New fund aims to reduce local PAT waiting list

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 21 May 2013 15:33

Ron and Danaye Dies of Lehigh enjoy the outdoors with their 3-year-old son, Wyatt. The Dies family became connected with Parents as Teachers soon after Wyatt’s birth. “It can only benefit you and your child and help them learn before they get to school. I think it’s a tool that every parent should use if they can,” Danaye says. Ron and Danaye Dies had barely brought infant son Wyatt from the hospital to their Lehigh home when a representative from Parents as Teachers was standing at their front door.

“They come out when you have a baby and give you a care package and talk with you about the PAT program,” Danaye said.

It didn’t take long to convince the new parents that PAT, the family support organization that is supported financially by the six school districts in Marion County, had something good to offer them—and at the perfect price.

“We decided, since it was a free program, as new parents it would be a really good idea to have somebody come in and help us out with teaching Wyatt and giving us some direction,” she said.

Some three years...

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Following a wintery spring comes the traditional thunderstorm season

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 21 May 2013 15:31

This was the view along U.S. Highway 56 looking west toward Hillsboro around 6 p.m. Sunday. At about that time the community of Lehigh was under a severe thunderstorm warning. Fortunately, outdoor commencement ceremonies for Tabor College and Hillsboro had

been completed in Joel H. Wiens Stadium. Marion County received significant rainfall across much of the county, but mostly escaped significant hail and tornado damage suffered elsewhere in the state.

 

 

 

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Rains challenging county road dept.

Written by Jerry Engler Tuesday, 21 May 2013 15:31

After two years of drought, this year’s frequent rains are causing gravel to be absorbed into the earth faster than the Road and Bridge Department can apply it, director Randy Crawford told the Marion County commissioners Monday.

Adding to the problem, Don Stenzel, whose farm is located on Old Mill Road in the northern part of the county, said increased traffic by oil drilling industry vehicles and equipment is rutting and deteriorating roads so quickly that he has to slow spring planting frequently to deal with machinery damaged on the roads.

Stenzel said in some areas, road surfaces and shoulders are nearly gone, leaving a surface of ditches.

Stenzel said that even the formerly good road surface past Strassburg Baptist Church on...

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Wheelchair travel forms bond between native and visitor

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 14 May 2013 13:25

Torey Hett of Marion shares a light moment with Ryan Chalmers during the Challenge Games in Derby. Chambers is traveling across the country in his racing wheelchair. In the upper left photo, Chalmers shows his traveling form as he rolls along the highway. When Ryan Chalmers, 24, arrived in Newton on Saturday, it marked the 35th day of his 71-day journey across America in his racing wheelchair.

Although Chalmers planned to continue through Marion County on Saturday, Torey Hett of Marion asked if he might consider staying until Sunday morning and take part in the Challenge Games at Derby.

Like Hett, Chalmers also was born with spina bifida, which is an incomplete closure of the spinal column, and means they do not have complete use of their legs.

With Chalmers averaging 60 to 70 miles a day since starting his journey April 6, one of the first questions Hett asked Chalmers was if he became sore traveling those distances.

“He told me the first week he was, but that now he is getting...

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