Stories from Thursday, September 1, 2011

Southeast Kansas has been known to be a hot spot for aflatoxin development --especially in hot, dry summers like we are experiencing this year. High levels can be found anywhere in the state. aflatoxin is a toxic metabolite produced by the ear rotting fungus aspergillus flavus...

The summer of 2011 has been a trying one for area farmers and ranchers. Lack of rainfall and consistent temperatures over 100 degrees have played havoc with anything trying to grow -- plant or animal (not to mention "old" people). It was surprising to me when we got some showers several weeks back how much the grass greened up. No showers recently, however, so the drought continues and the grass is brown again...

As an incentive for maintaining a safe work environment and no lost time due to injuries or accidents, management at Fort Scott Manor conduct a quarterly drawing in which all employees' names are put in a pot and two employees win a special prize. Pictured are (from left) Fort Scott Manor Owner Jan Kierl, and two recent prize winners, Susan Arnold and Mindy Killion. ...

Kiwanis Club of Fort Scott presented a $300 check Tuesday to Tom Davis of the Fort Scott Middle School intramural football program for seventh- and eighth-graders. The check was presented at the campus. Each year, FSMS fields four or five teams that play in a Round Robin format league. At the end of the season, they will form a Seventh-Grade All-Star team to play against an Eighth-Grade All-Star team under the lights at Frary Field...

The youth of Grace Baptist Tabernacle enjoyed a cookout and games at Gunn Park Saturday evening, Aug. 27. Planning the event were Youth Pastor Brian and Brandy Rhoades. Ron and Linda Center helped. Saturday morning, Aug. 27, Shirley White joined other ladies of the Prescott Breakfast Club in Mapleton at the C-Store and Cafe for breakfast. Good food and fellowship were enjoyed by all...

Selia Dawn Denby and Russell Stokes Merriman Jr., Fort Scott, along with siblings Alex and Caleb Morris, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter and sister Alyssa Dawn Merriman on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011, at 8:02 a.m. at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott. Alyssa weighed 7 pounds, 8.5 ounces...

Shirley Jean Knotts Merriott, 81, of North Kansas City, Mo., and formerly of Fort Scott, died at the North Care Hospice House in the North Kansas City Hospital, North Kansas City, Mo. She was born Dec. 11, 1929, in Fort Scott, Kan., the daughter of James Perry and Laveta (Strode) Knotts...

Jill Renee Kasselman, 36, formerly of Pratt, Kan., died Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011, at her home in Fort Worth, Texas. She was born Aug. 22, 1975, in Wichita, Kan. Jill was an honor student and cheerleader at Pratt High School and a cheerleader at Pratt Community College for one year...

Shane and Debbie Wakefield and Todd and Wendy (Wakefield) Diskin and families are hosting a reception on Sept. 3 for their parents David and Peggy (Clayton) Wakefield in honor of their 45th wedding anniversary. Family and friends are invited to enjoy cake and ice cream at 7 p.m. at the Linn County Fairgrounds. Casual dress. It is requested that there be no gifts...

100 YEARS AGO (1911) "I think this city should be named Great Scott instead of Fort Scott," declared N.W. Benning, the new secretary of the Y.M.C.A., in addressing two big banquet tables full professional men. Upon being happily introduced President George O. Bacon, the new secretary said he had heard a lot of good things about Fort Scott...

Representatives from the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Pittsburg State University will be in Fort Scott from 9 a.m.-noon Thursday, Sept. 22 for free individual counseling sessions. The sessions will be held in the Greyhound Room of the administration building at Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton. Contact KSBDC at PSU at (620) 235-4921...

Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, a nonprofit agency serving Bourbon County and 13 other counties in Southeast Kansas, is partnering with Cheney Witt Funeral Home to host "Companions in Grief," a monthly support group. The first session is scheduled to take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. ...

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is getting in the spirit of fall with a set of upcoming events. Along with its semiannual citywide garage sale and annual downtown fall festival scheduled to take place Saturday, Sept. 17, the chamber has organized a new event this year -- a scarecrow design contest for local elementary school and middle school students...

With the help of two grants, Fort Scott and Bourbon County residents could soon see development at the Riverfront Park. Two grants totaling $1,645,000 have been awarded to the Riverfront Authority to develop and construct of trails, a road and parking...

Fort Scott native Gordon Parks is one of five Notable Kansans announced by Gov. Sam Brownback during an event Wednesday at Fort Scott National Historic Site. Brownback visited Fort Scott to make the third of five announcements of the top 25 notable Kansans as selected by individuals on the governor's blue ribbon panel for history. Other names revealed during the event, which was attended by about 100 people, are Walter Chrysler, John Steuart Curry, Alfred Landon, and George Sternberg...

Uniontown's volleyball team finished second at the Three Rivers League tournament in Pleasanton Saturday and split a non-league quadrangular at Erie Tuesday night, putting the Eagles at 5-2 on the young season. Uniontown began the TRL tourney with a 25-11, 25-10 sweep of Pleasanton. Hayden Rathbun had 7 kills for the Eagles while Tayler Shook handed out 10 assists and Jessica Murrow served two aces...

CHANUTE -- Fort Scott High's volleyball team split a non-league triangular at Chanute Tuesday night. The Tigers defeated Colgan, 25-9, 25-20, but lost to the host Blue Comets, 25-11, 25-19. Mallory Shelton recorded 12 kills against Colgan and Ericah Shoemaker had 4 kills...

LOUISBURG -- Fort Scott High's soccer team defeated Louisburg, a four-time defending Regional champion, for the first time in the program's history here Tuesday afternoon by a score of 3-1. Wyatt Hulbert scored on a penalty kick for the Tigers' first goal. Andy Cowlishaw headed in a cross from Don Savage for the second and Savage scored third on a pass from Cowlishaw...

Coaches don't really like to use the word "rebuilding." First of all, there's still a team, so there's still a "building," so to speak. Second, it implies that a team's season would be moot. But in the case of the Fort Scott High School girls' golf program, six of the eight players are brand new to the sport. And it takes a while to pick up the nuances of the game...