Community

OSAGE CITY — Osage City’s Smoke in the Spring State Barbecue Competition settles into its second 100-team event this year, sitting at 105 teams for the annual event, which begins Friday at Jones Park in Osage City.

“The hype that surrounds this contest is spreading,” said Corey Linton, organizer for the event. “Once March begins, it’s all people talk about in our area. The last couple years, is that the talk is spreading to Shawnee County, to Lyon County. We just have more and more people every year.”

MELVERN — The Melvern City Council heard the resignation of Kent Morrison, city marshal, following private discussion at the city’s April 3 meeting.

The council held back-to-back executive session, the first for 15 minutes to discuss attorney-client matters with Janet Walsh, city attorney, followed by 20 minutes for non-elected personnel with Walsh and Morrison present.

Following the second session, Morrison presented his resignation.

“Due to personal conflicts, I’m going to resign, right now,” Morrison said.

LYNDON — Bryce Romine, Osage County emergency management director, spoke about the recent mutual aid offered by county fire departments and himself during his report March 27 to the Osage County Board of Commissioners.

“I went in support of the Kansas All-Hazards Management team to Reno County very early on Sunday morning,” Romine said. “ Quite an experience working the issues between Reno County, the city of Hutchinson and the incident management team. It was quite a learning experience, both on the team side and government side.”

CARBONDALE — Mid-America Nutrition Program will be opening a third meal distribution center and dinning site April 5 in Carbonale. The senior dining site will be located at the Carbondale Community Center, 228 Main St., also known as the ELM Foundation Building.

Mid-America Nutrition Program Executive Director Martha Hagedorn-Krass said they picked April 5 as the opening day because it is Friendship Day.

BURLINGAME — Mark Hecht, owner of Trail Songs Music, plans on holding a grand opening 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. April 1 for his Stage 56 on Santa Fe Trail.

“At the Winfield Bluegrass Festival, all the stages are numbered,” said Hecht, “Stage 56 is a play off of that, I wanted to promote interest in traveling the Santa Fe Trail Highway 56.”

The event will hear bluegrass, folk and Americana artists. Seven bands will play, sponsored by Trail Songs Music and the Burlingame Chamber of Commerce. The event is timed to coincide with the Burlingame citywide garage sale day.