Stories from Thursday, November 17, 2011

Hope Chapel to sponsor commodities distribution on Nov. 19

Jennifer Hall, Fort Scott, along with siblings Kaylan, Tristan, Haydan, McKinly and Treytan, are pleased to announce the birth of her son and brother Kaydan Luke Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, at 12:10 p.m. at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, Kan. Kaydan weighed 4 pounds, 11.5 ounces...

Kenneth Harold "Kenny" Koester, 56, of Fort Scott, Kan., died Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, at the Kansas City Hospice House in Kansas City, Mo. He was born Feb. 2, 1955, in Fort Scott, Kan., the son of Harold Dean and Ruth Ella (Hoover) Koester. Kenny worked for Tri-Valley Developmental Services as a behavior support specialist and attended Trinity Lutheran Church...

By Jason Silvers The Fort Scott Tribune Dawn Bryant is a pet lover, and she has turned that love into her own new business. Bryant opened her new pet store, called Everything Pets, on Nov. 12 in a space in a building that previously housed Sports Stuff located at Sixth Street and National Avenue...

U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Bruce Nelson announced recently that the 2011 FSA county committee elections began on Nov. 4 with USDA mailing ballots to eligible voters. The deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices is Dec. 5...

It's starting to get colder out, and winter will soon be knocking on our door. But before the bitter cold hits, there is still time to give lawns a shot of fertilizer and to kill some pesky lawn weeds. November is the time to give cool-season lawns the last nitrogen application of the season...

100 YEARS AGO (1911) The contracting firm of Thogmartin, Gardner and Martin has just been awarded the contract for the construction of a complete water works for Mound City. The contract price is $22,000 and includes reservoir settling basin, power plant and 1,700 feet of mains...

To the Editor: Kansas Citizens for Immigration Law Enforcement www.kcfile.org is the website to go to and sign a Petition in support of a strong Kansas Immigration Bill to enforce E-verify (Electronic Verification) in businesses and reverse in-state tuition for illegal aliens. These signatures will be taken to Topeka in the next legislative session and presented as support to an immigration bill that has been long overdue in Kansas...

The Fort Scott Community College Endowment Association hosted the 28th annual Fort Scott Community College Endowed Scholarship Dinner at the Fort Scott Armory facility on Thursday, Nov. 10. Nearly 300 people attended the banquet, which serves as an opportunity for donors who establish endowed scholarships to be paired with and meet the scholarship recipients. ...

For 36 years, the American Cancer Society has been sponsoring the Great American Smokeout, and today is that day nationwide. The smokeout encourages smokers to make plans to quit or plan in advance to quit that day, an American Cancer Society news release said. An ACS report shows smokers who quit can expect to live up to 10 years longer than those who continue to smoke...

The Bourbon, Linn and Allen County conservation districts will host a Burn Liability Workshop from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Community Building in Bronson. The presentation will be made by John Weir, research associate at Oklahoma State University, who specializes in prescribed burn research, planning, development and implementation. ...

There will be something for everyone during the annual Downtown Christmas Parade and Holiday Festival, which takes place Tuesday, Nov. 29. The parade is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and will follow the theme "Christmas on the Range" in observance of Kansas' 150th birthday. There are a variety of activities planned before and after the parade in the downtown area...

Although Jimmy Nichols passed away in early February, his passion for helping families during the holiday season will continue with the help of his wife Sheila. Growing up watching his single mother struggle to make Christmas a reality for her children, Nichols developed a passion for helping area children avoid that same situation. To do that he began a toy drive, raising money to buy toys for area children who may not otherwise receive gifts on Christmas...

Some 200 people are expected at today's Southeast Kansas Together We Succeed Economic Summit in Iola. The gathering will feature remarks by Gov. Sam Brownback, and it's possible five of his cabinet secretaries may appear as well, said Sen. Bob Marshall, R-Fort Scott, one of four senators from the region putting on the conference...

Simon Nieto of Houston, Texas, plays the harp at El Charro restaurant. Nieto entertained guests at the Fort Scott restaurant for several weeks. He has CDs out, and a video performance can be found on YouTube. He is also known as the Mockingbird of the Mountains. When he's not playing the harp, Nieto is a carpenter.(Ruth Campbell/Tribune)...