Stories from Thursday, April 17, 2008

It was first introduced into the United States in 1852 in Pennsylvania. Musk thistle now occurs throughout most of the United States and is found in nearly all 105 Kansas counties. Musk thistle was first reported in Kansas in 1932 and was declared a noxious weed in 1963. It can be found growing on roadsides, railroad right-of-ways, building sites, vacant lots, range and pastureland, alfalfa fields and in wheat fallow...

A new local Tractor Supply Company store is geared up and ready for business. The Fort Scott location of the retail farm and ranch store chain, which is headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., recently finished moving into the old Wal-Mart building at 2400 S. Main St. Store manager Casey Crum said there are currently plans to conduct a grand opening event for the business in mid-June after the annual Good Ol' Days celebration...

100 YEARS AGO (1908) Tomorrow has been set apart as a holiday in the city of Fort Scott, a day dedicated to the cause of cleaning the town from center to fringe. At 12 o'clock the schools, banks, business houses and offices will close down and a general effort, well planned and properly supervised, will be started to "clean-up." It is the first effort of the kind that has ever been launched in this city and success is assured. ...

The Uniontown High School KAY Club (Kansas Association of Youth) will be having a special project, titled "Shattered Dreams," on Friday, April 18, starting at 9 a.m. in the parking lot near the bus barn. This project involves a mock drunk driving accident, in which Uniontown students will be extricated from a vehicle and treated as real patients from an alcohol related crash. ...

There will be a swap meet at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds starting at 7 a.m. on Saturday. There is no set-up charge, no admission. Sell anything and everything! For additional information, contact Allen Warren, (620) 224-7761.

Kansas State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins stopped by the Presbyterian Village in Fort Scott on Saturday as part of her 26 county campaign swing to talk about her soon-to-launch campaign for Congress. Jenkins addressed her background, her qualifications for Congress, and her plans for the upcoming campaign. After her remarks, she visited with residents and addressed their questions and concerns...

The Fort Scott Community College jazz band will present its annual spring concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24 in the FSCC cafeteria, 2108 S. Horton St. The concert is free of charge and open to the public. The guest artist will be Carl Carlisle, a former area musician who now lives in Olathe. The band, under the direction of Betty Jo Laflen, will present a night of jazz standards, reggae, and Latin jazz...

ROYAL-BEY -- Zjedai Niquel Royal-Bey, a girl, was born at Mercy Health Center at 12 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, 2008, to parents Tamara and Terrell Royal-Bey, Fort Scott. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces at birth. She joins siblings Devyn, Jadyn, Pamela, and Kyra. Maternal grandparents are Dan and Sherry Neff, Centerville. Paternal grandparents are Debbie and Terry Royal, Olathe...

Nada Pearl Rathbun, age 74, a resident of Uniontown, Kan., died Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at the Mercy Health Center in Fort Scott, Kan. She was born Feb. 2, 1934, in Vici, Okla., the daughter of Audrey Turner and Maggie Taylor Turner. She married Leonard Rathbun on Sept. 25, 1951, at Mineral Wells, Texas. In addition to raising her five children, Nada worked as a waitress. She was a member of the Uniontown United Methodist Church...

Kenneth Charles Butler, age 56, a resident of Fulton, Kan., died Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. He was born Dec. 20, 1951, in Fort Scott, the son of Charles Leroy Butler and Marcella Mae Felt Butler. He graduated from the Prescott High School, and served in the U.S. Army. He worked for a number of years as a truck driver...

The Bourbon County Arts Council announces the winners of the 16th Annual Fine Arts Exhibit: Best of Show -- two dimension category -- Sun Bauer, Olathe. Prize sponsor -- Valu Merchandisers. Best of Show -- three dimension category -- Roni Harbert, Pittsburg. Prize sponsor -- UMB Bank...

_ A local department store will conduct an Earth Day event designed to create community awareness about conservation and waste reduction. Wal-Mart Supercenter, 2500 S. Main St., along with various area organizations, will celebrate Earth Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at Wal-Mart Supercenter...

Curtis Buntain didn't have many plans for his life after high school graduation. "I just didn't have my priorities right," he said. The Fort Scott native and 2004 Fort Scott High School graduate said that a few years ago, he took a new glimpse at higher education and ultimately found his purpose, as well as a way to help finance the college degree that he decided to pursue...

Fort Scott has a new mayor. Commissioner Gary Bukowski took over the position after a unanimous vote by the commission at Tuesday's meeting. Commissioner Barbara Wood nominated Bukowksi, who has served over a year on the commission. Bukowski was the acting commission president and filled in for former Mayor Dick Hedges when he was absent. Hedges said at the meeting it is "healthy" to rotate the mayoral seat, giving other people a chance at the position...

Pleasanton's track team recently competed in two meets. Friday, the Blu-Jays traveled to Wichita to take part in the K.T. Woodman Relays. Pleasanton had winning results in two relays and medals in two others. There were also several other medalists...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Fort Scott Community College's baseball team took over third place in the Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division with a 12-5 win over Kansas City Kansas here Thursday. The second game of the doubleheader was rained out. Fort Scott is a half-game ahead of KCK at the moment. The Greyhounds are 17-9 in conference play and 27-16 overall while the Blue Devils fell to 16-9, 24-10...