Stories from Saturday, January 2, 2010

Savana Mark and Brandon Ayers, along with their families, announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Savana is the daughter of Tim and Jeanne Mark, of El Dorado Springs, and the granddaughter of Gene and Roberta Mark, of Sheldon, and Bud and Wilma McMahan, of Lebanon...

Hi neighbors. A new year is here! Did you watch the lighted ball drop in New York City's Times Square? I like watching the people trying to figure out a way to stay warm while they stand around for several hours in the open air waiting for the big moment...

This time of year, it's a tradition to make resolutions for the coming year. But university extension specialists in Kansas and Missouri are quick to point out they can fade quickly, offering some tools to keep some of the most common resolutions made each year...

The Vernon County Commissioners met Tuesday with Circuit Court Judge James Bickel, Court administrator David Heumader and Vernon County Clerk Tammi Beach, to consider the court's budget for 2010. Bickel noted that the budget he was proposing had no provision for upgrading security equipment at the courthouse, even though he thought it important...

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- The Bourbon County Relay for Life organization will kick off its 2010 cancer awareness and fundraising campaign on Jan. 14. The local Relay for Life chapter, which began in 1995, will host the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Coffee at 8 a.m. at Woods Supermarket, 2322 S. Main St. The chapter's annual kickoff dinner and organizational meeting will take place at 7 o'clock that night at the Community Christian Church, 1919 S. Horton St...

Lula Marshall has been a little down on her luck in 2009, but things are looking up. The 44-year-old Milo woman lost her job several months ago, but she decided to return to school to finish her degree in environmental science. All the while, she stuck to her routine of buying two Missouri Lottery Scratchers tickets each week. Her persistence paid off on Dec. 21, when she uncovered a $10,000 prize...

When the recent snow started falling, many rabbit hunters started to smile and make preparations to load up the beagles and go hunting. The cottontail population, although down from the good old days in the 40s and 50s, is better than it was a few years ago...