Stories from Friday, January 7, 2011

Financial Peace University, a 13-week program taught by national radio personality and best-selling author Dave Ramsey, will be offered in Fort Scott at 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, at the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church, 714 S. Eddy St. The program, which has helped more than 1 million families positively change their financial future, teaches families and individuals how to handle their money through common-sense principles and small group accountability. ...

The Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence and 30 sexual and domestic violence advocacy organizations statewide recognize national Stalking Awareness Month in January. Stalking affects 3.4 million victims each year, including thousands of Kansans...

The Fort Scott National Historic Site will kick off a year celebrating the 150th anniversary of Kansas statehood and the start of the Civil War with a series of events Jan. 29-30. Events at FSNHS to celebrate the sesquicentennial of Kansas becoming a state in 1861 include a special "birthday bash" at 1 p.m. that day in the site's Grand Hall. That event will feature 19th-century tunes performed by the Gum Springs Serenaders...

What started as a plan to resurrect not only a downtown building, but the entire Fort Scott economy, is now looking quite grim. Harvest Ministries International Organization Inc. President and CEO Paul House and his wife, Charolette, have been indicted by a U.S. District Court grand jury in St. Louis, Mo., on two charges relating to bankruptcy fraud...

Mynettia Lucille "Ann" Gannon, age 94, a former resident of Fort Scott and more recently of Whitewater, Kan., died Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011, at the Wheat State Manor in Whitewater. She was born Feb. 13, 1916, at Oklahoma City, Okla., the daughter of Walter G. "Lefty" Davis and Birdie Estelle Gruver Davis...

During the Civil War, as in any war, combat operations of the Blue and Gray did not stop because it was a holiday and for the most part, unless you were part of a rear echelon, far away from a combat area, holiday celebrations did not occur. However, whenever possible, the soldiers of the Blue and Gray did remember "New Years" Eve and Day with a bit of levity whenever and wherever they could. ...

Mary Ruth Graham, age 66, resident of Uniontown, Kan., died Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011, at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott. Services arrangements will be announced by the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main.