Stories from Thursday, April 15, 2010

UMB Financial Corporation, based in Kansas City, Mo., was recognized last week by Congressman Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee for being named the highest rated bank in the continental United States. A story in the January 2010 issue of Forbes magazine evaluates America's 100 largest banks. The rankings were based on criteria that measure asset quality, capital adequacy and profitability. The rankings for 2009 named UMB the second best bank behind Bank of Hawaii...

Representatives from the Kansas Small Business Development Center (KSBDC) at Pittsburg State University will be in Fort Scott, Kansas, from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, April 29, 2010, for free individual counseling sessions. The sessions will be held at the Fort Scott Community College, Administration Building, Greyhound Room, 2108 S. Horton, at selected times during the year. Please contact the KSBDC at PSU (620) 235-4921 for future dates and times...

Many homeowners would say that their top lawn concern is weeds. When developing a lawn weed control program, one should know the kind of grass and total square foot of lawn; identify the problem weed or weeds; determine why the weed invaded the lawn and correct the practices that caused the invasion...

Local USDA Service Center offices installed their first computer equipment through the calendar year of 1985. Even the mathematically challenged can figure out (this being 2010) that was 25 years ago. How would you describe the technological changes that have occurred since then?...

Thelma (Lorrie) Lorraine Scott, former resident of Fort Scott, died on April 14, 2010 at Fayetteville, Ark. Thelma was born March 20, 1924 in Fredonia, Kan., the daughter of Roy Allison and Iva Mae (Traner) Scott. Thelma married Walter William Hamilton on Feb. 8, 1942 at Cherryvale, Kan...

On June 19, the Zone 6 Gardeners of Pittsburg Garden Club will coordinate a fifth Pittsburg public garden tour. This is a unique event featuring seven outstanding yet diverse private gardens. Guest may visit the gardens between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. This is a self guided tour, with the garden owners and club members at each site to answer questions and to highlight interesting elements within the gardens...

Spring is here and we are beginning to work on our flower gardens and our vegetable garden. Last year we got some fresh vegetables to have at our meals from our very own garden. We have a great guy from Prescott who gets our gardens ready every year for us. Thank you Gary Wood!...