Stories from Thursday, August 6, 2009

Though the economy is low, it seems generosity is high in Kansas. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) recently released its annual Volunteering in America Report. Kansans were outstanding in their volunteer service to their communities. Kansas volunteers are now ranked No. 8 in the United States...

A teenage musician is bringing her talents back to the Fort Scott stage Friday. Thirteen-year-old Abbey Vogts, who is from Erie, Kan., will perform a concert at 7 p.m. Friday at the Heritage Park Pavilion near the corner of First and Main streets. Vogts, whose last performance during the concert series was in May, will be the featured artist during the show...

PLEASANTON -- The Conservation Fund, in partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Environmental Synergy, Inc., announced Monday that its forest-based carbon sequestration project near Kansas City received Gold validation, the highest level available under the standards of the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance...

Hoping to build off of last year's success, The Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center will be hosting their second Badge Bash for Christmas Cash beginning at 3 p.m., August 15, at the Uniontown High School football stadium. The evening will begin with Olympic style games which will feature law enforcement officials and public servants battling against each other in events such as tug-of-war, an obstacle course, two-mile relay, and other entertaining games. ...

Taxpayers will see a decrease this year in the amount of taxes that will be levied locally for USD 234. "The good news now is the mill levy is virtually the same and taxes are down from last year," USD 234 Business Manager Alan Drake said. According to documents provided by Drake, tax payers will contribute slightly more than $3 million in taxes locally to USD 234. ...

Doris Ellen Hunt, daughter of James E. and Florence (Shockley) Hunt, was born November 14, 1926 in Fort Scott, Kan., where she lived most of her life and left this earth, her family and friends, to be joined with Christ on July 14, 2009 in St. John's Hospital Springfield, at the age of 82 years and eight months...

Doris Ellen Hunt, daughter of James E. and Florence (Shockley) Hunt, was born November 14, 1926 in Fort Scott, Kan., where she lived most of her life and left this earth, her family and friends, to be joined with Christ on July 14, 2009 in St. John's Hospital Springfield, at the age of 82 years and eight months...

The Fort Scott Community College football team will start the 2009 football season as the No. 15-ranked team in the NJCAA/JC Football.com Preseason Top 25. The Greyhouynds are coming off a 2008 campaign where they finished 9-2 and defeated Blinn College (Texas) 30-14 in the Heart of Texas Bowl. This was Fort Scott's first bowl victory since 1970...

Bourbon County has avoided pouring salt on the wounds of residents by successfully avoiding an increase in the mill levy. The Bourbon County Commission will host a public hearing at 10 a.m., August 17, at the Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S. National, for final approval of the budget which has been drastically cut in order to avoid adding to the mill levy which is already over 53 mills...

After being declined for having too much dilapidation, the City of Fort Scott is reapplying for which could improve a local neighborhood. The city will be reapplying for a Community Development Block Grant for housing rehabilitation and demolition in an area bounded on the north by the south side of Pine Street, on the south by the north side of Wall Street, on the east by the west side of Caldwell Street, and on the west by the east side of Barbee Street...

All incoming Fort Scott High School freshmen and their parents are encouraged to attend an orientation meeting at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the FSHS auditorium. In addition, a fall sports parents meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday. All parents of participants in Fort Scott High School fall sports are encouraged to attend...

The Fort Scott City Commission will hold a work session at 6 p.m. Monday in the City Commission meeting room. The session will be held to discuss the 2010 budget.

A Saturday charity event will help one area business reach out to local community members. According to Family Video manager Cindy Hereford, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, the local video rental store, located at 1710 S. National, will conduct a special event that will directly benefit the Beacon, a non-profit community assistance agency that helps low-income families in Bourbon County...

UNIONTOWN -- A local celebration set to take place early next month has been a community tradition for more than a century. Organizers of the 104th Annual Old Settlers Day Picnic recently announced that the all-day event is scheduled to take place Monday, Sept. ...

Dr. Peter Hamilton, the voice heard at Pittsburg State football games, dies Thursday at 65