Stories from Saturday, December 18, 2010

Ira L. "Sonny" Harman, 87, longtime resident of Sheldon, Mo., died Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010, at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo. He was born Jan. 21, 1923, in Springfield, Mo., the son of Ira Lilburn Harman and Mary Lee Jones Harman...

Peggy Lou (Tough) Westerhold passed away on Dec. 16, 2010, near Metz, from injuries received from an auto accident. She was born Sept. 12, 1931, in Metz, Mo., the daughter of Roy and Ruth (Walker) Tough. Peggy lived near Metz most all of her life. She was a graduate from Metz High School. ...

A stolen gravestone was recently returned to its rightful place in the Gill Cemetery in southwestern Vernon County. The stone was recovered from the trunk of a vehicle by the Barton County Sheriff's Department during a traffic stop. Upon the suspect admitting that the stone was taken from Gill Cemetery, it was turned over to the Vernon County Sheriff's Office...

In a continuation of a long-standing tradition held by the Leon Ogier American Legion Post No. 2, 402 E. Cherry St., Nevada, the group is once again hosting the Jolly Old Elf himself, Santa, who will give toys to children in need starting at 9:30 a.m., Dec. 25. A Christmas dinner will follow, with veterans and active military personnel especially encouraged to take part in the dinner, according to a news release from the group...

The location for the Elks Lodge No. 579 Community Christmas Basket program fundraiser set for today will be the Elks Lodge, 111 W. 19th St., and not the Liberty Theatre as reported in a story that appeared in the Friday edition of The Fort Scott Tribune...

Below, firefighters work to extinguish a fire that broke out in a home at 1028 E. Allison, Nevada, Mo., Friday afternoon, but the residents -- and their pets -- escaped virtually unharmed. Nevada Fire Chief Robert Benn said that when firefighters arrived, heavy smoke was pouring from the attic area, and the fire hadn't extended into the rest of the home. ...

Harold and Lucille Shumaker, of Nevada, will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary Jan. 1, 2011, with a reception at the Moore-Few Community Room, from 2 to 4 p.m., New Year's Day. Open to friends and family, the omission of gifts is requested; however, the family notes that cards would be welcomed...

PLEASANTON, Kan. -- Uniontown's basketball teams swept Pleasanton in non-league play here Friday night. Eagle girls took a 45-30 victory while the boys prevailed, 42-28. Jacy Ermel scored 15 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked 4 shots for the Eagles, who improved to 4-2 on the season. Hope Jurgensen handed out 3 assists and Hayden Rathbun and Breanna Esslinger picked up 4 steals each...

LOUISBURG, Kan. -- Fort Scott's defense held Louisburg without a field goal for about 12 minutes in the second half here Friday night as Tiger boys defeated Louisburg in the final game before the holiday break, 57-52. The Tigers (4-2) took the lead again for good early in the fourth quarter at 38-37 when Griffin Knopp scored on a layup. Johnathan Stark hit a 3-point shot and Knopp scored again to cap a period-opening 7-0 run...

LOUISBURG, Kan. --Fort Scott's girls took advantage of the opportunity they received and were able to hold off a late Louisburg rally to prevail, 43-37, in the final game before the holiday break here Friday night. The Tigers (4-2) had an up-and-down game for most of the first three quarters, tying the score a couple of times but never able to get ahead...

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- Just over two years after the accident, a local resident's sentence for her alleged involvement in the death of her daughter has been continued. Vanessa Hershey was scheduled to be sentenced Friday afternoon in the Bourbon County District Court after entering a guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter on Nov. 18. The sentencing was postponed due to cases earlier in the day running longer than expected, according to the Bourbon County Clerk's Office...