Stories from Thursday, March 13, 2008

A group of local elementary school students recently underwent training that will provide them with useful knowledge to enhance their driving skills when they begin to drive automobiles in a few years. According to Eugene Ware Elementary physical education teacher Connie Neil, the bicycle safety unit that she and student teacher Cathie Woolridge recently taught has benefits that will continue to be useful to the students even after they have become teenagers...

TOPEKA -- The Kansas Historical Society has announced that the hours for its 16 state historic sites returned to their non-winter schedules effective March 1. These changes allow visitors expanded access to the sites, especially during the busy summer tourism season...

Kennedy Noelle Allen, a girl, was born at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, at 8:06 a.m, Tuesday, March 11, 2008, to parents Dacia and Kalob Allen, Mapleton. She weighed 6 pounds, 13 1/4 ounces at birth. She joins a sister, Khloe Allen. Maternal grandparents are Sandy and Michael Rivera, Gardner, KS and Kevin DuPrey, Pottersville, N.Y. ...

USD 234 will make up the required three school days missed because of inclement weather. An extra 10 minutes will be added to each school day from Monday, March 24, through Wednesday, May 14. In the elementary schools, 10 minutes will be added to the end of the day. During this make-up period, the new ending time in the elementary schools will be 3:01 p.m...

Students may sign up for driver education through March 28 at the Fort Scott High School office between the hours of 7:15 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students must be fourteen years old by April 1, 2008 to participate in the program. A fee of $2 will be collected from the student for the DE99 permit during sign-up. The projected cost of the course will be $110 for in-district students and $130 for out-of-district students payable by May 1. For questions, call (620) 223-0600...

Pittsburg State University Theatre will present Jose Rivera's "Marisol," an apocalyptic urban fantasy about the search for compassion on Earth, at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, March 6-8, at Grubbs Hall Theatre. The play tells the story of Marisol Perez, a young professional who numbly lives a fearful modern life in the dangerous Bronx neighborhood of her childhood...

On April 19, vocal solos, vocal ensembles, choirs and piano performances at Fort Scott Community College will be adjudicated. On May 3, instrumental solos and ensembles, bands and orchestras will be adjudicated. The music festivals are open to any student who attends public, private or home school through the 8th grade. ...

Susan M. Quick has filed by petition for the office of Bourbon County Treasurer. Quick, a Democrat, is the current Treasurer, having been elected to the office in 2000 and re-elected in 2004. The local offices up for election this fall are: 2nd District County Commisioner, 3rd District County Commissioner, County Clerk, County Treasurer, Register of Deeds, County Attorney, Sheriff, All Township Treasurers and Township Trustees, and Republican and Democrat Committeepersons. ...

United Way of Bourbon County is receiving applications from human services agencies in Bourbon County for financial participation in the fall campaign. Minimum eligibility criteria for an agency or organization to participate in a United Way campaign includes:...

Friends of Arcadia are invited to attend the Pre-Easter Dinner on Sunday March 16, 2008 in the Community Center from Noon until p.m.. The Old Settler's and the Arcadia Fire Department are serving this for a $5 donation as a fund raiser for the future Fall Festival and equipment...

Fort Scott High School honor roll members for fall semester are as follows: All "A" 4.0 Honor Roll Rachel Allen, Austin Bailey, Brittany Bingesser, Seth Bohlken, Blake Bolden, AnnRene Braun, Sterling Braun, Amanda Brown, Christopher Brown, Kacie Brown, Jenna Campbell, Leah Casselman, Brooke Combs, Lauren Cosens, Blake Cowen, Kalia Dancy, Tyler Dancy, Erica Davis, Amber Davish, Jeffery Durbin, Bayli Endicott, Lane Farrell, Crystal Feagins, Mark Feagins, Shelby Fleming, Benjamin Gettler, Brian Gorman, Lane Gray, Sarah Gray, Tori Herman, Dillon Houdashelt, Anthony Jackson, Kenda Lee, Johnathon Leek, Nathan Ly, Daniel Lyon, Amanda McDaniel, Elizabeth Meech, Corey Midkiff, Megan Midkiff, Samantha Miller, Ziad Nabhan, Alex Pemberton, Paige Pemberton, Brittani Rooks, Chase Rooks, Jacob Ruhl, Kaitlyn Russell, Jordan Sather, Christian Sellers, Catherine Sercer, Charlie Sercer, Jordan Simmons-Mims, Benjamin Sinn, Trevor Swim, Jaret Thorpe, Katelyn Torres, Adrianne Tourtillott, Morgan Tourtillott, Maria Vargas, Jennifer Wilson, Elizabeth Womeldorff. ...

UNIONTOWN -- Third quarter honor rolls for Uniontown High School are as follows: Uniontown High School All A's Honor Roll Maliss Allen, Casey Bradbury, Reed Gleason, Jordyn Gray, Jacob Sutterby, Katelyn Vincent, Samantha Beerbower, Ithaca Marlier, Jessica Schaaf, Cassandra Schwalm, Abigail Smith, Travis Aikins, Jacqueline Ellis, Kennda Phillips, Kaitlin Spainhoward, Holli Zellner, Silas Bloesser, Karlee Daylong, Kiersten Elder, Bayley Gray, Amber Kuns, Jamie Shank, Luke Spainhoward, Alison Warren, Kelsey Welch. ...

100 YEARS AGO (1908) It will be of concern to school patrons of Fort Scott to learn that fire drills have been practiced at every building, save the high school in town this week. This afternoon about 2:30 the alarm at the Central building was sounded and the children made a hurried exit to the school yard. ...

The Baker Clinic, 1621 S. Main, Fort Scott, is pleased to announce that Dr Michael Baker recently earned board certification in sleep medicine conferred by The American Board of Otolaryngology. This year is the first time that subspecialty certification in sleep medicine has been offered by the American Board of Otolaryngology. He joins 48 other diplomats of Otolaryngology (ENT) who received subspecialty certification in sleep medicine...

Though some may have questioned the eventual arrival of spring, this week has renewed my anticipation of some warmer weather, and the end of snow, ice, and frosty temperatures for another year. With the nicer weather, I think my dog may even remove her residence from our garage back to her doghouse in the back yard -- a good thing according to my wife...

At first glance, soil sampling would seem to be a relatively easy task. However, when you consider the tremendous variability that likely exists within a field because of soil formation factors and past production practices, the collection of a representative soil sample becomes more of a challenge...

Fort Scott National Historic Site Superintendent Betty Boyko announced Tuesday that a prescribed fire is scheduled to be conducted at the historic site sometime during the week of March 26 through April 18, a statement issued by the National Park Service said...

Fort Scott Community College has received a nearly $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to start a new construction trades program this fall, FSCC officials said Wednesday. "We're really honored," FSCC President Clayton Tatro said. "This (grant) will allow us to start a new and revised construction trades program where students will be able to get an associates of arts and sciences degree."...

Nearly every category of violent crime statistics in Fort Scott from 2006 through last year either stayed the same or dropped slightly, according to Fort Scott Police figures. The U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) counts five categories of crime as violent crimes: murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault...

Crowder pitcher Alex Peters threw 5 2/3 innings of no-hit ball to help her Roughriders to a 9-2 win over Fort Scott Community College in a non-league softball game at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex Thursday afternoon. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader wasn't played after cloud-to-ground lightning began striking around the area...