Stories from Thursday, February 2, 2012

The enrollment period for the 2010 Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payment Program, commonly called "SURE," is currently ongoing and will conclude on Friday, June 1. This is one of the "permanent" disaster program parts of the current farm bill. The program is actually ending as the current legislation is also ending this year, but it does cover 2010 and 2011. We are taking applications for 2010 right now. The 2011 sign up time will be a year from now...

Tribune Staff Report Tri-Valley Developmental Services clients, staff and families met in Chanute on Wednesday, Jan. 25, for the annual Awards Ceremony. "Award nomination forms went to all staff and clients in early November with many being returned making the selection difficult this year," Public Relations Director Anna Methvin said in a news release...

December precipitation across Kansas averaged 1.69 inches, which was almost double the normal amount. That helped ease drought conditions in parts of the state, and early forecasts point to a further reduction in 2012, according to Kansas climatologist Mary Knapp...

Submitted to The Tribune On Jan. 9, David Shepherd announced that Shepherd Team Auto Plaza would join Ford Motor Company in its ongoing commitment to the National FFA (formerly known as the Future Farmers of America), according to a news release. Ford has committed to a 15th year of the Built Ford Tough -- FFA collegiate scholarship program, which will award $1,000 scholarships to hundreds of FFA members, each co-sponsored by Ford Dealers like Shepherd Team Auto Plaza...

William Preston Seabolt, 28, Fort Scott, was arrested by the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office at 3:38 p.m. Tuesday on a Bourbon County warrant for probation violation. He is still being held at this time.

Becca Maxey and Jeremy Kinzer, Bronson, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter Morgen Makael Kinzer on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, at 2:23 p.m. at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, Kan. Morgen weighed 7 pounds, 13.5 ounces. Maternal grandparents are Andrea and Gary Gehlen, Bronson...

Jessica and Eric Pearson, Fort Scott, and siblings Rhya, Daisy, Jayda, Kayden, Kaily and Alyvia Pearson are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter and sister Adyson Elizabeth Pearson on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2012, at 6:27 p.m. at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, Kan. Adyson weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces...

Editor's Note: The Tribune is announcing a new series that will be published in The Fort Scott Tribune over the next few months. The first installment and a biography of the author may be found on page 5 of today's paper. A full teacher's guide to this series may be found at www.mo-nie.com and use code: teachnna12.

100 YEARS AGO (1912) Beginning this morning the new order making Fort Scott the main terminal for train crews from the east and west, went into effect. The crews, which consist of a conductor and brakeman, turn about here and go back to the other end of their run. Nearly all of the conductors in here today expressed their intentions of moving their families to this city...

Story Time is offered at the Fort Scott Public Library at 10 a.m. each Saturday. Activities are focused around the six skills that children need by age 6 as they begin to read on their own. All children are welcome, but personnel will be focusing on 2-5-year-olds. The 6-by-6 skills are:...

Education, opportunity and responsibility are the main ideas Democrats in Bourbon County and throughout the state should be preaching as an alternative to Republican politics. Everyone paying their fair share and having an equal chance at good jobs are two other values Kansas Democratic Party Executive Director Jason Perkey told 55-60 local party members they, too, must spread...

The Bourbon County Relay for Life chapter is going big this year and organizers discussed some goals and changes for this year's fundraising campaign during a kickoff meeting Wednesday evening at Fort Scott Community College. About 30 people who attended the meeting -- a mixture of new and longtime Relay for Life members -- heard information about the organization's fundraising, participation and team recruitment goals this year. ...

A project to build a local skate park rolls forward after the Fort Scott City Commission approved paperwork for the plan during a special meeting Wednesday. The commission approved the transfer of land and signing of the contracts for construction of the park after attorneys for both the city of Fort Scott and USD 234 recently hammered out details on a land swap between the two entities that paved the way for the park...

HotelBrokerOne has sold Fort Scott Inn to Fort Scott Hospitality Co., a Kansas corporation, for $1.075 million, a news release said. Alex and Rina Desai make up Fort Scott Hospitality, and they took over on Tuesday. Their families have hotels in Texas and Kansas and were looking for properties in the area. Eventually, Desai said, they plan to turn the hotel into a franchise, but for the time being, it will remain the Fort Scott Inn. Its eight employees will also stay on...

Jolee Sharp's college-high 34 points -- including some key free throws in the final 15 seconds -- led Fort Scott Community College's women to a 73-70 victory over Labette in Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division play at Arnold Arena Wednesday night. In a very physical game -- 41 fouls were called -- Sharp got the brunt of the physicality with roughly 12 minutes left in the contest when she got a bloody nose courtesy of a flying elbow. ...

Fort Scott Community College asked no quarter and gave no quarter Wednesday night against Labette at Arnold Arena. With still just five men dressed, the Greyhounds didn't come out with an offense that sat back and milked the shot clock nor with a defense that sat back in a zone and waited for things to happen. They attacked on offense and flew around the court on defense...