Stories from Thursday, January 13, 2011

Ikan, a collaboration of independent living centers, headed by Prairie Independent Living Center (PILR), will be hosting a series of focus groups to discuss independent living skills training for people who are blind or visually impaired. One will be held in Fort Scott at 1 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Fort Scott Professional Building, 710 W. Eighth St...

Months of cheering, tumbling and training will come to a head this weekend for a handful of spirited Pittsburg State University students. Although they're normally seen on the sidelines at Pittsburg State athletic events, the PSU Spirit Squad will take center stage Jan. 15 at the 2011 Universal Cheerleaders Association College Cheerleading National Championship in Orlando, Fla...

Mercy Hospital's Auxiliary is more than just pink ladies. The 91 members -- men and women -- operate the gift shop, raise funds through candy and snack vending machines in the hospital, book sales, from which they get commissions, and membership dues...

Based on the popularity of the weekly summer concert series sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Downtown Division, a new event for area music lovers is taking shape. Local musician and event organizer Ralph Carlson said a Community Concert is tentatively scheduled to take place from 7 to 8 p.m. ...

With the federal government set to announce incentives for electronic health records today, Sisters of Mercy Health System, including the Fort Scott hospital, says it is well head of the pack. Mercy invested more than $450 million to provide its patients across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma with this feature five years ago...

Fort Scott city offices will be closed on Friday to allow for their move to the new City Hall at 123. S. Main St. Fort Scott Assistant City Manager Susan Brown said a moving company has been hired to transport the items from the current location in the basement of Memorial Hall, located at 1 E. Third St., one block east and two blocks north...

WERLING -- Rob and Courtney Werling, Roeland Park, Kan., are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Peyton Kathleen Werling. Peyton was born at 10:56 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010, at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Merriam, Kan. She weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce at birth and was 18 1/2 inches in length...

Mildred A. Burns, 89, Lansing, Kan., passed away Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011 at St. John's Hospital. Mildred was born Sept. 15, 1921 in Lockwood, Mo., the daughter of Charles Robert and Delia Ann (York) Steeley. On Nov. 8, 1942 she married Norris C. "Bob" Burns. He preceded her in death in 1991...

Russell James Rourk, age 86, resident of rural Bronaugh, Mo., died Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011, at Mercy Health Center. Funeral arrangements for Russell Rourk, will be announced by Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott.

Margaret L. Hart, age 69, a resident of Sun City West, Ariz., died Jan. 12, 2011, at the Del E. Webb Memorial Hospital in Sun City West. Funeral arrangements for Margaret L. Hart will be announced by the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott, Kan...

January does mark deadlines for filing prior year applications for a couple of "livestock friendly" USDA programs. These programs are the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), and the nonrecourse marketing assistance loans or Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP) for wool and mohair from the USDA Farm Service Agency. Jan. 31, 2011 is the deadline for filing 2010 applications...

A critical date is quickly approaching for landowners who wish to terminate their oral leases with their tenants. According to the Kansas Farm Lease Law, notice to terminate a farm lease must be given in writing at least 30 days prior to March 1 and must fix the termination date of the tenancy of March 1. This applies to both pasture and crop leases...

I have found that it is usually the woman in the family that does most of the shopping. At least that has been true in our family. When about a year ago, Bob began taking an interest in all of the flyers that arrive regularly in our mailbox. He very diligently reads those flyers from cover to cover. He can spend literally hours going over those advertisements...

Fort Scott Community College's women held Independence within shouting distance in the first five minutes of play at Arnold Arena Wednesday night. But after that, the fifth-ranked Pirates took firm control and went on to a 71-51 victory in Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division play...

Call it another lesson learned in the college basketball course of How to Win 101. Fort Scott Community College's men did everything right during a 10-minute stretch of the second half at Arnold Arena Wednesday night and looked ready to steal a victory from Independence, one of the Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division's top teams...

Any Bourbon County Republican is encouraged to attend the first 2011 meeting of the Bourbon County Central Committee. The committee will meet at noon today at LaHacienda Mexican Restaurant in the meeting room in back. The primary purpose of the meeting will be to conduct the election of 2011-12 officers and establish goals for the next two years...