Wind Farm brings potential for Marion County A multitude of words has been spoken and written of late concerning the Expedition wind farm. Many of the comments I’ve heard and seen are negative concerning wind energy in Marion County. I wish to go on record stating that I am in support of National Renewable Solutions and their efforts to build […]

“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson The more old friends change, the more they stay the same. Sorry, I couldn’t avoid using this tweaked cliche; it’s just the way it is. These people are the lifers. The ones who remember all the sordid details of […]

He is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia! The reason for our Easter celebration. We are close to completing half of the downtown improvement project. The south side of Main Street is almost complete with new sidewalks and crosswalks. The project is on schedule even with a couple of setbacks. Please help remind your friends, neighbors, customers, family and children […]

If you care about privacy on the internet you might be reading up on what the big boys like Google, Twitter and Facebook are doing to protect your information. They are known for search and for social media but that is not all they are known for. They think that selling information about you is okay. With me it is […]

I woke up today and was thinking about our good friend Dick Varenhorst of Marion who died much too young at the age of 70 in 2014 of cancer at his home in Marion. He worked for the Free Press and the Buyer’s Edge, retiring in 2009. His laugh was infectious and he wrote the column, “Thoughts of a Cluttered Mind,” […]

Words matter… Have we all been so dumbed down (sorry) with the title of “Wind Farm” that we are numb to the fact that smooth-talking, wind companies (Expedition Wind/Diamond Vista/Tradewind) are actually proposing to build “Industrial wind turbines” in our communities? This will affect each of us in Marion County, Kansas, from “up north” by Tampa; to southeast near Peabody […]

Little did I know when I received my first woodburning kit as a child just how much of a part wood would play in my later life. I was no stranger to woodworking; my dad made golf clubs out of hedge wood, and my maternal grandfather was a master of the lathe. Even my uncle let me run his wood […]

I always dreaded the practices when my high school track coach would send the team out on a town run designed to meander around the streets of Lindsborg. If I remember correctly, it was supposed to be a “recovery run” after a meet. But for me, a sprinter, there was nothing “recovery” about it. Those lengthy runs were enjoyable for […]

The first (of what we hope to be an annual event) Prairie Smokin’ Festival will be held in Hillsboro at the Marion County Fairgrounds and Hillsboro Museum Complex. In addition to some great food from the BBQ Contest, there will be music by Sam Unruh from 6-8 p.m., Museum Tours, Antique Cars, Antique Tractors, Kids Activities, Rope Making, Ninja Warrior […]

If you have kids or grandkids ages up to twelve years old you must go to the Gathering Place just southwest of downtown Tulsa along the Arkansas River. It is a world class park in our view. It is a new park for the people and it is free to the public. I heard it is about 70 acres containing trails, […]