GOP candidates on stage at Marion

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 22 July 2008 14:50

GOP3candidatesP7168657.jpg Bob Brookens (left) and Roger Hannaford listen to fellow candidate Bill Spangler describe his aspirations for the 70th District.


About 200 people took advantage of the opportunity last week to hear from Republican candidates seeking their party’s nomination in contested races for county and state offices.

The Wednesday evening forum, called in preparation for the Aug. 5 primary election, was sponsored by the Marion County Republican Party Central Committee and Hoch Publishing at the USD 408 Performing Arts Center. Sheriff Lee Becker waits his turn as Rob Craft outlines his view.


Each of the GOP candidates running for state representative for the 70th District, Marion County sheriff...

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Ratzlaff settling in as county advocate for senior services

Written by Jerry Engler Tuesday, 22 July 2008 14:46

GaylaRatzlaff96.jpg Gayla Ratzlaff says the door to her office is always open to anyone who need the services of the Department for Elderly. Her office is located in the Marion Senior Center.


Gayla Ratzlaff feels every step through life has helped prepare her for her role as the newly appointed coordinator for Marion County’s Department for Elderly.

Ratzlaff will be the first to tell you the job is a good fit for her.

“I’ve always enjoyed older people,” she said. “I spent time with my father’s parents out on their farm in Dickinson County. I enjoyed hearing their stories. It was cool to hear them, even when sometimes it was for the second time.”

But Ratzlaff, 51, also relates to people who are a little closer to her own...

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Hillsboro Budget hearing set for Aug. 5

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 22 July 2008 14:28

The Hillsboro City Council, at its July 15 meeting, set 4 p.m. Aug. 5 as the time and date for a public hearing on the 2009 city budget.

To meet publication obligations in time to hold the hearing on that date, the council passed a budget that included a mill-levy increase for 2009 of just under 10 mills, from 40.984 to 50.025.

But City Administrator Larry Paine assured the council that he would be doing additional work in the meantime to reduce the mill levy for 2009 to a similar level as in 2008.

“I know it will not be 50,” Paine said. “We can always come down (from the mill levy published in the newspaper)—and we will.”

In other matters, the council:

n heard from J. Robert Brookens, Marion, who introduced himself as a...

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U.S. MBs meeting in Hillsboro this week

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 22 July 2008 14:26

The national convention of the U.S. Conference of Menno­nite Brethren Churches will be in Hillsboro this Friday and Saturday, July 25-26.

The evening sessions are open to the public. The session on Friday will be at 7 p.m. in the Tabor College Chapel; the Saturday session will be at 7 p.m. in the Hillsboro MB Church.

A convention parade on Friday afternoon will be historic in nature and include refreshments. The parade begins at 1 p.m. at the Hyatt Hotel in Wichita, progresses through Walton, stopping at the historic marker at the east edge, on to Peabody at about 2:30 p.m. to the park at the south end of Walnut Street and the train station historical monument to Menno­nites.

From Peabody, the parade continues north on Nighthawk...

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