Stories from Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Washing hands seems like such a simple act, yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says handwashing is the single most important thing we can do to keep from getting sick and spreading illness to others. And in developing countries, handwashing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children every year...

It is still the summer of 1938, school is out and it is glorious. I am wandering around looking for something to do when I hear my Mama holler and say, "Marilyn, would you like some black walnuts to crack and eat?" Boy would I. I love those dudes. Black walnuts have a hard green hull on them, and they have to turn brown and black and get real soft and mushy, then begin to dry, before you can hull them. ...

Twenty students who took part in the "Who is the Next Gordon Parks?" Kids' Creativity Workshop wait for their sign to join the trio of siblings who form the group "Voices of Glory" in singing a tune from "The Lion King" at the conclusion of "Lunch with the Pros" on Saturday during the 8th Gordon Parks Celebration at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College. ...

Dale Roberts Overcash, 43, a resident of Bronson, Kan., died Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011, at Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Mo. He was born Dec. 28, 1967, in Hialeah, Fla., the son of Hoyt Overcash and Mary Gregory Overcash. He had worked in the workshop at Tri-Valley Developmental Center in Fort Scott. Dale enjoyed riding his bicycle and decorating for the holidays...

Eunice Elliott, 73, Mound City, Kan., passed away Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011, at her home in Mound City. Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, at the Coffel-Schneider Funeral Home in Mound City. Burial will be in the Miami Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Coffel-Schneider Chapel...

Johnny (J.J.) Scott, 47, passed away at 2:23 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011, at Freeman West Hospital, Joplin, Mo. J.J. was born Sept. 15, 1964, in Baxter Springs, Kan. His parents were Johnny Lee and Juanita Mae (Canady) Scott. He was raised in Galena, Kan., before moving to Columbus, Kan., as a young teenager. He graduated from Columbus High School in 1983...

Dwayne Alan McPheter, 59, of Overland Park, Kan., passed away Oct. 9, 2011, at Shawnee Mission Medical Center. Dwayne was born Oct. 5, 1952, in Liberal, Kan. He was a graduate of Buhler High School, Buhler, Kan., and attended Johnson County Community College...

Lois Irene Kershner, 82, of Moran, Kan., died Saturday morning, Oct. 8, 2011, at the Moran Manor Nursing Home. She was born Feb. 20, 1929, in Kincaid, Kan., the daughter of William Elmer and Zaida Marie Worden Ross. She married Chester M. Kershner, Feb. 28, 1947, in Mound City, Kan...

Lori and Bryce Anderson, Olathe, Kan., and sibling Brady David, are pleased to announce the birth of their son and brother Brendan Lee Anderson on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011, at 9:46 a.m. at Olathe Medical Center, Olathe, Kan. Brendan weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces...

Kellen and Luke Geneva, Fort Scott, are pleased to announce the birth of their son Jacob Eric Geneva on Friday, Oct. 7, 2011, at 1:07 p.m. at Via Christi Health, Pittsburg, Kan. Jacob weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces and was 19.5 inches in length. Maternal grandparents are the late Gregg and Patricia Wheeler and uncle David "Bart" and aunt Crystal Ayers of Fort Scott. Paternal grandparents are Nancy and Brett Geneva and aunt Hannah Geneva, all of Fort Scott...

Madison and Matt Goodyear, Fort Scott, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter Lucy Mae Goodyear on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011, at 5:37 a.m. at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, Kan. Lucy weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces. Maternal grandparents are Jennifer Hamilton, Bartlesville, Okla., and Robert Hamilton, Tulsa, Okla...

Micco John Poag, 38, 600 W. 15th St., Pleasanton, Kan., was arrested by the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office at 7:52 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, on a Bourbon County warrant for nonsupport of a child and is still being held. Malcolm R. Murray, 34, 660 Madaline Terrace, Springfield, Mo., was arrested by the Fort Scott Police Department at 2:57 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, for attempted delivery and manufacture of drug paraphernalia and is still being held...

