Stories from Friday, December 19, 2014

Linda Kay Williams, age 69, La Cygne, Kan., formerly of Allen County, Kan., passed away on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014. Funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2014 at the Schneider Funeral Home and Crematory, La Cygne Chapel. Burial will be in the La Harpe, Kansas Cemetery. ...

Shirley Ann Krull, 79, of Justin, Texas, passed away at 4:48 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014 in Roanoke, Texas, at the home of her daughter Leslie. The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014 at Schneider Funeral Home & Crematory Mound City Chapel. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until service time. Burial will follow in Curry Cemetery. Online condolences may be left at www.schneiderfunerals.com...

Bob Vaughn, 68, died unexpectedly at his home Oct. 29, 2014 in Fairbanks, Alaska. He was born Dec. 26, 1944, in Prescott, Kan., to Raymond and Mildred Vaughn. Growing up in southeast Kansas, he enjoyed riding horses, hunting, fishing, and working on the family farm...

Small hikes in water, sewer and storm sewer rates will be coming after approval Tuesday by the Fort Scott City Commission. Commissioners unanimously approved ordinances calling for 3-percent increases in water, sewer and storm sewer rates that Director of Finance Jon Garrison said will be figured into the city's 2015 budget...

Under the direction of Mary Jo Harper, back row, third from right, the Eugene Ware Elementary School Music Men and Girls Glee sing Christmas carols for a handful of spectators Thursday evening at Common Ground Coffee Company in downtown Fort Scott. The carolers performed at various locations downtown Thursday...

The Crest USD 479 school district announced on its Twitter account Wednesday that Fort Scott Community College running back Kyle Hammond, a Crest graduate, has signed to continue his college football career at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin...

Fort Scott Community College offensive lineman Ben Luper is one of the first three signees for head coach Mitch Stewart at Murray State University, Murray, Ky., according to an announcment distributed Wednesday. Luper, a 6' 5", 280-pound offensive lineman from Springfield, Mo., played on an offensive line that produced the 17th-most rushing yards in the NJCAA last season. ...

Mary Lou Davis Margrave died on the 24th of November 2014, just a few days after her 87th birthday. Mary Lou was born on the 14th of November, 1927 in the rolling farm country of Southeastern Kansas. She lived on the family farm during her childhood years, attended college at the University of Kansas, and eventually moved to Houston in 1963 when her husband, John, joined the faculty at Rice University. ...

Having served 32 years in the National Park Service, starting just out of college, Kelley Collins is retiring Jan. 2. But she's not leaving Fort Scott. "Fort Scott is a special place, so we are planning on staying here and maybe being a part of the great community volunteer spirit," she said...

Bourbon County Commissioners got a report Friday about a visit to Elm Creek Lake. On Monday, Commission Chairman Allen Warren said he and Public Works Director Jim Harris were going to meet Engineer Frank Young at the lake to see what can be done to determine where the lake is leaking. Commissioner-elect Lynne Oharah also took the trip...

Wreaths decorate several gravestones at the Fort Scott National Cemetery. Wreaths were placed on 873 veterans' graves at the cemetery as part of Wreaths Across America, a nationwide program which honors veterans with the placing of wreaths on gravestones. A crowd of about 100 people attended the Wreaths Across America ceremony on Dec. 13. An additional 73 wreaths were laid at the cemetery Friday...