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Grazing in Kansas

Community Voices

Eating is a central part of the human experience much in the same way that swimming is a central part of being a fish. My wife and I recently visited relatives in the Kansas City area, so we decided to swim in the waters of the region’s food scene. But first we had to take care of some important business by which I mean “go shopping.” Some mysterious law of physics forces our car to steer itself into the parking lot of any shopping center that we might happen to drive past. And since we’re in the parking lot, says my wife, we may as well go inside and see what the store has to ...

Who we are now

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: Charlie Kirk was just one of many pundits (on both the right and left, but mainly on the right) who have discovered a great way to make a living by saying outrageous things to stoke fear and rage against “them.” Tyler Robinson is just one of several assassins (on both the right and left, but mainly on the right) who drank deep from the trough of social media outrage, taking what the algorithm fed them to its murderous conclusion against “them.” Follow the money. More than most political operatives, Kirk was energetic and charismatic enough to impress the ...

Ask a Trooper

Local Columns

Question: I read your last article about school buses and flashing lights. Can you do a reminder on passing a school bus? Answer: It is illegal to pass a school bus when its red lights are flashing and its stop arm is extended. If you are driving on a divided roadway, you do not need to stop for a school bus with red lights flashing if it is on the opposite side of the divider. A law enforcement officer with probable cause to believe you have violated this law may arrest you within four hours of the violation. When your vehicle is used to violate the school bus stop arm law, you are ...

Rural townships remain vibrant in the 21st century

Community Voices

Townships in the region have changed a great deal in the past 50 years, but they’re still important places with a good quality of life. Their vitality is clear in at least several ways. They’re valuable for housing, local government, and in some cases churches and stores. Over the years there have been rumblings about eliminating township boards or taking steps that minimize their role. That should never happen. Some indications suggest that townships could become more important rather than less. Population totals have fallen in most rural townships because of declines in the ...

On the Porch

Local Columns

According to the Marshall Municipal Utilities website, on July 3, 1894, a special election was called by the common council to vote on the sale of $25,000 in bonds for the purpose of establishing a water works and electric light utility. The resolution passed by a 190 to 117 vote. Marshall’s first power plant was constructed at a cost of $24,340. By early December of 1894, the waterworks was in operation and on Dec. 21, the first lights were turned on using electricity generated from a Ball steam engine with a belted dynamo. Thus, was borne a municipal electric and water utility which ...

The Vietnam War – Marland Burckhardt – College, marriage, Officer Basic Course, and Ranger training

Local Columns

We have been learning about Russell’s Marland Burckhardt, who graduated from Russell High School in 1959, enlisted in the Army, and served in Italy before returning to pursue his love and college. His return from Italy was an adventure. “(My friend) Montz, and I volunteered to return on a troopship. That was an experience! I became one of the sergeants of the Guard on the troopship and Montz volunteered to work in the galley.” Marland avoided seasickness by beginning each day with a box of saltines and a Coke from the ship’s canteen. Not everyone knew of or followed that ...