Stories from Thursday, July 23, 2009

My husband, Dave, is blessed to have a job he loves. This summer he is the pitching coach for the Toronto Blue Jays AAA baseball team in Las Vegas, Nevada. At this level, ballplayers are one step from the big leagues. "So close, and yet so far," they know. ...

Darrell (Fred) Griffith went home to be with his Lord on Friday, July 17, 2009, at the age of 71 after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was born in Ft. Scott, Kan. and lived in Buckingham, Fla. for many years. He was a long time member of the Gateway Trinity Lutheran Church. ...

SHANKLAND -- Addyson Rae Shankland, a girl, was born to Ashley Shankland at 11:35 a.m. Thursday, July 23, 2009, at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott. Addyson is joined by siblings Braelyn and Khiana. Maternal grandparents are John and Lynette Steeby, Parsons...

Presbyterian Village has issued a call for entries in its 29th annual Art is Ageless juried exhibit to be held in August in celebration of Artist Appreciation Month. Entries of artistic works will be accepted from any area artist who is 65 years of age or older to exhibit and compete for an opportunity to be featured in the 2010 Art is Ageless calendar...

Fort Scott Community College is preparing for another surge in enrollment this year. During the 2008-09 school year, FSCC showed a 3.5 percent increase in enrollment from the previous year. Nearly 1,800 students attended FSCC this past spring, a 96-student increase over the spring 2008 semester, and FSCC officials are anticipating at least a 5 percent jump in enrollment during the upcoming 2009-10 year, FSCC President Clayton Tatro said...

Local youths will have the chance to meet their local public safety personnel before heading back to school. The Wood's Supermarket parking lot will be filled with activity from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., August 1 for the Back to School Safety Fair. The fair is sponsored by the Kansas Highway Patrol in conjunction with the local law enforcement and emergency services and is free to the public. The event is being organized by KHP Trooper Jeff Scott and Fort Scott Police Officer Craig Rice...

If approved, an Assistance to Firefighters Grant for slightly more than $2 million will help the Fort Scott Fire Department expand its facility. Although both the Fort Scott Fire Department and the Fort Scott Police Department are located inside the Hawkins Public Safety Facility, the sole purpose of the grant funds will be to enlarge the fire departments' portion of the facility...

The participating teams in the Kansas Cal Ripken Baseball 12-Year-Old State Tournament arrived in Fort Scott Thursday afternoon and started things off with a Skills Contest. There were three events in the contest, with points awarded for placing. The totals in each contest were added up and the team with the highest total was the Skills Contest winner...