Stories from Wednesday, June 6, 2007

On Thursday, local insurance agent Merl Humphrey and thousands of other insurance agents across the country have a large mountain to climb -- and they think they can do it. Humphrey and other Farmers Insurance Group agents across the United States will try to raise $2 million on Thursday for the national March of Dimes organization, an agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality...

Fort Scott voters on Tuesday sent the following message to organizers who pushed for a 1-cent sales tax increase to fund a multi-million dollar aquatic center: Don't raise the sales tax. Residents voted 1,015 to 731 against a ballot question that asked them to fund a $6.5 million indoor/outdoor aquatic center through a 1-cent citywide sales tax over 10 years. ...

John Alexander Pearson, age 70, a resident of rural Fort Scott, died Tuesday, June 5, 2007, at his home. John was born May 27, 1937, in Wichita, the son of Martin A. Pearson and Manda Bell Leopard Pearson. He served in the US Navy for 20 years before moving to Fort Scott, where he farmed and also worked at the Red Ram Motel...

Baby Loren Bogan died Tuesday, May 29, 2007, in Overland Park, Kan. The baby was the child of Loren and Annette Bogan, Prescott. The baby was preceded in death by a brother, Brett Landon Bogan, and is survived by parents Loren and Annette Bogan; three sisters, Autumn Schoneberg, Brianna and Brooklyn Bogan; and three brothers, Chance Schoneberg, Blaine and Blake Bogan, all of the home. ...

BROWN -- Graycyn Lea and Kinsley Lynn Brown, twin girls, were born at 2:55 a.m. Thursday, May 24, 2007, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center to parents Kyle and Jamie Brown of Fort Scott. Graycyn Lea weighed 4 pounds, and Kinsley Lynn weighed 4 pounds, 14 ounces at birth. ...

The results of the Good Ol' Days 5K runs were announced Tuesday. Runners competed in nine divisions...

HOLCOMB -- Caylee Janet Holcomb, a girl, was born at 12:31 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, 2007, at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, to parents Tammy and Chris Holcomb, Nevada, Mo. She weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces at birth. She joins one sister, Cameron Ahring. Maternal grandparents are John and Theresa Carver, Carl Junction, Mo. and Pat and Leslie McCoy, Quapaw, Okla. Paternal grandparents are Jerry Holcomb, Nevada, Mo. and the late Janet Holcomb...

SMITH -- Madison Gail Smith, a girl, was born at 8:14 a.m. on Tuesday, June 5, 2007, at Mercy Health Center to mother Jeanne Smith, Fort Scott. She weighed 9 pounds, 15.75 ounces at birth. She joins one sibling, Chloe Smith. Maternal grandparents are Rhonda and Mark Walker, Fort Scott and Mike Smith, Wichita. Maternal great-grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Pat Tubbs, Neodesha, James Beckley, and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Walker, Lamar, Mo...

Richards-Stotesbury,

Yvonne Beck and Dyllian Arvidson announce the approaching marriage of her daughter, Susie Mae Beck and his father, Christopher Michael Arvidson. The ceremony will be held at 6 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2007 at the Devon United Methodist Church. A reception and dinner will follow at the Devon Community Building. Friends and relatives are invited...

After all of the rainy days and nights we have had we were blessed with a beautiful evening for our regular Monday night dance. The crowd wasn't anything to brag about but everyone seemed to come to dance and dance they did. Everyone seemed to be in the mood for dancing as we did a lot of different calls for them to dance to...

100 YEARS AGO (1907) Mayor Harris has made up his mind to appoint one more to the calaboose. Tonight he will present the calaboose portfolio to Jake Ernest, the old soldier of the South Side. There will be no other appointments at this time. The police are being bothered to death by the chicken problem. ...

I recently received a letter to the editor signed Elijah Doherty. Since he was just born Nov. 28, 2006, his grandma, Deb Morter-Womelsdorf, wrote the letter for him. It's a thank-you letter to everyone who helped with and turned out for a recent benefit dinner or donated funds for his medical expenses...

Meaghan Annette Jackson and Matthew Don Russell announce their engagement and approaching marriage. Meaghan is the daughter of Dale and Alicia Jackson of Uniontown. She will begin teaching at the Marmaton Valley School District in the fall. Matt is the son of Curtis and Amber Russell of Redfield. He is employed in construction operating heavy machinery...

Friends and family are invited to attend an open reception to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Joseph and Mary Lou Brungardt from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, June 9 in the Buck Run Community Center meeting room. The reception will be hosted by their daughters and sons-in-law; Bob and Debbie Vernon, and Jim and Paula Eastwood...

Harold Edwin Kraft, age 75, a resident of rural Fort Scott, and co-founder of Ward/Kraft, Inc., died early June 5, 2007, at his home. He was born April 5, 1932, in Gridley, the son of Sam and Esther Kraft. He married Wanda Miller on November 5, 1950, in Wichita. Harold was a member of the Apostolic Christian Church of which he was a minister from June 1978 to January 1994...