Stories from Wednesday, October 1, 2008

It was a nice fall evening a good turnout for the senior citizens dance at Buck Run Community Center. The big fans were rolled out but just turned on a little. We are glad to have them though, as there has been times when both of the fans were going full speed. All of our band members were present and each one took their turn singing and playing. It is nice when Alva can play his guitar and sing and also play his violin for the waltz and other tunes...

Ray and Carol Center, Lenexa, visited with her parents, Carney and Estalee Simpson on Sunday. They celebrated Carney's birthday at Chicken Annie's. Dale and Betty Hixon traveled to Joplin, Mo., to do some shopping recently and enjoyed eating at the Golden Corral before leaving for home...

Next week will be National 4-H Week. As the largest youth development program, aside from public schools, 4-H involves 6 million youth nationwide. In Bourbon County, 160 youth participate in 4-H activities. Youth between the ages of 7 and 19 may join 4-H anytime, but October is a good time to get started, since it is the start of a new 4-H year. ...

Vernon Sylvester Ratcliff, age 78, a resident of 809 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, Kan., died Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008, at the Mercy Health Center Emergency Room. He was born Jan. 16, 1930, in Newton, Kan., the son of Earnest Ratcliff and Eva Bailey Ratcliff. He married Patricia Pollett on Nov. 17, 1967, in Fredonia, Kan. Vernon was retired from construction and janitorial work. He was a member of the Victory Bible Training Center...

The new fire station on the east side of town will be unveiled to the citizens of Fort Scott during an open house organized by City Hall. There will be an open house and ribbon cutting at the new East Side Fire Station No. 2 located at 23 S Franklin Street. The events are open to the public...

More than 100 custom hot rods will once again be cruising into Fort Scott this weekend. Stray Kat Kustoms, a Dewey, Okla.-based company, will bring its special custom car show back to downtown Fort Scott on Saturday and Sunday. Attendees will be able to view several 1950s-style custom and hot rod vehicles starting at 8 a.m. ...

Many were on hand at the Bourbon County Commission meeting Friday afternoon to lean about reduction of jail population. District Judge Mark Ward, Sheriff Harold Coleman, County Attorney Terri Johnson, Undersheriff Ron Gray and SEK Correctional Center Director of Programs Jimmy Nichols all gathered at the Bourbon County Commission to hear the presentation of Joseph Johnson from BI Incorporated. ...

At 10 a.m. every Tuesday, Fort Scott Public Library employee Julie Townsend enriches the lives of children. As children are escorted into the library's Story Time room on Tuesday morning, they are greeted with a smile from Townsend, who sits patiently waiting with book in hand addressing the frequent library visitors by name. ...

Students at Fort Scott High School are pumped and ready to celebrate Homecoming in a classic way this year. In celebration of this season's Homecoming, students have decorated the local high school to represent four different classic movies. Homecoming decorations help make the celebration week exciting for the students, according to science teacher Karen Curran...

Tribune Staff Report United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 emergency response teams and Crawford County Health Department staff are expecting to complete the screenings of at least a dozen more homes in Pittsburg on Wednesday for mercury exposure as a joint agency response to a spill of the toxic metal at a local skate park enters its second day, a written statement from the EPA said...

MORAN -- Uniontown's volleyball team swept through a Three Rivers League triangular here Tuesday night, beating Chetopa and Marmaton Valley in two games. The scores versus Chetopa were 25-22, 25-17. Abbie Smith had 12 kills while converting 17 of 17 attack chances. Jessie Camac had four kills after converting 13 of 13 attacks...

CHICOPEE -- As a team, it was not one of the best days for Fort Scott High's golf team at the newly-dubbed Colgan Invitational at Crestwood Country Club here Tuesday. As a team, the Tigers finished in sixth place with an 18-hole score of 453. Columbus won the team title, shooting 408. Carl Junction, Mo., was next at 411. Caney Valley was third at 424...

Most attending meeting feel punishment was necessary; policies questioned