Stories from Saturday, March 31, 2012

Joseph "Joe" Guilfoyle, 64, of Fort Scott, Kan., died on Thursday, March 29, 2012, at Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kan. Funeral services are pending at this time. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.feuerbornfuneral.com

James Allen Middleton Jr., 40, Sheldon, Mo., passed away on Friday, March 30, 2012, at Nevada Regional Medical Center, Nevada, following a sudden illness. He was born Feb. 20, 1972, in Farmington, Mo., to James Allen Middleton and Sharron Marie Stamm Middleton. He married Sue Ann Hites on March 10, 2002, in Greenfield, Mo., and she survives of the home...

Howard Francis Armstrong, 91, retired Fort Scott teacher, died Thursday, March 29, 2012, at Fort Scott Manor Nursing Home. He was born Jan. 25, 1921, in Hepler, Kan., the son of Frank W. Armstrong and Belle Watkins Armstrong. He was a 1939 graduate of Hepler High School and received his master's degree in elementary education from Pittsburg State University...

Donna Kay Beerbower, 67, a resident of Fort Scott, died Tuesday, March 27, 2012, at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan. She was born Dec. 8, 1944, in Nevada, Mo., the daughter of Donald Elmor Lawson and Nola Merel Holsinger Lawson. ...

UNIONTOWN, Kan. -- Uniontown's track team will be young, yet experienced this season, according to head coach Jackie Hall, who is preparing her team for Tuesday's opening meet at Oswego. The girls' team has no seniors out while just two, Dakota Henderson and Alex Bradbury, are out for the boys' team. But five boys and four girls are returning letter winners. In total, Hall has 13 boys and 9 girls out for the squad...

Native Nevadan Carl Clifton "Cliff" Wagner, a popular Branson singer, multi-instrumentalist, comedian and master of ceremonies who died eight years ago at age 47, was remembered last weekend at the First Annual Cliff Wagner Tribute Show at the Hughes Brothers Theatre in Branson...

The owner and president of a Fort Scott business was killed in a two-vehicle accident early Thursday morning in Miami County near Louisburg. According to a Kansas Highway Patrol report, Scott E. Klein, 57, of San Clemente, Calif., was killed when the 2012 Ford PC he was driving southbound on U.S. Highway 69 collided with a 1997 GMC Van driven by Marilyn Nickell, 45, of Drexel, Mo...

More than 1,400 students from 100 area high schools participated in the 31st Annual Key Industries Interscholastic Judging Contest Friday. Hosted by Fort Scott Community College, events began at 8:45 a.m. and lasted throughout the afternoon at Arnold Arena...

Nevada High School's two show choirs, the Soundsational Singers, a 37-member mixed choir, and The Treble Effects, a 29-member women's choir, as well as the Kids Camp Show Choir presented their annual Show Choir Showcase Friday night in the high school auditorium as a fundraiser for the choir. The choirs wind up their 2012 season on April 14 at the FAME Branson Show Choir Classic...

ST. PAUL, Kan. -- Uniontown's softball team swept St. Paul 8-1 and 14-3 Thursday in the Eagles' Three Rivers League opener. Uniontown head coach Alan Shinn was happier with his team's effort after an inconsistent outing in Tuesday's home split with Yates Center...

Groundbreaking on a new softball field for the Cottey Comets took place Friday; and philanthropist and P.E.O. member Dorothy Vanek was there. The Vanek Family Memorial Field is so dubbed in honor of her late husband, and in particular daughters, Debbie Butler and Nancy Vanek, who also are both deceased...

INDEPENDENCE, Kan. -- Fort Scott High School's tennis team played high-level competition at the Independence Invitational Thursday and finished fourth out of the five teams here. Defending Southeast Kansas League champion Independence and Parsons tied for first place with 14 points each while Arkansas City, usually a top program in south-central Kansas, was third with 7 points. Fort Scott finished with 5 points while Labette County failed to score...

INDEPENDENCE, Kan. -- Fort Scott High School's golf team took second place to the host school at the Independence Invitational here Thursday, which was not only the season-opening tournament but also one of the four Southeast Kansas League events for the season...

So much suspense -- and such a humongous jackpot -- had built up in the 42 states participating in Friday night's Mega Millions drawing that Nevada convenience stores were dispensing lottery tickets to customers like pancakes to hungry lumberjacks. Clerks said Missouri Scratchers tickets are usually much more popular than the multi-state Mega Millions or Powerball games, but that changed when 18 Mega Millions drawings had failed to produce a winner since January and the pot boiled over to $640 million-plus.. ...