Stories from Wednesday, February 1, 2012

On Jan. 22, members of the Kalm family celebrated Hurl and Nellie Kalm's 76th anniversary. Nellie's 93rd birthday celebration was also on the same day. The event was held in the Community Christian Church where the family gathered to celebrate. A "Financial A-fair" has been announced by Gary Peterson for an Arcadia Festival Oct. 8. Meetings are on the first Wednesday of each month for anyone who would like to help. Call Gary at (620) 638-4726 or (620) 632-4718...

Editor's Note: Tara Solomon, K-State Research and Extension family and consumer sciences and 4-H extension agent, has given The Tribune permission to reprint some portions of her blog to share her experiences with readers. She is currently on a Rotary Study Exchange in India. Following are comments from this past week's travels...

Submitted to The Tribune More than 3,200 students earned semester honors from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., for their academic performance in the fall 2011 semester, a news release said. The university awards semester honors to students who earned a 3.75 grade point average or higher for the semester. ...

Missouri State University conferred 1,362 degrees during the fall 2011 commencement ceremonies Dec. 16, 2011. A total of 975 bachelor's degrees, 381 master's degrees, three specialist degrees and three doctorate degrees were conferred. Beyond the standard expectations, 53 students were recognized for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State's Honors College...

Nicole and Joshua Lattimer, Fort Scott, and sibling Jeremiah David are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter and sister Natalie Rene Lattimer on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, at 8:09 a.m. at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, Kan. Natalie weighed 8 pounds, 13.5 ounces...

Stephanie and Clifton Varner, Fort Scott, and sibling Austin Jeremy are pleased to announce the birth of their son and brother Owen Michael Taylor Varner on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, at 1:56 p.m. at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, Kan. Owen weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces...

Frances L. Wratchford, 78, resident of Fort Scott, Kan., died Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, at Fort Scott Manor Nursing Home. She was born May 18, 1933, in Fort Scott, Kan., the daughter of Everett Wratchford and Mable Manning Wratchford. Frances was raised on the family farm north of Hammond...

Dorothy Annie Sessler, 86, formerly of Uniontown, Kan., passed away on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, at St. Clare Meadows Care Center in Baraboo, Wis., with family at her side. Dorothy, daughter of Richard Herschel and Mabel Pearl (Richards) Coldren, was born on April 15, 1925, in Walnut Grove, Mo. She married Harold Sessler in Fort Scott, Kan., on June 15, 1944...

Brandon Richard Hixon, 26, Fort Scott, was arrested by the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office on a Bourbon County warrant for violation of protective order. He is still being held at this time on a $605 cash-only bond.

100 YEARS AGO (1912) The Droughon Business College team returned yesterday morning from Arcadia where they had participated in a game of basketball on the evening previous with the high school team of that city, and told of their defeat by the score of 14 to 7. ...

The House worked the first two bills of the session. A bill is introduced, assigned to a committee where it will have a hearing to receive public testimony, if the committee chairman chooses. Any person or group may testify in person or with testimony in favor or against and suggest changes to the proposed legislation. After the hearing, the committee chair has the option to "work the bill."...

A beef economics series webinar is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at Fort Scott Livestock Market. Glynn Tonsor, livestock economist at Kansas State University, will tackle questions of interest to stakeholders throughout the beef and cattle industry such as:...

Volunteers and contributions are needed to help open the new no-kill animal shelter south of Fort Scott. Now called Lee's Paws and Claws Animal Shelter, it has been in the works since 1998. The shelter is built and paid for, but volunteers and donations for basic operating expenses are needed to open the doors, spokeswoman Martha Smith said. "We're going to have to have over $100,000 to do this," she said...

A trip to the South this summer, including scenic views and a look at history, awaits area residents who sign up for an excursion offered through Fort Scott Community College. Don Miller, adjunct history instructor at FSCC, and Karen Keen, a travel agent and local graduate, have organized a trip June 8-12 to Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C. ...

UNIONTOWN -- Uniontown's basketball teams swatted away Chetopa's Green Hornets here Friday night in a Three Rivers League doubleheader. Eagle girls routed the Hornets, 63-20. Uniontown's boys drubbed Chetopa, 54-29. The boys were able to keep a hold of their share of first place in the TRL, improving to 5-0 in league play and 11-4 overall. Northeast (5-0, 11-3), the other co-leader, defeated Oswego Tuesday night in a low-scoring affair, 46-34...

COFFEYVILLE -- Fort Scott High's girls are 2-0 in Southeast Kansas League play after beating Coffeyville, 48-29, here Tuesday night. A 16-1 run in the first quarter in which five player scored gave the Tigers (2-0 SEK, 5-9 overall) control. They led 16-5 after one period and pushed it to 23-9 by the 3-minute mark of the second...

COFFEYVILLE -- Fort Scott High's boys bounced back from maybe their worst performance of the season Friday night at Independence to have perhaps their best performance of the year here Friday night. The Tigers never trailed and shot 55 percent from the floor in a 77-68 victory over Coffeyville in Southeast Kansas League play...