Marion council OKs beautification project

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 05 February 2013 14:49

Darin Neufeld (standing), with EBH & Associates, addresses the council during Monday’s meeting. The Marion City Council approved moving ahead on a $1 million beautification project at its Monday meeting, agreeing to commit 25 percent of the cost with the state contributing the other 75 percent.

City Administrator Doug Kjellin said, if the grant application is approved, the city’s cost would be $258,739, plus an additional $57,765 for design engineering costs, which the grant will not participate in, for a total of $316,504.

KDOT’s Transportation Enhancement contribution would be $776,217.

When the project was first discussed about three months ago at a council meeting, council members agreed to commit 20 percent with the state at 80 percent.

Percentage changes

However, Darin Neufeld, engineer with EBH & Associates...

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Knowing consumer is farmers’ challenge

Written by John Schlageck Tuesday, 29 January 2013 14:13

While food safety will always be the cornerstone of our food production process, allegiance is making inroads into why and where consumers buy their products.

Sure, the majority of today’s shoppers enjoys and often takes for granted the expanded menu in supermarkets. They look forward to shopping in a meat case filled with dozens of new cuts, pre-packaged, oven-ready, custom portioned, “natural” and pre-cooked products. They can’t wait to get their mitts on the marinades, dry rubs, cooking bags and other specialty items designed for time strapped, two-income families.

There’s also another growing group of consumers who are purchasing products based on trust and nostalgia. This notion of nostalgia harkens back to the good old...

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Sisters-in-law ‘repurpose’ their bond with new business in Peabody

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 29 January 2013 14:11

Linda Maudlin (left) and Sue Klassen say they get a lot of ideas for repurposing their collectibles by looking through magazines. The sisters-in-law opened their “Deja Vu” store in downtown Peabody the first of January. A pair of sisters-in-law have “repurposed” their long relationship into a business partnership with the opening of a new enterprise in downtown Peabody.

Sue Klassen of Hillsboro and Linda Maudlin of Hutchinson have opened “Deja Vu” at 113 N. Walnut as a place for people to find repurposed but affordable treasures they have created.

“We’re not looking for the high-end antique stuff,” Klassen said. “If it falls into our lap, we’re going to take it, but most of the time we’re trying to find stuff we can repurpose and still be able to afford to sell it to the common man.”

The two women have gotten to know each other well in the years since Klassen married Maudlin’s brother. Klassen has an artistic bent while...

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Fire district receives $5,000 grant from DuPont Pioneer

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 22 January 2013 14:37

 

Burns Fire Chief Barry Black accepts a grant check for $5,000 from Stewart Koehn, the local sales representative for DuPont Pioneer. The money will be used for bunker gear for the volunteer department that serves Burns as part of Butler County Fire District No. 10. “Every day the DePont Pioneer team is working hard to develop seeds to feed the world,” Koehn said. “However the most important part of producing quality seed is ensuring we are safe in the process. Pioneer is very proud to support local volunteers who are willing to be their brother’s keeper when duty calls.”

 

 

New facility will help local company expand services

Written by Jerry Engler Tuesday, 15 January 2013 14:20

The new 9,600-square foot building on the campus of Ag Service Inc. on Kanza Road two miles from Hillsboro will help the company expand its services to include bulk-seed sales and environmentally sound agronomic applications of pesticides and nutrients, according to owner Mike Kleiber. An extension into farm bulk-seed sales has led Ag Service Inc., located on Kanza Road southeast of Hillsboro, to greatly expand its facilities with the addition of a new 60-foot by 160-foot building.

Mike Kleiber, owner and manager of ASI, said the building will help the company also expand its services in supplying and applying environmentally sound agronomic applications of pesticides and nutrients.

He will schedule a grand opening for the building soon.

Although most company trucking will continue to operate from Hillsboro, Kleiber said he expects business expansion also at the company’s branch operations center at Whitewater.

The company, established in 1975, is adding two employees to its average 40-person workforce, Kleiber...

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