HMS students eat lunch as they watch a live-stream presentation on the book “A Long Walk to Water”. The presentation included the author and the main subject of the story. Hillsboro Middle School students are not only learning new concepts in the classroom, but they are learning that they can use these new concepts to help change the world. Tamara […]

The Goessel school board met on October 8 and heard plans for a substance abuse prevention “town hall” meeting that is scheduled for Saturday, November 3. The evening will begin with a meal in the junior high/high school cafeteria at 6:30pm. The meeting will follow in the auditorium. The community is welcome and encouraged to attend. Junior high/high school principal […]

by Patty Decker The Free Press In less than three weeks, Marion County voters will determine if the commission should be expanded from three members to five when they go to the polls on Nov. 6. Initially, Commission chairwoman Dianne Novak was circulating a petition, but early in September, Tina Spencer, county clerk, said a resolution could suffice if the […]

Hillsboro resident Kevin Bartel, 108 N. Cedar, spoke to the Hillsboro City Council Tuesday about a house in his area of town. “I was wanting to find out the status of what our neighborhood calls the Hein house on the corner of Cedar and Grand,” he said. “We are also wanting to know what we can expect to see in […]

The 'My Fair Lady" casts rehearses a dance scene in preparation for the show's debut at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18. When the curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, launching the first of four performances of the Tabor College production of “My Fair Lady,” it will mark not only opening night for the beloved musical, but also the […]

Former Marion County economic development director Teresa Lynn Huffman, 68, was arrested late in the morning on Monday, Oct. 8., and charged with allegedly embezzling about $47,000. The complaint was filed Oct. 4 in the Marion County District Court by Courtney D. Boehm, county attorney, alleging that on or about May 1, 2018, Huffman misused public funds not authorized by […]

Part of the Hillsboro Royal court. Front row: Katelyn Bowman and Ethan Rempel. Back row: Amy Kersten, Darian Ratzlaff, Trinity Malm, Josiah Driggers, Jenna Hinerman, Caleb Rempel and Cheyenne Bernhardt The 2018 Homecoming Candidates participated in some games during the pep rally. The seniors came out and did a song with motions. The cheerleaders led the games. The Class of […]

City officials from Marion, Peabody, Goessel and Burns attended Monday’s Marion County Commission meeting to talk about the connecting links fund related to roads and bridges. Roger Holter, Marion city administrator, posed a question to the commission about how the various governmental entities can team up and maintain 980 square miles of roadways and connecting links. “So I guess I […]

Hillsboro Elementary School has focused on two new social and emotional learning pilots for the school year. The first one is called Mindful Mornings. These are held before school on Monday and Wednesday mornings in the gym where the students sit according to their grades and classes. Activities start out with saying the Pledge of Allegiance and listening to announcements. […]

The Marion County Commission introduced Robert “Bob” Church as its interim EMS director during the Monday meeting, and following the resignation of Ed Debesis, who served about 18 months as the director. The commissioners also agreed to allow Church to expand the pool of part-time medical technicians from four to eight to ensure the schedule was covered 24 hours a […]