Stories from Friday, March 23, 2012

During the Civil War, most of the Union Army was comprised of volunteer regiments from various states because the regular U.S. Army was very small and could not, because of its size suppress the rebellion. However, the regular army had and provided many professional officers who commanded some of the field armies and most of the higher general staff positions...

He's a professional baseball player with an X-rated mouth, but hopefully his words will soon be G-rated. This spring training my 10-year old grandson, Drake, accompanied his dad (my son Adam), to Florida where he was allowed to hang out with the Washington Nationals baseball team. ...

Cynthia Page Doherty died Tuesday, March 20, 2012, following a cancer illness. There was cremation. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. Friday, March 23, at the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com...

David Keith Hardee, 42, a resident of 315 Scott Ave., Fort Scott, Kan., died Monday, March 19, 2012, at his home. There was cremation. Rev. Ken Van will conduct a memorial service at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, at First United Methodist Church. Memorials are suggested to the Keith Hardee Memorial Fund and may be sent to the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, Kan., 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com...

The March Starlite Family and Consumer Education meeting was held at Cavalry Crossing on March 15. The lesson "Loving Long Distance: Families Separated by Distance" was presented by Jackie Warren. Six members and six guests were present and participated in the discussion...

Joseph W. Clyburn, 79 passed away March 20, 2012. Visitation wil be 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 23, at Park Lawn Funeral Home, 8251 Hillcrest Rd., Kansas City, Mo. Graveside services will be 1 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at Clarksburg Cemetery, south of Fort Scott, Kan...

100 YEARS AGO (1912) Dr. Newman yesterday afternoon removed a hedge thorn from the hand of William Reeves after it had been embedded eight years. Reeves is now but 15 years of age. Eight years ago he was residing with his parents at Richards, Mo., and was attending school there. ...

The Kansas Public Employee Retirement System has been a major topic of discussion for the last several years. As your State Treasurer, I am a member of the KPERS Board. The board has a fiduciary responsibility to manage the assets for the benefits of the members, and not to make positions on the legal structure. But as State Treasurer (and a Tier 1 KPERS member), I encourage the legislature and the governor to pass some necessary changes this year...

Bourbon County Public Works Supervisor Marty Pearson met with county commissioners to discuss and seek approval for county bridge and road work during the regularly scheduled County Commission meeting at the courthouse on March 16. Pearson presented a list to the commissioners of about 13 bridges in the county that require structure and maintenance work...

The Fort Scott Skatepark Committee recently got another financial boost for the local venue now nearing completion. An additional $7,000 donation has come from Colorado businessman Steve Tedesco, who also provided a $25,000 contribution earlier this year that helped the group reach its $100,000 goal to build the skatepark. The park will be located parallel to U.S. Highway 69 between the Third and Sixth Street catwalks...

Sometime this summer, Kansas expects to announce three companies the state will contract with for its revamped Medicaid system. Meanwhile, the idea of moving to a managed care system has sparked a furor from agencies that care for developmentally disabled people in Kansas. Meanwhile, 22 state senators -- including Fort Scott's Bob Marshall -- have passed a resolution to hold off on starting the so-called KanCare program for six months so more study can be done...

Things have come full circle for new Fort Scott High School head baseball coach Josh Regan, who grew up with the program his father, David, started in 1990. When David Regan passed away in 2002, Josh returned from the west coast and was moved by what well wishers said about how his father had impacted their lives both as a coach and a teacher...

Bill Buford Cross, 67, resident of rural Blue Mound, Kan., died Wednesday, March 21, 2012, at Mercy Hospital following a cancer illness. He was born Sept. 11, 1944, in Fort Scott the son of Paul Buford Cross and Kathryn Ethel Short Cross. Bill was a 1962 graduate of Fort Scott High School. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in construction science from Pittsburg State University...