Stories from Tuesday, March 1, 2011

100 YEARS AGO (1911) Part of an historic old school building on the Harbison farm, four miles southwest of town, collapsed the other day. This building was erected in 1867 and was condemned 13 years ago. It was in District 60 and was known as the Stone schoolhouse because it was built of stone...

You've worked hard to accumulate valuable assets over the years. How do you plan to distribute this property after your death? It's important to have a will, regardless of the value of your possessions. This written document instructs how you want assets that pass via your will (money, property and other assets) to be distributed after your death. If you die without a will, your probate assets will be divided according to state law...

Benjamin Bristley, an incoming Pittsburg State University freshman, has been awarded the Academic Achievement Award and Alumni Legacy License Plate Scholarship. Bristley is a senior at Fort Scott High School. He is the son of Carol Bristley of Fort Scott...

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Ashlee Phillips, of Fort Scott, a senior in human environmental sciences at Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, has been named to the spring 2011 chancellor's list and dean's list...

I open my story with boundless joy. This past weekend, Bob and I celebrated 62 years of marriage. We also celebrated both of our birthdays, Bob turning 81 and I hit that benchmark of 80 years. Son Rob and grandsons Ben and BobKat came up to help us celebrate this very momentous occasion...

New year's resolutions, which are now two months old, often include a goal to get in shape, lose weight, or add some healthier habits to our lifestyle. Even if you've had trouble sticking to your resolutions due to hectic schedules and all the winter weather we've had, it's not too late to get back on track. Here are some tips that might help you...

On Feb. 24 for her 91st birthday, Bill Dobbins, formerly of Arcadia, now living in Frontenac, was the host for a surprise birthday party for former Arcadia home economics and business teacher, Rose Shular Campbell. A guest was Chuck Corporon, also formerly from Arcadia now living in Pittsburg...

Clara Fern Snyder, age 79, former resident of 1809 E. First Street, Fort Scott, and more recently of Fort Scott Manor, died Friday, February 25, 2011, at Mercy Health Center. She was born October 21, 1931, in Bourbon County, Kansas the daughter of Vernon and Gladys Wise. ...

Judith Deane (Canada) Jolley, 67, of Mound City, Kan., died peacefully Thursday morning, February 24, 2011 at her daughter's home in Charlotte, NC. She was born July 27, 1943 in Pine Bluff Arkansas, to Joseph Dean and M. Louise Canada, but spent the majority of her childhood growing up in Paola, Kansas, where she graduated high school in 1961. ...

Gary Yokley, age 66, of Liberal, Mo., died Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 at Barton County Memorial Hospital after a sudden illness. Gary was born May 2, 1944 to Jake Orville and Fern Pauline (Short) Yokley at Nevada, Mo. He was a graduate of Liberal High School in 1962. ...

LEWIS -- Shannon Kimaya and Isaac Lewis, Uniontown, and siblings Aissa Kimaya, Alyssa Lewis and Kalysta Lewis, are proud to announce the birth of their son and brother, Vincenty Tyler Lewis. Vincent was born at 9:06 p.m. Feb. 24 at Mercy Health Center in Fort Scott...

Randy Allen Lafferty, 35, of 311 Randolph, Bronson, was arrested by the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office on Feb. 24 at 9:17 a.m. on Bourbon County and Montgomery County warrants and was released the same day at 1:25 p.m. on a $500 bond. Michael Torez Ackles, 24, of 1818 Roeland, Kansas City, Kan., was arrested by the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office on Feb. 24 at 12:35 p.m. on a Bourbon County warrant and was released the same day at 5:19 p.m. on a $2,500 bond...

Local celebrities will be tripping the light fantastic for the Fort Scott Rotary Club's first-ever Dancing with Our Stars, coming up at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 12 in the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the Fort Scott Community College campus...

The Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees voted to amend the college's 2010-11 budget to reflect an "accounting change" during their regular meeting on Monday. Although the current budget is in compliance with Kansas statutes and federal laws, as determined by an audit completed by local certified public accountant Terry Sercer in January, the board needed to amend and republish the budget due to a "technicality of accounting" regarding two funds in the budget -- auxiliary enterprise and capital outlay, FSCC President Clayton Tatro said.. ...

When it comes to fighting fires, teamwork plays an integral part, and Friday's fire in Nevada, Mo., was no exception as the Fort Scott Fire Department was more than willing to lend a hand. Fort Scott Fire Chief Paul Ballou said the FSFD and Nevada Fire Department have had a mutual aid agreement, a contract that states a department will help the other when requested, for several years...

Drawn by free medical screenings, inspirational speaker Patty LaRoche, dancing and shopping, at least 150 people turned out for the fourth annual Day of Dance for Cardiovascular Health. Held at Fort Scott Middle School on Saturday, it was part of the Spirit of Women program at Mercy Health Center...

A local business shut down its operations Monday in a move that company officials said they hope is very temporary. Larry Gazaway, president of Topco Laminates Corp., 600 N. Franklin, said the business halted production Monday, forcing its 21 employees out of jobs, at least for the time being...

Representatives from the Kansas Department of Transportation, TranSystems, and several area businesses and organizations gathered at Fort Scott City Hall Monday for the second meeting of the advisory committee for the U.S. Highway 69 Corridor from Fort Scott to Arma...

Kansas City Kansas defeated Fort Scott Community College's men in the regular-season finale at Arnold Arena, 62-40, Saturday afternoon. It was the 12th time this season that the Greyhounds were held to fewer than 50 points. The Greyhounds finished ninth in the Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division and will be the No. 7 seed among the division's Division I teams. They will be at Western Division runner-up Hutchinson (24-6) tonight for a Region VI Tournament first-round contest...

Fort Scott Community College's women lost to Kansas City Kansas, 70-60, in the final game of the regular-season at Arnold Arena Saturday afternoon. But they still got the No. 5 seed from the Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division they were looking for when Coffeyville defeated Labette later that night in Parsons...

SALINA -- Fort Scott senior Drew Bryant finished sixth at the Kansas Class 4A State Wrestling Tournament in the 215-pound weight class here Saturday. Bryant (29-15) made it to the semifinals on Friday before he was pinned by Matt Holt of Abilene, who entered the tournament with the No. 1 ranking from the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association in this weight class...

Fort Scott High's boys have had that way of taking a game to the limit this season, Monday's Paola Class 4A Sub-State first-round game against Louisburg was no exception. Fourth-seeded Fort Scott (12-9) has played eight games in the month of February. This was the sixth to be decided by 5 points or less. This 43-40 decision is fourth of those games the fourth-seeded Tigers have won...