Stories from Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Lisa Walther of the Fort Scott Public Library and Diana Huff of Bronson Public Library attended the Southeast Kansas Library System two-hour workshop, "Help with Filing State Statistics," at the Coffey County Library-Burlington Branch Dec. 7. Peter Haxton, State Library of Kansas, provided advice and insight into the changes and the state statistical form that every public library is required to submit each year...

The city of Fort Scott offices will be closed Friday, Dec. 24 and Monday, Dec. 27 in observance of the Christmas holiday. Offices will re-open Tuesday, Dec. 28. The city of Fort Scott tree/leaf dump site will also be closed on Saturday, Dec. 25.

The city of Fort Scott Public Works Department will be picking up discarded Christmas trees at no charge for residents again this year. Pick-up dates are Thursday, Dec. 30 and Friday, Jan. 7, Friday, Jan. 14 and Jan. 21, 2011. The discarded trees will be used to enhance fish and wildlife habitat in the city-owned water structure properties...

A new website operated by the Kansas Board of Regents is designed to help find the jobs and careers they want to pursue. CareerZoom Kansas, located at www.careerzoomkansas.com, is a portal -- a robust search engine designed to help Kansas high school students and adult career-changers find the career training programs that will empower them to find not just a paycheck, but true career satisfaction, according to KBOR Vice President of Workforce Development Blake Flanders...

Crawford County Sheriff's deputies have arrested a suspect in a residential aggravated robbery and car theft. Detectives on Tuesday arrested Romy Christopher Ray Lewis, 32, of Pittsburg, in connection with a 1:30 a.m. Dec. 9 aggravated robbery at 912 N. West St. in Arma, a news release said. He is also charged with theft of vehicle and money and criminal damage...

With the help of donations, local law enforcement made Christmas a little merrier for more than 20 local youngsters. The Southeast Kansas Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 63 selected 22 kids from age 5-16 to participate in the FOP Cops and Kids Christmas Shopping Event 2010. Youngsters and officers walked through Walmart Sunday to pick out items the children would like for Christmas, Bourbon County Undersheriff Bill Martin said...

Fort Scott city commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved hikes in water and sewer rates, effective Jan. 1. The increase is a continuation of hikes, similar to last year's increases of the same rates, to "play catch up" after not raising rates for 14 years, Assistant City Manager Susan Brown said...