Stories from Thursday, February 10, 2011

MANHATTAN, Kan -- The new Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan, a beef cattle outlook and other topics pertinent to cattle producers will highlight Kansas State University's Cattlemen's Day, to be held Friday, March 4 in Manhattan. The day begins with registration and refreshments, a commercial trade show and educational exhibits at 8 a.m. in Weber Hall...

Have you noticed a two foot tall, orange or copper colored plant in your pasture this winter or while driving down the road? It's broomsedge bluestem. Historically, housewives used the long, bush-like grasses to make a broom, which accounts for the common name. ...

The "blizzard of 2011" descended upon each and every one of us last week with a vengeance. Reports ranged from 15 to 19 inches of snow around the county --that's plenty -- how long until spring? I did wear out my snow shovel -- busted completely in two. My wife suggested that I replace it . . . I'm not sure I want to!...

Mercy Physician Group has announced that Kathleen Ward, advanced registered nurse practitioner-certified, has joined the practice full-time effective Monday, Jan. 24. Ward's primary responsibilities are providing care in the Mercy Urgent Care clinic and at the Medical Plaza of Arma...

Ronald Keith Roberts, age 53, former Fort Scott resident, died Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, at his residence in Lee's Summit, Mo. He was born Nov. 5, 1957, in Cottonwood, Ariz., the son of James P. Roberts and Waneda A. Blake Roberts. Ron graduated from Fort Scott High School in 1975...

James Fredrick White, age 45, a resident of Richards, Mo., died Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, at the Nevada Regional Medical Center Emergency Room. He was born May 22, 1965, in Kansas City, Mo. He worked for several years in the oil fields. He married Tina Baker on Jan. 13, 2008...

More than 1,500 Bourbon County taxpayers received more than $3.33 million in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) last year. "This year, the EITC can put an extra $457 to $5,666 into the pockets of low-income working individuals and families," said IRS spokesman Michael Devine. "If they qualify and claim the credit, they could pay less federal tax or even receive a refund beyond the amount of tax withheld."...

During what has been dubbed the "Blizzards of 2011" for some hard-hit areas of the Midwest, some organizations may close for business, but hospitals must remain open to serve patients. Mercy Health Center, alongside the other 27 hospitals that are part of the Sisters of Mercy Health System, are able to provide needed care to patients through plans of action, a news release said...

Although the event is still a few months away, organizers of the 30th Annual Good Ol' Days celebration have already chosen the Wade Henry Show as the featured event for the annual street festival, scheduled for June 4-5. Building on the popularity of the Dock Dogs in 2008, the Budweiser Clydesdales in 2009, and the All-American Lumberjack Show last year, Good Ol' Days organizers are bringing the Wade Henry Show to the Skubitz Plaza area in front of the Fort Scott National Historic Site all day on Saturday, June 4, and Sunday, June 5.. ...

Two years after the accident that left her 12-year-old daughter dead, Vanessa Hershey was sentenced Wednesday afternoon. After hearing testimony from former employers, a substance abuse counselor and local law enforcement, Bourbon County District Judge Mark Ward sentenced Hershey to 69 months in a state prison as a result of her October 2010 guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter. ...

Balancing the state budget could leave one vital program without the funding it needs. The Feral Swine Program, which became a cooperative agreement between the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services and the Kansas Animal Health Department in 2006, to control and eradicate feral swine in Kansas, could be on the chopping block...

Fort Scott Community College's men came out of the locker room looking as ready to go as they've been this season, making 3 of their first 4 field-goal attempts and jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the early moments of action Wednesday night at Arnold Arena...

Fort Scott Community College's women have become sort of notorious for getting off to slow starts. The first eight to 10 minutes of their ball games can be pretty rough. Wednesday night was no exception as the Greyhounds struggled early again. But in the second half, a change in strategy and Ashlie Baker's hot hand sparked a rally that led to a 58-45 victory over Neosho County in Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division play at Arnold Arena...

You'd have to go back 57 years to find a snowfall rivaling the ones Fort Scott has seen in the past week, according to the National Weather Service in Springfield, Mo. From Dec. 29-30, 1954, 26 inches fell. On Dec. 29, 17 inches of snow was on the ground, and the next day, 26, meteorologist Drew Albert said. Fort Scott's records date back to the 1890s, he said...

Note correction concerning Senior Night activities in the third paragraph. Also, the time of the Columbus-Fort Scott make-up dual has been set.

The city of Fort Scott's tree and brush dump site will be closed Saturday, Feb. 12 due to the inclement weather. It was also closed Thursday.

A Breakfast Club for Alzheimer's Caregivers will meet in Fort Scott at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16 in the Xavier Room at Mercy Hospital. The breakfast club offers an opportunity to talk to individuals who share similar issues while enjoying a free breakfast. Anyone may attend who serves as a caregiver to an individual with dementia, like Alzheimer's...