Stories from Monday, July 20, 2009

Fort Scott's 10-year-olds finish third at Wellington

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment for people of the State of Kansas, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $4 million to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) for the reduction of diesel emissions in local communities. This clean diesel project will create jobs while protecting air quality in Kansas City, Wichita, eastern and western Kansas...

The infant mortalty rate in Kansas dropped last year to 7.2 deaths per 1,000 live births compared to 7.9 deaths per 1,000 births in 2007, according to date released last week by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The number of infant deaths statewide was 303 in 2008, 30 fewer than in 2007, a KDHE statement said...

Vanessa Hershey was granted a continuance during a preliminary hearing Thursday in Bourbon County District Court. According to court documents, the next hearing date for Hershey, who is incarcerated at the Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center due to her involvement in a fatal one-vehicle accident late last year, is a status conference scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17...

The Fort Scott City Commissioner will have money on their minds during Tuesday evening's meeting. Commissioners will be discussing the acceptance of a grant offer of $475,886 from the Federal Aviation Administration. The money will be used for improvements to the Fort Scott Municipal Airport, specifically the pavement of Runway 18/36. According to documentation provided by the city, the decision to accept or not must be made by July 31...

Rob McKim may be new to Fort Scott High School, but he has worked in education for more than a decade. McKim, who was hired by the USD 234 Board of Education to replace former Fort Scott High School Assistant Principal Todd Ferguson, began his new post on Thursday...