandalism

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 24 January 2012 14:06

CountyRoadSigns4252 Road signs like this one have been vandalized or stolen across Marion County. Road and bridge director Randy Crawford is asking residents to report incidents when they see them.

The routine theft and destruction of county road signs is “getting ridiculous,” Randy Crawford, director of the Marion County Road and Bridge department, told commissioners at their Jan. 17 meeting.

“(Vandals) are shooting or tearing these signs up left and right,” he said.

Crawford asked if there was something more the commission could do to help his department reduce the vandalism.

Commissioner Dan Holub said damage to county road signs is covered by state statute; any fines rest with judges.

“This is not something we can do under home rule,” Holub said.

Crawford said something more needs to be done about the problem, though.

“Every sign up north is shot up, unless it’s on a major highway,” Crawford said. “It is bad.”

Holub asked if he was primarily referring to directional signs.

“It’s all the signs,” Crawford said. “Just this morning, a curve sign was so damaged that you couldn’t even tell what it was.”

Criminal damage to the signs negates efforts by Crawford and his department to replace stolen or demolished signage on county roads.

“Everyone wants street signs and road signs, but the problem is as soon as we put one up, they are shot at,” he said.

Read more: County seeks public help to stop road-sign vandalism

 

Man escapes serious injury in tractor, semi-truck accident

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 24 January 2012 14:05

AccidentUS56Tractor199 Ron Bartel (right), owner of the tractor, and two emergency responders inspect the damage following Thursday’s accident. AccidentUS56SemiClose217 The force and angle of the collision along U.S. 56 Thursday detached the bale trailer from the tractor and spun it so hard that it penetrated the truck’s livestock carrier.

A Marion man driving a tractor/flatbed rig was injured Thursday when a semi-trailer truck attempting to pass on the right side hit the flatbed, sending it through the side of the semi-trailer and the tractor into a ditch, according to officials.

David Krause, 64, driver of the tractor, was airlifted to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, where he was treated and released within three hours after the crash, said Ron Bartel, Krause’s employer.

According to Marion County Sheriff Rob Craft, the semi driver, James B. Johnson, 31, of Sedalia, Mo., was not injured.

The crash happened about 11 a.m., Craft said, with both vehicles traveling east on U.S. High­way 56 near the Orchard Drive exit.

“The driver (of the semi) realized he was coming up on the tractor too fast and swerved to the right to go around him,” Craft said.

“The tractor (and flatbed) was partially on the shoulder when the trailer of the semi impacted the flatbed behind the tractor, resulting in the flatbed going through the semi-trailer.”

During the collision, the flatbed separated from the tractor and the tractor carrying Krause overturned, coming to rest in the south ditch.

The semi came to a stop on the south shoulder, Craft said, with the flatbed protruding from the side of the livestock trailer.

In addition to sheriff officers, other agencies at the scene included the Hillsboro police and fire departments, rescue personnel, Hillsboro Emergency Medical Services and Marion County EMS.

Read more: Man escapes serious injury in tractor, semi-truck accident

 

County lake director aiming for record marshmallow roast

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 24 January 2012 13:57

MarshmallowHudson Steve Hudson outlines his strategy for a record-breaking marshmallow roast at Marion County Lake on March 24. Some 1,000 volunteers will be needed, he told Marion Chamber members.

Marshmallow roasts are normally all about fun and games. But on March 24, it will be about setting a world record.

“We want to try making this a record attempt for the most people roasting marshmallows simultaneously at a single venue,” Steve Hudson, superintendent of Marion County Park and Lake, told 30 Marion Cham­ber of Commerce members at their regular Friday luncheon.

The idea, Hudson said, came up following the windstorm last June, which resulted in a lot of downed tree branches and debris.

“After the storm, we just stacked everything up into a burn pile,” he said. “I had people asking me when we were going to burn (the pile).”

That’s when he first considered having a large hot dog or marshmallow roast.

“I talked to Brian (Thiessen), my assistant at the lake, and asked him to see what we could do about getting into the Guin­ness Book (of World Records),” he said.

Thiessen went online to research Hudson’s request and discovered the new marshmallow roasting category.

Setting a world record in a new category, though, is going to require a lot of help and organization, Hudson said.

Read more: County lake director aiming for record marshmallow roast

   

Fire destroys vacant rural home

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 17 January 2012 14:22

FireKanza1 Smoke, ashes and rubble were about all that remained of a vacant farm home along Kanza Road following a fire over the noon hour Monday. Hillsboro Fire Chief Ben Steketee said the fire was likely caused by a live service line that was hit by a falling tree branch.

Hillsboro firefighters couldn’t save a vacant farm house about two miles south on Kanza Road Monday that was destroyed when a tree branch hit a live electrical service line leading to the structure.

Ben Steketee, Hillsboro fire chief, said his department got the call about 12:45 p.m., but by the time firefighters arrived, more than 70 percent of the house was already reduced to ashes.

“We didn’t put any water on the structure,” he said, “but we did want to control the area near a fuel and propane tank (by the house).”

Responding to the blaze, Steketee said, were 12 firefighters, Marion County Emergency Medical Service, Hillsboro EMS, the Marion County Sheriff’s office and Dan D’Albini with Emergency Management.

In addition, he said, the department brought its rural pumper truck, tanker and two brush trucks carrying more than 3,000 gallons of water if needed.

Read more: Fire destroys vacant rural home

 

Marion youth center opens as a ‘gift to the community’

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 17 January 2012 14:23

MarionYouthCenterEating Lucas King (far left with back turned), MHS construction teacher, serves chili dogs from behind the counter to (from left) Caroline Kelly, one of the 30 adults at the open house, and Marion High School students Griffin Case, Zach Robson and Mikael Antoszyk.

Marion City Administrator Doug Kjellin and other adults watched Thursday as more than 35 young people enjoyed pool, air hockey, Xbox Kinect and other games during the open-house celebration of the community’s new youth center.

“This is an opportunity for (those who made it possible) to say, ‘Here it is—a gift for the community,’ but I can’t do it by myself,” Kjellin said.

For the time being, the youth center will be open from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

“If this is something that has value, we need parents to step up to the plate and volunteer to work,” Kjellin said.

He said he was pleased with the number of young people attending the open house, but was concerned that none of the adults attending offered to volunteer for any upcoming weekends.

Despite all the technology available at the center, Kjellin said he cannot say enough about how much parents and adults saw the need to have this facility.

“Is the youth center something viable even with all the technology?” he said, “I think it still is, but we are going to need a commitment by the community.”

Many attending the open house said they envisioned the center being a place for young people to go before or after a sporting event.

“It could even be a fun place to have tailgate parties, victory celebrations or other events,” Kjellin said.

Read more: Marion youth center opens as a ‘gift to the community’

   

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