Stories from Wednesday, February 7, 2007

When voters step into the voting booths on April 3, they'll decide whether to vote yes or no on increasing sales tax one-half cent to fund a multi-million dollar aquatic center. Fort Scott City commissioners on Tuesday approved a request to place a question on the April 3 election ballot, asking voters whether they want the sales tax hike to fund the aquatic center projected to cost $6.5 million...

Although a selection has not yet been made, Fort Scott Community College officials are getting closer to naming a successor to retiring FSCC President Jim Miesner. The FSCC Board of Trustees has been meeting since last fall in an attempt to find the college's next chief administrator, who will replace current FSCC President Jim Miesner after his announcement in October that he plans to retire this summer. ...

USD 234 Business Manager Alan Drake had not yet begun his retirement before realizing he already missed his job. Drake, who has served as school district business manager for the past 27 years, recently informed Superintendent Rick Werling that he has changed his mind about retiring and would like to return for at least his 28th year with the district. The USD 234 Board of Education officially approved Drake's re-employment during Monday's regular meeting...

City Attorney Robert Farmer said the City of Fort Scott, before a grand jury recommended changes in its financial functions, had already implemented some of those recommendations. At Tuesday's city commission meeting, Farmer responded to the findings of the Bourbon County Grand Jury that issued 12 indictments against the city last week. Farmer read a prepared statement and made comments of his own...

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Ethridge Norman Karns, age 87, a resident of Mapleton, died Monday, February 5, 2007, at the Fort Scott Manor, He was born June 5, 1919, in Englevale, the son of Marion Karns and Ollie Jumet Karns. After High School he served in the United States Army. He married Betty Roach on March 26, 1950. He worked construction and especially enjoyed a life of farming. He loved his family and also enjoyed fishing, camping, and watching sports...

G.W. (George) Cook Jr., age 73, of Pittsburg, died at 11:40 p.m. Sunday, February 4, 2007 at his home. He was born February 22, 1933 at Memphis, Texas, to George W. and Fernetta Sylvia Baker Cook. As a boy, he moved with his family between ranches in West Texas where his father was worked as a foreman for many of the big ranches in the area. When he was 11, they moved to Chickasha, Okla. He attended and graduated from Middleburg High School in 1953. He later attended Pittsburg State University...

Dr. James Ford, age 62, a resident of Duncan, Oklahoma, peacefully ended his six-year fight with cancer surrounded by family and friends on February 6, 2007. James was born to Maxine (Riley) and Francis (Bud) Ford on May 23, 1944 and was raised on a farm near Bronaugh, Mo. ...

The congregation of the Uniontown Methodist Church enjoyed a fellowship dinner on Jan. 4. All brought covered dishes. Patti McClenahan, UMW President, was in charge of serving. She covered the tables with red cloth and white lace doilies. valentine gift bags were on each table. Rev. Joel Dunn voiced the table grace...

100 YEARS AGO (1907) Alva Clark, aged 13 years, son of W.C. Clark, a Katy track laborer who lives in the old stone shanty at No. 219 North Eddy Street, came near drowning at 7:30 this morning in the Marmaton River near the Katy bridge. A venturesome youth and thin ice tell the tale. ...

COLUMBUS -- Others may call it an upset but maybe Fort Scott High's girls are coming around and becoming the team they were expected to be at the start of the season. The Tigers knocked off Columbus, which came into the game with only one loss on the season and the No. 9 ranking in Class 4A, by a 37-29 score here Tuesday night, playing much as they did in the final third of last season after Kori Page Rienbolt and then-senior Krista Goltra each suffered knee injuries...

COLUMBUS -- It was as odd of a performance as perhaps one can witness. Fort Scott High's boys went from absolutely dominating Columbus during the first four-plus minutes of a Southeast Kansas League game here Tuesday night -- doing everything right on their way to a 15-0 lead -- to being dominated as Columbus rallied to lead after three periods...