Stories from Saturday, December 10, 2011

Nathaniel Maurice Graham, 52, of Kansas City, Mo., passed away Nov. 28, at the VA Medical Center. He was born Aug. 1, 1959, in Fort Scott, Kan. He was preceded by his father, Paul A. Graham Sr. and son, Justin M. Graham. Nate was baptized at the First Christian Church in Pleasanton, Kan. ...

Dorothy Irene Anderson, 83, resident of rural Redfield, Kan., died Friday, Dec. 9, 2011, at the home of her daughter. She was born March 26, 1928, in Richards, Mo., the daughter of Ernest Goddard and Ruby Hazel Evans Goddard. She graduated from Richards High School. ...

Ruth Lavon Coonrod, 83, of Manhattan, died Dec. 8, 2011, at Meadowlark Hills--Collins House. She was born Oct. 10, 1928, in Manhattan, the daughter of Foster and Margaret Unice (Colwell) Blockcolsky. Mrs. Coonrod grew up in the Zeandale Community and graduated from Manhattan High School. She had lived in Wichita, Kan., Elk Falls, Kan., and Winfield, Kan., prior to returning to Manhattan...

Billy Joe Richardson, 78, of Fort Scott, Kan., and formerly of Hillsdale, Kan., passed away Dec. 8, 2011, at his home. Graveside services will be 11 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011, at Hillsdale Cemetery, Hillsdale, Kan. Bill was born Oct. 4, 1933, in Hillsdale, Kan., to Harold F. ...

Ina Margaret Lafferty, 87, resident of rural Bronson, Kan., died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, at the Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kan. She was born Sept. 9, 1924, in Uniontown, Kan., the daughter of Arthur Andrew Walker and Jessie Newtown McHenry Walker. ...

New U.S. 71 interchanges in Vernon, Bates and Barton counties will be dedicated in a series of ribbon cuttings Monday, Dec. 19, the Missouri Department of Transportation said in a news release. The projects completed this year are another step toward upgrading U.S. 71 to become Interstate 49 by the end of 2012, the release said...

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- The Fort Scott Police Department wants to make sure local residents stay safe this winter and holiday season. FSPD Lt. Shaun West said the department has issued a list of "general preemptive safety tips" it recommends for the public to follow during a busy time of year for police. Some of the tips involve getting assistance from friends, neighbors and family members to help resolve issues...

U.S. Reps. Vicky Hartzler of Harrisonville, Mo., and Lynn Jenkins of Topeka, Kan., say their co-sponsorship of a bill to keep farmers from being fined for stirring up dust was a "common sense" step to protect rural America from out-of-touch bureaucrats...

NEVADA, Mo. -- Vernon County has had wild pecans since the era when no one lived here but Osage Indians who used them as a form of currency, and the crop's importance has grown through the centuries to reach its current level of supplying all 50 states and a raft of foreign countries...

MOUND CITY, Kan. -- Jayhawk-Linn's girls wrapped up play in the Linn County Tournament by blasting Amoret-Miami, 65-5 here Friday. Baylea White scored 17 points for the Jayhawks while Carly Jackson added 16 on 8-of-19 field-goal shooting. Jayhawk-Linn (2-1) shot 45 percent from the field, making 29 of 65 attempts. Miami attempted just 6 field goals the entire game, making 2...

HUMBOLDT, Kan. -- Uniontown's basketball teams swept Three Rivers League rival Crest on the final night of the Humboldt Round-Robin Tournament here Friday night. Eagle boys handed Crest, the pick to win the TRL in a pre-season coaches poll, its first loss of the season by a score of 40-38, holding off a Lancer rally in the fourth quarter...

PITTSBURG, Kan. -- Pittsburg's girls pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 35-23 victory over Fort Scott High Friday night as the Purple Dragons picked up their first victory of the season while keeping the Tigers winless. Fort Scott (0-4) trailed by only one point, 20-19, after three periods. But Pittsburg (1-2) made 4 of 9 field-goal attempts and 7 of 8 free throws in the final stanza while holding the Tigers to 1-of-7 field-goal shooting...

PITTSBURG, Kan. -- Pittsburg's boys outscored Fort Scott High 11-6 in overtime Friday night and gave the Tigers their first loss of the season in a non-league contest, 56-51. Fort Scott (3-1) trailed 45-39 with less than four minutes remaining but held the Dragons (2-1) scoreless the remainder of regulation as Tyler Adams connected on a pair of 3-point goals during the rally. ...