Stories from Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Those interested in volunteering for the American Red Cross should meet at 6 p.m. Thursday in the conference room at the Hawkins Public Safety Building, 1604 S. National Ave. Bourbon County is now part of the American Red Cross Labette Service Center in Parsons. Meetings will be held on the third Thursday of each month and this is the first one. Susan Davis and Patty Magee are the local contact people...

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Fort Scott Manor will host events Friday and Saturday. The facility, located at 736 Heylman, will start things off by hosting the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce coffee at 8 a.m. Thursday. Harpist Connie Wollenhaupt will perform from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Friday while a punch and cookie reception is held. Residents and their families will then have an elegant dinner with a main course of chicken alfredo...

Employees of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Fort Scott Presbyterian Village's parent company, will focus on the organization's mission when they simultaneously celebrate Founder's Day on April 19. They will honor one of the individuals who started it all -- PMMA's second resident, Alice Kalb...

The internationally acclaimed Dallas Brass ensemble traveled to Fort Scott on Tuesday and spent the day offering workshops and rehearsals for local musicians prior to their evening performance. The esteemed ensemble performed at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the Fort Scott Community College campus last night as part of their "Music in Schools" tour which brings the group to communities and schools across the country. ...

The first annual Strut Your Mutt fundraiser for Lee's Paw and Claws Animal Shelter will be held from noon-3 p.m. Saturday at the Fort Scott Community College walking track. In case of rain, the event will be moved into Arnold Arena on the FSCC campus, 2108 S. Horton...

After a lengthy discussion, the Fort Scott City Commission on Tuesday approved a temporary license for local residents to access city-owned property at Fort Scott Lake. The decision wasn't unanimous, but commissioners voted 4-1 to grant a temporary license to Byron and Nancy Maze to put in a driveway to access their property over city property. Mayor Jim Adams was the only "no" vote, saying he didn't feel he had enough information to make a decision during the meeting...

OSWEGO -- Jayhawk-Linn won the Oswego Invitational here Monday while Uniontown's golfers struggled as they finished sixth in the 10-school field. Each one of Jayhawk-Linn's entrants placed in the top 20. Uniontown's highest finisher was Seth Sympson in 23rd place...

MORAN -- Uniontown's softball team outscored rival Marmaton Valley 42-2 in a Three Rivers League doubleheader here Monday. Even more remarkable is that due to run rules, the entire doubleheader lasted six innings. The Eagles (9-1 TRL, 10-2 overall) didn't actually get many hits as Marmaton Valley's pitchers suffered from wildness. ...

BURLINGTON -- Uniontown's track team picked up three medals at the Waverly Invitational, held in Burlington Monday morning and afternoon. Kelli Wilkinson won two medals as she ran the 3,200 meters in 13:49 to place fourth and the 1,600 in 6:23 to place sixth...

PITTSBURG -- Due to damage at the courts at the Woodland Hills Golf Course, Fort Scott High School's home junior varsity tennis tournament had to be moved to Pittsburg State University Monday. "It is too bad that we had to play this tournament in Pittsburg," Fort Scott head coach Lynn Barr said. "Due to the wind damage to the fence at Woodland Hills, we had no choice. It would have been nice for these kids to get the chance to play at home."...

Fort Scott High School head baseball coach Josh Regan felt like his team was unprepared for Tuesday's Southeast Kansas League doubleheader at Lions Field following an 11-day layoff between games. And he wants you to know that's all on him. "We were playing our best baseball against Pittsburg (April 5)," Regan said. "We had a week and a half off and it was my job to make sure that we maintained that spark, that same pop. And I totally failed in that regard and I'll take that."...

From an early age, Katie Reihmann knew exactly what she wanted to be when she grew up -- a basketball coach. As a player growing up in a small town -- population roughly 2,500 -- Reihmann said she knew she wasn't going to play professionally. So the Marengo, Iowa, native decided instead to focus her energy on the game from both a player and coach's standpoint...

ELSMORE -- Anyone with an interest in the snakes, frogs, lizards, turtles and salamanders of Kansas is invited to join members of the Kansas Herpetological Society on their annual spring field trip. Bourbon County State Fishing Lake near Elsmore is the site of this year's trip, scheduled for April 27-29...

Ruth Audiss, 87, of Chanute passed away Sunday, April 15, 2012, at Heritage Nursing Home in Chanute. Ruth was born in Iola, Kan., on Dec. 21, 1924, the daughter of Arthur and Edith (Fine) Conner. She married Robert Audiss in 1946. He preceded her in death in 1997...

Kevin Duane Vankirk, 33, Rogers, Ark., was arrested by the Fort Scott Police Department at 10:37 p.m. Monday for DUI, transporting an open container, possession of opiates, refusal to submit to PBT, driving while license is suspended and a warrant out of Linn County. He is still being held at this time with a bond of $3,250 and a $500 cash only...

Two Paola teachers, who both grew up in Fort Scott, have been selected as USD 368's elementary and secondary teachers of the year. Lisa Collier was chosen as the secondary teacher of the year. She is the daughter of Larry and Charlotte Swaim of Fort Scott, according to a story in the Miami County Republic...

While Larry Shead with family, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Shead, Katy and Benjamin of Fort Scott, were attending the "2012 All Hit 103.9 FM Home, Sport, Farm and Garden Show" held at the FSCC Arnold Arena on April 13-14, they met with Mae Watt as she was checking out the vendor booths. They also visited with a cousin, Beth Murphy, daughter of Andy Corporon, who was working a booth for Heartland Propane of Girard...

The Fort Scott forensics team competed in two tournaments this past week hitting the road to both Louisburg and Shawnee Mission East. At Louisburg, a Thursday night affair, the Tigers managed nine finalists. This tournament did not allow those who were already state qualified to compete in those events, so many team members were trying new events and still having success...

UNIONTOWN -- Many schools around the country are giving students the opportunity to get "down and dirty" during class time. These schools are starting gardens, which provide students with an agricultural hands-on learning experience they cannot receive in the classroom. The Uniontown FFA will now be able to join the trend thanks to a local farmer and America's Farmers Grow Communities...

The monthly Hiatville 4-H meeting was called to order by President Hannah Fry on April 4 at the Hiatville fire station. Roll call was answered by "your favorite TV show." Seventeen members and two leaders were present. Under old business, we discussed the concession stand at the Slater Barn Sale, which the 4-H club will be running on April 15. ...