County drops merger idea

Written by Jerry Engler Wednesday, 24 October 2007 09:59

Commission Chairman Randy Dallke said there was no further need even to discuss a county-wide hospital Monday at the Marion County Commission meeting after commissioners read a letter from the board of the Hillsboro Community Medical Center.

Physician Randal Claassen of Hillsboro had suggested last month that county government as the over-all governing authority take the lead in building a new hospital that would join together existing ones in Marion and Hillsboro in a central location.

Claassen expected hospital taxes in the eastern part of the county to decline as a result, while the western half would pay taxes previously not collected in a move that would raise total health care quality.

In agreeing that further Commission...

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Goessel mayor speaks against hospital merger

Written by Cynthia Goerzen Wednesday, 24 October 2007 09:54

Mayor Peggy Jay expressed her concern at the Oct. 15 meeting of the Goessel City Council about talk that the county may be considering establishing a county hospital and funding the project with a property-tax assessment.

“There is no good county road to get from Goessel to a county hospital,” Jay said.

She said the townships of the Goessel community—West Branch, Menno and East Branch —already rank among the top tax-paying townships in the county.

“For the amount of tax dollars this area of the county generates, what do we get for it? Look at our roads,” she said.

Court Clerk Paula Flaming said the county may raise taxes by 10 mills to pay for the suggested county hospital. But she said, “Why would we drive 40 minutes...

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Memory Walk raises $5,000 to fight Alzheimer's disease

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Wednesday, 24 October 2007 07:36

MemoryWalk.jpg

Bringing the conversation back to ethanol

Written by Jerry Engler Wednesday, 17 October 2007 11:39

MiloCombinePC202300.jpg Prices for fall harvest crops such as milo are driven by wheat prices rather tha a demand for ehthanol, according to Rickey Roberts, Marion County agricultural extension agent.


With good prices and a good ongoing fall milo harvest, it’s tempting to talk again about how ethanol production for fuel has propped up grain sorghum prices.

As with most things, though, the market picture is more complex than that. Market experts are say the current surplus of ethanol is difficult to get to markets.

Another factor noted by Rickey Roberts, Marion County agricultural extension agent, is that with wheat prices at a high end, there’s a market concept going on where wheat “buys” acres from other crops, therefore...

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