Stories from Friday, February 25, 2011

Hoping to gain greater attendance, Take Charge Challenge team members are holding their next event April 30 as part of Fort Scott Community College's Community Appreciation Day. Fort Scott is part of a competition among 16 cities -- including five in Southeast Kansas -- to see who can achieve the greatest reduction in residential and small business energy use. ...

The Fort Scott area will now have some representation in the leadership of the U.S. Highway 69 Association with the selection of Clayton Tatro as vice president of the organization. The selection was made at the association's annual meeting on Jan. 18. ...

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran on Thursday lent an ear to Fort Scott residents during a "listening tour" stop at Fort Scott High School. He fielded questions and spoke on topics ranging from the U.S. economy to health care and education reform. The Plainville native, elected Nov. 2, is continuing his tradition of traveling back to Kansas to visit hundreds of communities to talk to local residents about important issues and answer their questions...

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, local-level 2010 Census population counts for five states will be released next week. The five states included in the release are Delaware, Kansas, Nebraska, North Carolina and Wyoming. For each state, the Census Bureau will provide summaries of population totals, as well as data on race, Hispanic origin and voting age, according to a statement released by the U.S. ...

After being rescheduled four times, Robert L. Miller will be sentenced at 2:15 p.m. today in Bourbon County District Court. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and one count of battery. He was originally charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Tynce Joles in December 2009...

The responses I received from my Jan. 28 article on bitterness allowed me to see Jesus working in hurting lives. Individuals, deeply wounded by broken relationships, wrote to share their burdens of anger that had caused them to move away from God. They had recognized themselves in my description of the embittered woman and did not like what they saw. ...

The St. Johns Methodist Church ladies will have their annual Chili and Soup Supper on Feb., 26, with serving starting at 4:30 p.m. Chili, as well as vegetable and chicken-noodle soup, will be available with homemade desserts and a drink for a free-will offering...

Vera Jewell Barbour, 98, Nevada, Mo., passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, at Christian Health Care in Nevada. She was born July 30, 1912, in Roscoe, Mo., to Edward Luther and Zella Simmons Luther. She married Homer Chester Barbour on Oct. 17, 1934, in Clinton, Mo., and he preceded her in death on Jan. 15, 1999...

David Loren Lapierre, age 42, 411 Burke, Fort Scott, was arrested on Feb. 23 at 10:31 a.m. by the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office for a 48-hour sentence and is still being held at this time. Jasmine Lee Swink, age 19, was arrested by the Fort Scott Police Department on Feb. 24, at 2:22 a.m. for minor in possession and was released the same day at 5:33 a.m. on a $250 bond...

BURK -- Christa and Jeff Burk, Fort Scott, and siblings Gavonn, Peytonn, Prestonn, Daylonn and Conner, are proud to announce the of their son and brother, Londonn Sebastionn Wade Burk. Londonn was born at 6:46 p.m., Jan. 26, 2011 at Mercy Health Center in Fort Scott...

Jerelene Stepaniak age 81 of Mound City, Kan., formerly of the Stilwell, Kan., area died Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011 at the Prescott Country View Nursing Home Prescott, Kan. Services will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, Feb. 28, 2011 at the First Baptist Church of Stilwell Stilwell, Kan...

Hero Makers, a Christian-based missionary group from Southwoods Christian Church in Olathe, will be at First Christian Church to present an informational message about their history and the work they do along the U.S.-Mexico border. The presentation will be held during the 9:30 a.m. service on March 6 at the church, located at the corner of First and Judson streets. The appearance will also include a photo presentation of the group's past projects...

At the conclusion of last week's column Wagon Boss R.M. Peck and the wagon train he was in charge of arrived at Flat Rock, Indian Territory which was about 12 miles north of Fort Gibson. Here, Peck was put in charge of another empty supply train that was returning to Fort Scott, Kan. ...

Joe and Shirley White joined other family members at Chicken Mary's to help celebrate the birthday of their daughter, Susan McBride, Arma. Wayne and Marge Stringer, her sister, Phyllis and Howard Johnson had dinner at the home of her brother, Dale and Iris VanMeter, Thayer. They were celebrating the birthdays of Dale, Phyllis and Howard...

ALTAMONT -- Fort Scott High School's girls continued to struggle offensively in a 36-21 loss to Labette County in Southeast Kansas League play here Thursday night as the Tigers lost for the fifth time in their last seven games. In this seven-game stretch, the Tigers (3-5 SEK, 9-11 overall) have scored about 35 points a game. In the 13 games prior to this stretch, they had averaged around 42 points...

ALTAMONT -- Fort Scott High's boys broke a two-game losing streak here Thursday night and may have recaptured some momentum going into Monday night's first-round Sub-State match-up with Louisburg. The Tigers defeated Labette County, 70-62, in the regular-season finale behind the personal-best scoring nights of Cody Harper and Daniel Durbin...

HUNZIKER -- Ryan and Amber Hunziker, Fort Scott, and siblings Cadence and Camrie, are proud to announce the birth of their daughter and sister, Kiptyn Grace Hunziker. Kiptyn was born at 1:22 p.m., Feb. 24, 2011 at Mercy Health Center in Fort Scott ...