Stories from Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Larry G. Carpenter, 73, of Farlington, Kan., died at 4:15 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011, at the Girard Medical Center. He was born Dec. 8, 1937, in Pleasanton, Kan., a son of Harry Franklin and Emogene (McCoach) Carpenter. He attended schools in Pleasanton, graduated from Fort Scott Community College and received his education in meat cutting in Wichita. He served in the National Guard...

Brenna Nicole (Stewart) Bollinger, 23, of rural Fort Scott, died Thursday evening, Oct. 13, 2011, at her home. She was born Aug. 11, 1988, in Fort Scott, the daughter of Brent M. Stewart and Ganette Linn Stewart. Brenna was a 2006 graduate of Fort Scott High School. She was employed at Firstsource Solutions USA. She loved playing all sports, especially volleyball and kickball...

Patty Lee Heckadon, 83, Fort Scott, Kan., passed away on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011, at Mercy Health System, Fort Scott, following a brief illness. She was born Feb. 11, 1928, in Metz, Mo., to Thomas B. Handley Sr. and Gladess Olage Killion Handley. She married John H. Heckadon on Jan. 24, 1947, in Pleasanton, Kan., and he preceded her in death on April 14, 2007...

Whether you decorate for fall with pumpkins, carve them into Jack O' Lanterns or use them to bake a pie, it is pumpkin time. The name "pumpkin" originated from the Greek word "pepon" which means "large melon." Pumpkins were once believed to remove freckles and cure snake bites. ...

As you all might know, I am a big fan of the big (great) band era. I have an album of big band music, and as I was playing it this weekend, I noticed a leaflet in the album telling all about how the big bands started. The following column was taken from this leaflet by "Readers Digest."...

Dorothy Mae Hall, 88, formerly of Fort Scott, Kan., died Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011, in Woodland, Calif. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.

100 YEARS AGO (1911) The Vaudette, one of the popular Main Street moving picture theaters, has been sold by P.C. Hesser, who has conducted it for a year or more, to C.R. Blubaugh, who came here from Omaha and who is now in charge, assuming the ownership after the close of last night's performance. ...

Oct. 29 is the closing date for the Farmers' Market. Even though that date is quickly approaching, lots of good things are to be found at the market. The most amazing heads of broccoli I've ever seen are coming in. You may not find a lot of sandwich-size ripe tomatoes, but you'll find a beautiful assortment of cherry tomatoes, including brown berry, black cherry, yellow pear, juliets, red pear and regular red cherry. They have the sweetest flavor...

Fort Scott Community College will host the annual Dan VandeWynkel Alumni Rodeo on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Arnold Arena. The event will take place at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The rodeo action will feature past and present FSCC Rodeo Team members. Highlighted events include bareback riding, barrel racing, goat tying, steer wrestling, bull riding, breakaway, team roping and calf roping. As an addition this year, there will be a student/parent team roping competition...

Fort Scott Community College's Harley-Davidson Technician Training Center will be hosting its SkillsUSA Poker Run on Oct. 29. The day will include a 100-mile ride of Kansas. The breakfast will begin at 9 a.m. with registration following from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The bikes will begin moving out between 11 a.m. and noon. The event will wrap up with prizes and a barbecue at 3 p.m. All vehicles are welcome to ride and the suggested donation is $5 a hand...

USD 234 will be hosting parent/teacher conferences next week. Conferences will be held at Eugene Ware and Winfield Scott elementary schools from 4-7:13 p.m., Fort Scott Middle School from 4:30-7:43 p.m. and Fort Scott High School from 5-8:13 p.m. All conferences will be held on Oct. 24 and 25...

The Old Fort Genealogical Society is sponsoring an Oct. 20 trip to visit the Mid-Continent Public Library Genealogy Center in Independence, Mo. It is the largest freestanding library in the United States with 52,000 square feet of research materials. The full-service library specializes in Midwestern history; however, there are sources for information throughout the United States. A tour of the library will be given for those who have not been to the center before...

A variety of classic cars and motorcycles were on display Sunday during a new event to benefit the Fort Scott Elks Lodge No. 579, 111 W. 19th St. The car and motorcycle show was an inaugural occasion for the Elks Lodge, event co-organizer and Elks member Brenda Collinge said. Between 150 and 200 people turned out...

The Molly Foster Berry Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will celebrate its 100th anniversary at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, in the parlor of First United Methodist Church. The public is invited. State Regent Mary Frisch and numerous other state DAR officers have indicated they plan to attend...

Accolades are coming to local schools from the Kansas Department of Education. At USD 234 in Fort Scott and USD 235 in Uniontown, achievement is being recognized in the tested areas of reading, math and science from the elementary to high school levels...

Two local residents were injured in a two-vehicle collision Saturday afternoon at the intersection of U.S. Highway 69 and Sixth Street. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol crash log, Jason Yakel, 38, and Nina Yakel, 35, both of Fort Scott, were hurt when the 1983 Ford truck they were traveling in was struck at the intersection by a 2007 Volvo tractor-trailer driven by Allen Cumpton, 53, Rich Hill, Mo...

A local youth center recently received some upgrades to its security system, thanks to help from a local supermarket. The Keyhole youth center, located at the corner of 10th and Main streets, recently received a contribution of a computer and monitor from Woods Supermarket...

A deceased person found inside a home that burned on Grand Road just south of Fort Scott on Oct. 13 has been identified as Brenna Nicole (Stewart) Bollinger. Bourbon County Undersheriff Bill Martin said the cause of death will be determined by autopsy to be conducted in Kansas City, Kan. Martin said Bollinger was identified through dental records...