Stories from Friday, March 2, 2007

CENTERVILLE -- Safety was in the basement, and Richard Clarrey knew he needed to get there. He trekked across the bathroom. Slowed by his wheelchair, he never made it. A powerful gust of wind launched a door onto Clarrey, pinning him in the doorway...

A growing number of college students across the country, like Fort Scott Community College student and working mother Pam Draper, are not heading into the classroom much anymore lately. The reason? The increasing popularity of Internet courses currently offered in a number of higher education institutions, where students of all ages can participate in college classes in the comfort of their own homes from their computers and only spend a minimal amount of time in an actual classroom...

The number of students who participate in online learning at colleges and universities nationwide has nearly doubled since 2003, according to one source on Internet learning. Nearly 4 million students across the United States were enrolled in some type of Internet-based learning course last year, according to a report from the Sloan Consortium, an authoritative source of information about online higher education. That number jumped from almost 2 million online students in 2003, the report said...

Leon Peel, age 84, of Fort Scott, died Thursday evening, March 1, 2007, at the Mercy Health Center. He was born On January 9, 1923, in Springfield, Illinois the son of John Algon and Esther Mae Page Peel. He married Maxine Ater on November 2, 1942 in Uniontown, Kansas, she precede him in death on August 25, 2006...

Chester "Chet" William Ober, age 94, of 719 Walburn, Fort Scott, died Wednesday, February 28, 2007, at his home. He was born June 5, 1912, in Fort Scott, the son of Francis H. "Frank" Ober and Pearl Fonger Ober. He graduated from Fort Scott High School and attended Fort Scott Community College. He married Ardeline "Ardie" Milford Barlow on November 7, 1954, at the First Baptist Church in Fort Scott...

Mary Bailey, a resident of Green Forest, Arkansas was born January 30, 1951, in Fort Scott, a daughter of Clayton C. and Lois M. Johnson Fritter. She departed this life on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 in her home at the age of 56. Mrs. Bailey was a member of the Church of Christ in Green Forest where she served as a Sunday school teacher. She was a special education teacher. She was a member of the Missouri State Teacher's Association and a Missouri University Alumni...

ERIKSON -- Kylee Rachelle Chrishawn Erikson, a girl, was born at 8:08 a.m. on Thursday, March 1, 2007 at Mercy Health Center to parents Jason and Katina Erikson, Fort Scott. She weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces at birth. She joins siblings, Dustin, age 10, Cherokee, age 9, Ashton, age 7, Lusas, age 6, Blake, age 5, Trinity, age 2, and Danielle, age 1. ...

FERGUSON -- Christopher Lee Ferguson, a boy, was born at 2:25 a.m. on Friday, March 2, 2007 at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, to parents Richard and Melinda Ferguson, Moran. He weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces at birth. Maternal grandparents is Marion Sponseller, Iola. Paternal grandparent is Richard Ferguson Sr., Arma...

Anderson County, the No. 5 seed in the Fort Scott Class 4A Sub-State Tournament, gave Fort Scott High's boys as tough of a game as they've seen in their home gym in recent memory Thursday night. But a couple of three-point goals gave the top-seeded Tigers some breathing room midway through the fourth quarter and Fort Scott pulled away at the free-throw line for a 66-56 victory that puts them into Saturday's finals where they will take on second-seeded Louisburg, a 55-42 winner over Iola in the first semifinal.. ...

Third-seeded Iola staged a comeback in the third quarter of the first semifinal of the Fort Scott Class 4A Sub-State Tournament at the FSHS gymnasium Thursday night. But second-seeded Louisburg pulled away in the fourth quarter at the free-throw line and advanced with a 55-42 victory...

100 YEARS AGO (1907) Attorney John H. Crider arrived home from Lawrence this morning. He attended the annual meeting of the A.O.U.W. order. Mr. Crider was re-elected for the sixth time as grand master of the order. His salary was raised to $4,000 a year. This is one of the best paying lodge positions in the United States...