Stories from Friday, June 1, 2012

In May and June of 1862, Fort Scott was the initial rendezvous point for a large Union campaign into the Indian Territory, present Oklahoma, known as the "Indian or Southern Expedition." The purpose of this expedition was to drive the Confederates out of the Northeastern Indian Territory north of the Arkansas River, re-occupy Fort Gibson and allow the Indian refuges who had been driven from this area to return to their homes...

I am a skeptic, rarely confident of any definitive outcome. Even when one of our son's baseball teams was winning 12-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning, I still could not stop yelling helpful advice and just enjoy the moment. So many variables, you know, so few endings that were "sure things." However, there was this one time...

In theaters: Men In Black 3 In 1996, Will Smith became the Earth's defense against aliens in the blockbuster Independence Day, which rocketed him to stardom on the big screen. Just one year later, he went underground as the defender of earth behind the scenes with his first appearance as Agent J in Men in Black...

The 16th annual gathering of cowboy singers, storytellers, artists and other craftsmen will be June 8-10 at Fort Scott Community College. Friday at 7 p.m., the weekend show will kick off with a special concert by members of 3 Trails West, a Kansas City area group that sings close harmony reminiscent of the Sons of the Pioneers. The group also plays acoustic and steel guitar and does western swing...

Clarence Andrew Walker, 81, a resident of rural Uniontown, Kan., died Thursday, May 31, 2012, at the Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka, Kan. Funeral services for Clarence Walker will be announced by the Cheney Witt Memorial Chapel, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott...

Larquitta and Isiah Powell, Fort Scott, and siblings Isiah and Isaac are pleased to announce the birth of their son and brother Ibrim Nahum Powell at 1:04 p.m. May 31, 2012, at Mercy. Ibrim Nahum weighed 7 pounds at birth.

Republican Rhonda Dunn, Fort Scott, has filed for the office of Bourbon County Treasurer, according to county clerk and election officer Joanne Long. The filing deadline for all offices is today at noon.

An "Introduction to Government Contracting" seminar for small businesses interested in finding out more about market opportunities through government contracting will be held at Shirk Hall, BTI Conference Room, at Pittsburg State University, 1501 S. Joplin...

Five members of Fort Scott High School's softball team were chosen to places on the All-Southeast Kansas League Team. Per league rules, the team could not be released until all league schools had concluded post-season play. Labette County, the league champion, finished fourth at the Class 4A State Tournament last weekend...

100 YEARS AGO (1912) Nine years ago John Livingston graduated from the local high school. His parents presented him with a handsome watch and chain. John was exceedingly proud of the present as it was engraved "John Clarence Livingston, May 15th, 1903." Some six months later, he lost the watch. He was broken hearten over the loss...

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce will have its weekly coffee at the Lowell Milken Center, 4 S. Main, at 8 a.m. Thursday, June 7. Members can make an announcement about their business, organization or community event by donating $1 toward "Dollars for Dolly."...

Jared Witt has been called by a vote of the congregation to become the designated pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Fort Scott, in July. Witt comes to First Presbyterian from a ministry as lead pastor and director of teaching at Forefront Church in New York City. ...

Before the new Fort Scott Municipal Pool opened on Monday, 18 youngsters prepared for the serious task of lifeguarding. The four-day course included swim training and recertification in first aid and CPR. Youngsters practiced on infant, child and adult-sized mannequins at the East Side Fort Scott Fire Department station on Saturday with firefighters putting them through their paces...

MANHATTAN -- The spring 2012 semester was an outstanding one for more than 3,200 Kansas State University students, including several from Bourbon and surrounding counties, who earned honors for their academic performance. To qualify for semester honors, students must earn a grade point average of 3.75 or above on at least 12 hours of graded course work. ...

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, has announced that a member of his staff will be in Bourbon County hold open office hours from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 7 at City Hall, 123 S. Main St., Fort Scott. Pam Henderson, a district representative for Moran, will meet with area residents. Individuals who are experiencing difficulties with Social Security, Medicare, Veterans Affairs or have other concerns regarding federal issues are encouraged to attend...

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Fort Scott Aquatic Center was closed Thursday, but it is slated to reopen at its normal time (1 p.m.) today, depending on the weather, city officials said. Assistant City Manager Susan Brown said Thursday the facility was closed all day for cleaning due to an "unsanitary situation" that occurred late Wednesday at the pool, and due to the weather...

The Fort Scott National Historic Site will honor American Indians with a series of programs on Saturday during the annual Good Ol' Days festival. Staff and volunteers at the historic site will offer a variety of programs, demonstrations and activities focusing on the theme, "The American Indian: Then and Now." The schedule of activities for the one-day event includes American Indian dancing, quilt presentations, and a talk on tribal history...

Fort Scott National Historic Site had a full slate of activities this past weekend attended by about 600 people, Ranger Barak Geertsen said. Festivities included artillery firings, guided tours, laundress and mounted demonstrations, presentations on women's roles during the Civil War, music of the period and Victorian customs, among other things...

Every Tuesday night, La Hacienda restaurant, 22 S. Main, a portion of all proceeds will be donated to Lee's Paws and Claws Animal Shelter from 5 p.m. until closing. T.J. the Clown will create balloon animals from 6-8 p.m. for $2 each with half his proceeds going to the no-kill shelter...

Singers belted out their favorite tunes in front of a packed house at Memorial Hall Thursday evening during the seventh annual Fort Scott Idol. The popular event, modeled after American Idol, kicked off the annual Good Ol' Days street festival and featured about 30 contestants vying for a chance to take home the first-place prize of $125...