Stories from Saturday, May 19, 2012

A celebration of life service for Gerald "Link" