County lake residents discuss issues with commissioner

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 12 March 2013 14:04

Holub A small group of Marion County residents attended a town meeting Saturday at the Marion County Lake hall to talk about concerns, offer suggestions or hear updates from Commissioner Dan Holub.

Several people asked questions regarding the county lake and what the county could do to help with signage, potential dangers at the shoreline and speeders.

One person asked about street signs and why the county can’t help with maintaining them for economic development with respect to tourism.

Lake Superintendent Steve Hudson said Ed Riffel has been volunteering his time to remove the street signs around the lake area and repaint them.

Riffel has also painted the sign posts, he said.

“We have dangerous logs out on the shoreline that are...

Read more: County lake residents discuss issues with commissioner

St. Luke Living Center listed among top nursing homes

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 05 March 2013 14:25

St. Luke Living Center in Marion has been recognized as one of the top nursing homes according to a recent study by U.S. News & World Report.

For the study, U.S. News collected meaningful data and ratings about nearly every nursing facility in the United States, and built from them a searchable database designed to highlight the highest-rated homes likely to meet each user’s needs.

The data behind the Best Nursing Homes study comes from Nursing Home Compare, a website run by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medi­caid Services. CMS sets and enforces standards for nursing homes enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid, as most are.

The agency also collects information from states and individual homes and assigns each home a rating...

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Fire damages Big Scoop in Marion; owners plan to reopen

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 05 March 2013 14:24

 

Firefighters from Marion and Hillsboro responded to a blaze at one of Marion’s oldest restaurants, Big Scoop, 616 E. Main St., at 2:25 a.m. Monday, said Fire Chief Mike Regnier. Flames could be seen shooting out from the roof, he said, but by 4:45 a.m. the fire was extinguished. Crews were called to the scene after a passerby saw the fire and called 911. “There was damage, but structurally, the building is in tact,” Regnier said. “The main concentration of the fire was toward the back of the restaurant.” The fire marshal from Topeka evaluated the situation Monday afternoon, but Regnier said he won’t receive a written report until later this month. For now, the cause is undetermined and the investigation is...

Read more: Fire damages Big Scoop in Marion; owners plan to reopen

Florence offers free meals to support Harvey House

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 26 February 2013 12:12

The Harvey House Museum in Florence is hoping to spark new enthusiasm and interest in one of its most historic buildings by offering a free meal as a way to attract involvement from Marion County residents.

Phoebe Janzen, treasurer of the Florence Historical Society, said the museum needs younger involvement and the hope is the free four-course meal will help.

The first of three dinners was Saturday and for those attending the event, the meal was served in true Fred Harvey style fashion, she said.

“Fred Harvey style meant top notch service with the best food possible,” she said.

Janzen said Fred Harvey had everything down to a science.

“The cup code was something that enabled the “Harvey Girls” to get drinks to everyone...

Read more: Florence offers free meals to support Harvey House

Hillsboro council approves Carriage Hills plat

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 26 February 2013 12:11

The Hillsboro City Council approved at its Feb. 19 meeting the final plat for an addition to the Carriage Hills subdivision.

The Carriage Hills South Addition is designed with 26 lots, including three for duplexes.

The council unanimously approved the plat upon the recommendation of the city’s Planning Commission, which had approved the project with three minor code-related adjustments to the plans.

Local developer Darrell Driggers, co-owner of Container Services Inc. in Hillsboro and a resident of Carriage Hills, called the addition his “retirement project,” but said dirt work should begin this spring.

“It’s exciting to see something new coming in,” Mayor Delores Dalke said of the project.

Councilor Marlene Fast added...

Read more: Hillsboro council approves Carriage Hills plat