Stories from Thursday, August 18, 2011

When the last farm bill was enacted, some new and different programs were included in the mix of available USDA programs. One of those programs is a crop disaster program labeled Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE). There have been numerous farm disaster programs over the years. ...

We all have some -- in a jar, on the dresser, in a desk drawer, in the car, maybe even in the cushions of the couch. I'm talking about the loose change that accumulates in our households. It is money saved but not working for us. Did you know that the average family accumulates about $99 in loose change each year? The U.S. Treasury estimates that $15 billion dollars in loose change is sitting unproductively in homes and cars across America -- and not a nickel of that money earns interest...

Falicia and Ebb Freeman, Pleasanton, Kan., along with siblings Alexis, Tyson, Kylie, and Brayden, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter and sister Tatum Marie Freeman on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011, at 1:37 p.m. at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott. Tatum weighed 7 pounds, 5.5 ounces...

Courtnie Williams and Broc Schropp, Fort Scott, along with sibling Gracelyn Virginia, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter and sister Alivia Rose Varner-Schropp on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011, at 10:21 a.m. at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott. Alivia weighed 6 pounds, 15.5 ounces...

John Clifford Kastl, 43, 1713 Pine, Fort Scott, was arrested by the Fort Scott Police Department on Aug. 16 at 6:57 p.m. on a Bourbon County warrant for violation of a protective order and is still being held. Holly Lynn Bates, 35, 409 N. Carvan, Girard, Kan., was arrested by the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 16 at 7:44 a.m. on a Bourbon County warrant for theft and is still being held...

Jack and Marjorie Struve Stephan were married Aug. 21, 1955, in Peetz, Colo. They have lived their 56 years in the Redfield and Fort Scott area. They have five children, 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Ralph Owen (R.O.) Willard died on Monday, Aug. 15, 2011, at Fort Scott Manor following a recently diagnosed illness. He was born on Nov. 25, 1936, and was the son of Robert Olin Willard, eldest son of Ralph Oscar Willard and Mary Edith Johnson. His mother was Betty Ruth Penniman, daughter of James Brown Penniman and Kathryn Johnston Pratt. All were long-time residents of Fort Scott, and all preceded him in death...

Jennifer Lynn Ennis, 31, a resident of Hiattville, Kan., died unexpectedly Monday, Aug. 15, 2011, at her home in Hiattville. She was born May 31, 1980, in Bexar County, Texas, the daughter of Guy Ennis and Mary Earl Ennis. She enjoyed spending time on her computer as well as various outdoor activities...

Back when my generation was preparing to return to school, back in the Dark Ages, we only needed a couple of items on the first day. Our list consisted of a Duo-tang folder, a pencil case, a No. 2 lead pencil, and maybe a protractor. Other than that, the schools provided the necessary materials for us to matriculate. ...

To the Editor: The 2011 Fort Scott Community Gala will be held Saturday night, Aug. 27. It will feature an enjoyable evening of dining, dancing and good conversation -- all for an important cause. The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation (FSACF) is very appreciative of the gala's decision to again donate the proceeds from this event to the FSACF's endowment fund. These proceeds will also qualify for a 50 percent match from the Kansas Health Foundation...

The buildings of Fort Scott National Historic Site stand today as silent witnesses of one of the most significant eras of the nation's history. The buildings serve as permanent reminders of a bygone era. The care that went into the construction of the buildings (e.g. their materials and their design) helped ensure their permanence. The fort's designer, Capt. Thomas Swords, said his goal was to make Fort Scott the "Crack Post of the Frontier."...

Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., will be making a stop in Fort Scott to talk about the issues facing the U.S. government. Jenkins will be available from 8-9 a.m. on Aug. 29 in the Commission Room at Fort Scott City Hall, 123 S. Main St. According to Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsay Madison, the event will begin with some light refreshments and one-on-one discussion time with a formal presentation and a question-and-answer session to begin at about 8:30 a.m...

A longstanding photography contest will take place this year after organizers discussed canceling the event earlier this summer. The 23rd Annual Gordon Parks International Photography Contest, organized by the Gordon Parks Museum and Center for Culture and Diversity at Fort Scott Community College, will go on after the deadline for accepting entries, originally June 20, was extended to late July. Organizers began accepting entries this past spring, Gordon Parks Museum Director Jill Warford said...

At approximately 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, the Fort Scott Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire on Main Street. Upon arrival on the scene at the duplex at 417 and 417 1/2 S. Main St., firefighters found the fire was active in the rear portion of the second floor...

For the first time since the start of the Take Charge Challenge late last year, Fort Scott is on top -- and Youth Activities Team Co-Convenor Diana Mitchell plans to keep it that way. YAT took over the 16-city energy use reduction competition in April. ...