Stories from Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Jimmie Carl Easley, 66, of Kansas City, Kan., died Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009 at his home. Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, November 21 at Brannon Mountain Cemetery, Elkins, Ark. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.coffelschneider.com...

HUMMEL -- Kristen and Preston Hummerl, Mulberry, are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Kenzie Renee Hummel. Kenzie was born at 2:20 p.m., Nov. 12, 1009 at Mercy Health Center in Fort Scott. She weighed 5 pounds, 10 1/2 ounces at birth. Maternal grandparents are Waynae and Sheratta Parsons, Fort Scott...

ARD -- Joe and Niki Ard, Moran, and big sisters Mykayla and Alyson, are proud to announce the birth of their son and brother, Colin James Ard. Colin was born at 12:21 p.m., Nov. 13, 2009 at Mercy Health Center in Fort Scott. He weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces at birth...

The Youth Activities Team set the goal of 7,000 tickets sold for the Ropin' & Rockin' for Pennies for the Park event. The totals are in and according to YAT Co-convener Clayton Tatro, there were 7,408 people were in attendance for the event. Tatro said YAT does not yet have numbers regarding total expenses and revenues, however they hope to have totals in two or three weeks...

Winter is on the way, the snow has already fallen, and the Bourbon County Chapter of the American Red Cross is again helping to keep needy area residents warm. The local chapter is once again offering a program that provides blankets for families who need a little help keeping warm this winter...

The Fort Scott City Commission gave the okay to work on the wall surrounding the Fort Scott National Cemetery. Dan Montana of Decatur Construction approached the commission Tuesday evening to obtain a 15-foot easement on a parcel of land owned by the city which neighbors the Fort Scott National Cemetery...

Craig Hull, the hospitality committee chair for the Citizens Bank Bowl, which will be held Dec. 6 at Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg, is looking at much more than a football game. No. 1-ranked Fort Scott Community College and No. 2-ranked Blinn (Texas) will provide the competition. Their fans are expected to provide a major boost to the economy of Southeast Kansas...

Wanda Ogle received a surprise when she went to work Wednesday morning. Ogle, a registered nurse at Mercy Home Care since 1992, was honored by her colleagues and the Mercy organization by receiving the Mercy Home Care agency's Employee of the Year award for 2009...

A national study ranking the health of residents in the 50 United States is showing a mixed picture for Kansas, with the health of the state's population improving in some ways and declining in other ways over the past year. According to the report, provided by the nonprofit United Health Foundation, Kansas has experienced a steady decrease in the prevalence of smoking and binge drinking. ...

Turner states decision has not been made; e-mail from Johnson gives Nov. 27 as final day on job