Postal-closing reprieve prompts mixed feelings

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 15 May 2012 13:26

Lehigh’s post office was one of six post in Marion County that had been targeted for closure before last week’s announcement. The self-imposed moratorium set to end Tuesday that could have seen the closure or consolidation of 134 U.S. Postal Service offices in Kansas ended when a plan to keep them open was put into motion last week.

According to information from Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Patrick R. Donahoe, a decision was reached to cancel plans to close almost 4,000 offices nationwide because of community and congressional pressure.

“This news is a win for communities across Kansas,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, who is also a member of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Govern­mental Affairs Committee.

“For the last year, we have been asking the postal service what Kansans need to do to save their post offices—and USPS...

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First oil rig rises near lake; driller says more to come

Written by Jerry Engler Tuesday, 15 May 2012 13:25

This oil rig was erected last week near the Strassburg Baptist Church along Pawnee Road north of Marion Reservoir’s Cottonwood Point. Leo Kremeier of Herington, owner of Kremeier Oil & Gas, is drilling the well on land owned by M.E. Meisinger. The new oil rig going up just north of Strassburg Baptist Church near Marion Reservoir seems to symbolize what’s coming to Marion County.

Leo Kremeier of Herington, owner of Kremeier Oil & Gas, is drilling the well on land owned by M.E. Meisinger for Ventex Operating Corp. of Dallas, Texas. He said the well is conventional rather than the new horizontal “fracking” variety that goes through rock at great depths to bring up oil.

But the horizontal drilling will begin here in about two months, he said, with even side lines from wells going under the reservoir if negotiations with the Corps of Engineers are successful.

He said the fracking would be so deep that it would have no effect on the reservoir.

Kremeier expects to be...

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Thieves steal copper, truck from city shop

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 08 May 2012 13:48

One or more thieves broke into the City of Hillsboro shop this weekend, loaded copper wire and specialized electrical equipment onto a 2003 city-owned pickup truck parked inside the shop and drove off.

Hillsboro Police Chief Dan Kinning said the incident appears to have taken place sometime Saturday night. It was discovered Sunday.

At press time Monday, neither the vehicle nor its contents had been recovered.

 

City staff worked Monday to determine what was taken, but a monetary value has not yet been established.

“We’re thinking they found enough wire that they needed a city truck to haul it away,” Kinning said.

Copper theft has been a growing crime across the state, he added.

“The laws in Kansas have changed on that...

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City to provide electronic billing for customers

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 08 May 2012 13:48

Residential and commercial utility customers in Hillsboro soon will have the option of receiving their monthly city bill via e-mail.

City Administrator Larry Paine said staff are already testing the system with a small group. He plans to open the service for general use with delivery of the June bills.

“We’ve been slow to adopt new technology,” Paine said. “One of the things customers are looking for now is that they want to get their bill via e-mail, and they want to pay their bill on the Internet. So we’re trying to build that capacity.”

The ability to pay a city utility bill online via credit card is projected to begin later this summer. But to begin receiving their city bill via e-mail, customers will need to sign up...

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