Stories from Friday, June 17, 2011

During the Civil War in Kansas and Missouri, Confederate guerrillas or "bushwhackers," if one is of the northern persuasion, were normally not captured or taken prisoner. They were usually killed on the spot. There were, however, exceptions to this, and such an exception occurred in southwest Missouri in McDonald County during the winter of 1862 and 1863...

Divine intervention. That's what we called it, although we (embarrassingly) didn't refer to it that way until after the fact when we had a glimpse of God's handiwork. Five of us -- my four 1968 college sorority sisters and I -- were in Mazatlan waiting for another one of our friends, Colleen, to arrive...

Janet Loye O'Bryant, 78, of Pleasanton, Kan., died Tuesday, June 14, 2011, at Menorah Medical Center, Overland Park, Kan. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 18, at the United Methodist Church, Pleasanton, Kan. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday at the Coffel-Schneider Chapel, Pleasanton...

Audrey Dixon and Jordan Woods, Uniontown, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter Olivia Jolea Woods on Thursday, June 16, 2011, at 8:10 a.m. at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott. Olivia weighed 5 pounds, 14.5 ounces. Her birth length was 19.5 inches...

William Jewell Fry, 27, 117 Andrick, Fort Scott, was arrested by the Fort Scott Police Department on June 15 at 4:09 p.m. for child abuse and is still being held.

Warren and Malissa Hulbert and Barry and Wanda Wheeler, all of Fort Scott, announce the engagement and upcoming marriage of their children Ashlen Yvonne Hulbert to Matthew Allen Wheeler. Ashlen is a 2007 graduate of Fort Scott High School and currently works at Gene's IGA. Matthew is a 2008 graduate of Fort Scott High School and is currently employed by Ward Kraft...

Vacation Bible School at First Southern Baptist Church called "Big Apple Adventure Where Faith Meets Courage," will be held July 11-15 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. each evening. Note that this a change in dates from previous promotions. The Bible School will be for children ages 4 through grade 6...

A 90th birthday celebration will be held in honor of Virginia Varner on Sunday, June 26, at the Hammond Community Center from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

A friend of mine decided he wanted to make a change in his lifestyle and become a healthier man. The first step for him was to kick his habit of drinking soda, Dr Pepper to be specific. Claiming to drink three to five cans of soda each day, he knew something had to change...

LAWRENCE -- The School of Education at the University of Kansas has honored more than 650 teachers from 115 school districts -- including Fort Scott -- with 25 or more years of service to education. "Teachers are a powerful force in students' lives," Rick Ginsberg, dean of the School of Education, said in a news release. ...

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director Patty Clark kicked off National Homeownership Month by recognizing Don Diebolt, owner of Diebolt Lumber in La Harpe, and Jim Nixon, senior loan officer at Gemini Funding Corp., for their efforts in promoting the agency's housing programs...

A new event has been added to the third annual Fort Scott and Bourbon County Riverfront Authority town-wide picnic, scheduled for July 2 in the park north of the Marmaton River. Local organizations will have a chance to raise funds by entering the Riverfront Hot Dog Eating Contest. Organizations selected for the contest this year are Friends of the Fort, Kiwanis Club, Pioneer Kiwanis, Rotary, Young Professionals, Fire Department, YAT (Youth Activities Team) and the Elks Club...

The "Feeding Families in His Name" initiative is doing exactly what the name says each Wednesday evening at First United Methodist Church. Meat, vegetables, fruit, dessert and milk are served by volunteers. "We will always have milk because our target group is families with children," said Jean Tucker, a member of the church steering committee that organizes the free meals. However, anyone is welcome...

From barbecue grills to baseball gloves, a variety of popular items offered by local businesses could make an ideal gift for dad this Father's Day. Tractor Supply Store Manager Casey Crum said some of the more popular items at the store include smokers and barbecue grills. ...

REDFIELD -- The third time was the charm for the Redfield Fire Department in its quest for a new fire truck. Redfield Fire Chief Gary Judd, who also served as the city's mayor and a township trustee, said the department had tried for the last three years to secure a grant to replace its 1976 Chevrolet fire truck. ...