Hillsboro Free Press

Hillsboro high school students attended Tuesday’s city council meeting where they heard about plans for faster and more reliable internet. On Tuesday, Feb. 4 the Hillsboro City Council meeting was full of exciting news about the council moving forward in an agreement with Tri County Wireless (TCW) to provide Hillsboro residents and businesses with up to 1-gigabit speed. They will develop a fiber network to serve Hillsboro customers. This is big news for the town that currently struggles with reliable internet service. (Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)

Larry Paine, Hillsboro City Administrator had big news to share at the city council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21. “I wanted to announce my plans to retire at the end of June 2020,” said Paine during his Administrator’s report. “I would like to express my appreciation to Delores Dalke and the city council who offered the position to me 12 years ago. I received great support with the work they wanted me to attend to,” said Paine. He also thanked Mayor Lou Thurston and the current council for all of their support, particularly with his medical needs early in their term [...]

After a longer than usual meeting, several actions were unanimously approved at the Hillsboro school board meeting on Jan. 13, including the acceptance of an $85,000 donation from the Enel Green Power Diamond Vista Wind Project. The gift will be placed in the gifts and grants fund line to allow more flexibility in using the funds said superintendent Max Heinrichs. A representative from Prairie View mental health discussed options and ideas on providing social workers in the school. “This would allow us to make sure our students have someone to go to if needed,” said Heinrichs. “This is going to be [...]

The Hillsboro City Council again met with a packed room thanks to the special purpose vehicle ordinance being on the agenda for the Jan. 7 meeting. Hillsboro Police Chief Dan Kinning spoke about his concerns with the council allowing golf carts to not have safety lights. “I firmly believe there should be minimal light requirements during the day, such as brake lights and turn signals. As one of those responsible for the overall safety of the community, I believe this could be a serious safety issue. Allowing these vehicles to be operated, even during daylight hours, without basic safety equipment would [...]

The Marion County Commission meeting opened on Nov 18 with the results of the general election canvass from the Nov 5 election, which was finalized on Friday, Nov. 15. The outcomes generally remained the same although some of the counts changes due to absentee ballots being received through the mail. Newly voted in District 4 and 5 Commissioners, Dave Crofoot and Jonah Gehring were sworn in and a reception was held to welcome them prior to the regular meeting. Brice Goebel, Road and Bridge County Engineer, gave an update on the road funds. He informed the commission that they did not [...]

The Goessel school board met on November 11 and heard from superintendent/elementary school principal Dr. John Fast that elementary school teachers had 100 percent contact with parents for parent-teacher meetings on October 24. Only four were contacted by phone instead of in-person meetings. Therefore, all students were represented. “That kind of parent involvement is important,” Fast said. Junior high/high school principal Scott Boden told the board that 98 percent of the junior high and high school students were represented by parents at the parent-teacher meetings, which are now “student-led.” Board member Ben Schrag asked if parent participation has increased now that [...]

In addition to the opportunity to ride on Marion Fire Department trucks on Saturday, community members got the chance to sample a variety or food made by the firefighters or their loved ones. “We have all kinds of food. Deer chili, spicy chili, regular chili, chicken noodle soup, ham and potato soup, brownies, cinnamon rolls and more,” said Fire Chief Preston Williams. Donations for the meal will go to purchasing gear for the firefighters. (Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)

If you want to see excitement, ask Max Heinrichs what is going on in USD 410. His face will light up and he will talk for awhile about the “exciting things” going on. “We have some good stuff going on,” said Heinrichs, as he shared on Thursday regarding the Gemini redesign that the district has been working on for a few semesters now. The district has offered a wide variety of student activities that are presently meeting the needs of students and the community. Participation rates in middle school and high school activities continue to be high. A “People First” mentality [...]

In an effort to be supportive of teachers in USD 398, Peabody Community Foundation (PCF) is currently running a grant cycle for needs and/or opportunities that are outside of the school district’s annual budget. Student groups working in collaboration with a teacher may also apply. Up to ten $250 projects will be funded. Applications will be accepted until Oct. 17 and may be found online at centralkansascf.org under the “apply” tab. Grants will be awarded at the fourth annual #GivingTuesday/Winterfest event from 5-8 p.m. on Dec. 3 at Peabody-Burns High School. The evening is jointly sponsored by Peabody Community Foundation (PCF) [...]

Delinquent taxes, a lease-purchase idea to pay for transfer station renovations, and buying furniture were the focus of the Sept. 23 commission meeting. In an effort not to deplete the county’s cash reserves in renovating the transfer station, Commissioner Randy Dallke said he wants clarification on the sales tax from the state legislature. Commissioner Dianne Novak said her mission between now and the next time the county reviews its annual budget, is to know how to read and comprehend what it all means. “It’s a complex budget,” she said. “But regarding the transfer station, there is about $500,000 in his capital [...]