100 YEARS AGO (1911) By a vote of 843 to 428 the voters of Fort Scott and School District 55 yesterday decided in favor of the issuing of school bonds to the extent of $110,000 for the erection of a new high school building replacing the two old structures on South Main Street that have housed the high school the past 12 years, and for the remodeling and enlarging of Margrave Street School building. ...

To the Editor: We wish to thank Tom Robertson, Amie Ratcliff and Roneta Center at the Buck Run Community Center for all their hard work to start a Community Dance for all age groups on the first and third Monday of each month, 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Those of us in the community and surrounding areas enjoy having a place to dance and just visit with others...

A hunter education course is scheduled for Oct. 18, 20 at the Scottish Rite Temple, 110 S. Main St., with the final session on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Gunn Park Shelter House No. 7. The Tuesday and Thursday sessions will be from 6:30 to 10 p.m. The Saturday session at Gunn Park will be from 8 a.m. to noon...

If a family member or friend is hospitalized but you are unable to visit in person, Mercy now offers Email a Patient via mercy.net. Patients in Fort Scott, as well as any Mercy hospital across the four-state service area, may now receive personalized electronic well wishes...

Those attending the annual Cato Tour, scheduled for Oct. 21-11, will get a taste of life in the mid-1800s. The event features historical re-enactments given by volunteers dressed in period attire, musical interpretations from yesteryear, hayrides to area cemeteries and several other activities. Friday will be a field day for hundreds of area students while Saturday activities will be open to the general public. The schedule of activities for both days begins at 9 a.m...

For the past eight years, David Parks has come to Fort Scott to join in the celebration of the life of his father, Gordon Parks. Through the years, the annual celebration has changed a bit, but the focus has remained the same, to celebrate the life and achievements of a Fort Scott native and true renaissance man...

With three members absent, the USD 234 school board got some good news and bad news during Monday evening's meeting. Terry Sercer, of Diehl Banwart Bolten CPAs, presented findings from his audit of the district's budget. After explaining the auditing process to the new board members, he announced that all the information was presented fairly. ...

UNIONTOWN -- Olathe Metro Academy claimed the Uniontown Invitational title as the Eagles were unable to advance out of pool play for the first time in many seasons. Metro Academy won the pool Uniontown was in while Southern Coffey County finished second. Frontenac won the opposite pool with Yates Center finishing second...

Senior Sabrena McAnulty finished sixth and she and her Uniontown teammates finished third as a team in a Class 3-2-1A Regional Golf Tournament hosted by the Eagles at Woodland Hills Golf Course here Monday. The morning rain did not delay the start of the tournament but might have made conditions a little rough. Only one golfer finished under 100...

OVERLAND PARK -- Zach Travis' interception of a Josiah Thill pass with 40 seconds remaining preserved Uniontown's 21-20 victory over Kansas City Christ Prep on the artificial surface at Shawnee Mission District Stadium here Saturday night. Travis' pick came just seconds after Christ Prep had been given a prime opportunity to steal the victory, taking possession at Uniontown's 34-yard line after an 8-yard punt by Jordan Woods...

CHANUTE -- Juniors Michelle Buntain and Corina Harrison finished fifth at the Class 4A Regional Tennis Tournament here over the weekend, earning a berth into the Class 4A State Tournament, which will be held this coming weekend at Pratt's Walter Blake Tennis Complex...

Eugene Ware student finalists in the poetry contest for fifth graders take time to view and discuss Gordon Parks' photographs following the "Pizza for Poets" lunch and awards presentation at the Gordon Parks Museum on Friday. Fifth grade students from Eugene Ware and Uniontown Elementary School were honored for their work...

GARNETT -- Fort Scott High School's golf season came to an end at the Anderson County Class 4A Regional Tournament here Monday. The Tigers finished sixth out of eight teams and did not have any individual qualifiers for the Class 4A State Tournament...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Former Fort Scott Community College receiver Eddie Brown has been inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2011. "Touchdown" Eddie Brown played for Jack Welch in 1987 and 1988. The Miami, Fla., native was an All-Jayhawk Conference and NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American in 1988. At FSCC, Brown caught 67 passes for 1,375 yards and 16 touchdowns in two seasons...