Stories from Friday, December 12, 2008

After worshipping God in the sanctuary of the First Christian Church for 50 years, the local congregation is celebrating the sanctuary's jubilee anniversary on Sunday. Beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, First Christian Church, 101 S. Judson, will conduct a special rededication service. ...

By Michael Pommier The Fort Scott Tribune The Downtown Streetscape project is nearing completion as the downtown lighting installation begins. Thursday afternoon marked the beginning of process of installation of the new downtown lighting. The installation is being done by a Shelley Electric, Inc. ...

The Fort Scott Tribune Representatives from the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Pittsburg State University will be in Fort Scott, on Thursday, Jan. 8, for free individual counseling sessions from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. The sessions will be held at the Fort Scott Community College, Administration Building, Greyhound Room, 2108 S. Horton, at selected times during the year. Individuals can contact the KSBDC at PSU (620) 235-4921 for future dates and times...

Editor's note: This is the second in a three-part series on the opinions and plans of area legislators as they prepare to head into the 2009 session of the Kansas Legislature next month. In addition, readers are cautioned that the following article contains some adult language...

By Jason E. Silvers Herald-Tribune Topeka, Kan. -- Governor Kathleen Sebelius' office received a letter Thursday containing a suspicious powder-like substance. Nicole Corcoran, the press secretary for Sebelius' office, said Friday that preliminary tests by state officials have showed the substance to not be dangerous...

By Lynn A. Wade Herald-Tribune Nevada, Mo. -- It's the little gallery with big dreams, and as 2008 draws ever nearer to its end, the Vernon County Arts Council is looking forward to another year, bigger and better than the one before. Arts Council secretary Ladine Casey said, "We've had a great year. We're very pleased, because we had a good diversity of arts, a variety of subjects."...

By Michael Pommier Herald-Tribune USA TODAY recently published a report on the air quality in schools across the country. The problem with the study, according to the U.S. Environmental Protec-tion Agency, is that the information provided is not accurate...

Herald-Tribune TOPEKA, Kan. -- State Senator-elect Bob Marshall (R-Ft. Scott) has been chosen to serve as vice chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. The Senate Organization, Calendar and Rules Committee met yesterday at the capitol to choose committee chairs, vice chairs and ranking minority members...

Delbert Lowell Smith, age 78, a resident of Pittsburg, Kan., died Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008, at the Golden Living Center in Pittsburg. He was born Jan. 6, 1930, in Hennessey, Okla., the son of Arthur Claude Smith and Allie Belle Armstrong Smith. Delbert married Cathern Ward in May of 1951. They were later divorced. Mr. Smith had worked as a self-employed truck driver and farmer. He enjoyed working with his cattle and collecting antique tractors...