Stories from Thursday, October 15, 2009

Rebecca Renee "Becky" Johnson, 36, of Joplin, Mo., died at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 at her home. Memorial services will beat 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009 at the First Presbyterian Church in Baxter Springs, Kan., with the Rev. Bill Christman, officiating...

SICKELS -- Ashley Hittle and Ben Sickels, Arcadia, and siblings Lane, Kensley and Mylee, are proud to announce the birth of their daughter and sister, Karli Reid Sickels. Karli was born at 9:07 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 at Mercy Health Center in Fort Scott...

With harvest beginning to get hot and heavy prior to our storms last week, perhaps now is a good time to talk about harvest safety since we'll all be in a hurry once it gets dry enough again. Flowing grain moves rapidly and is very dangerous. Large augers can transfer from two to four times as much grain as the augers of the past. ...

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that enrollment for the 2010 Direct and Counter-cyclical Program (DCP) and the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program started on October 1 and will continue through June 1, 2010. USDA urges producers to make use of the eDCP automated website to sign up, or producers can visit any USDA Service Center to complete their 2010 DCP or ACRE contract...

PLEASANTON -- The new Mercy Medical Clinic of Linn County, formerly the Pleasanton Family Practice, held a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on Monday. The new facility is located at 11155 Tucker Road with easy access off U.S. Highway 69 at the 1100 Road exit...

CHANUTE -- Fort Scott High School's volleyball team swept Chanute and Iola here Thursday night while Pittsburg was upset by Parsons at Altamont. Those results gave the Tigers at least a share of the Southeast Kansas League championship. Chanute was unbeaten in league play going into the night at 4-0. ...

Fort Scott High's soccer team posted its highest goal total in five years Thursday in 'run ruling' Coffeyville 10-0 in Southeast Kansas League play at Ellis Park. The Tigers clinched no worse than second place in the Southeast Kansas League with the victory as this completed the league schedule. ...

Fort Scott Community College third-year head football coach Jeff Sims will be the first to admit that "to make yourself look good, you surround yourself with good people." It seems that Coach Sims has done that when it comes to the assistant coaches that he has on the Greyhound coaching staff this season...

With the weather clearing, local residents will have the opportunity to support the fight against world hunger. Bob Eckles, organizer of this year's Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty Walk, said he hopes for good participation despite a rough start in the planning stages. ...

Area residents who want to know more about possible paranormal activity taking place in Fort Scott may want to climb aboard Dolly the Trolley starting next week. The Fort Scott Believe It Or Not Ghost Tours, which begin Wednesday, Oct. 21 and continue each Wednesday-Saturday evening through Oct. 31, will take passengers on a guided tour of some reportedly haunted locations in Fort Scott. The tours are sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce and the FSACC Division of Tourism...

Fort Scott Community College will be celebrating more than usual during this year's homecoming activities. FSCC will celebrate the college's 90th anniversary during an all-school and alumni tailgate party prior to the FSCC football game on Saturday. Festivities will begin at 11 a.m., and kickoff for the game is scheduled for 1 p.m...

The first H1N1 flu death of a Kansas resident with no serious prior medical problems was reported Wednesday by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The death, which occurred in a 50-year-old woman from the Kansas City area, is the seventh in the state to be confirmed as due to the pandemic virus. It came after more than a week of hospitalization, according to KDHE...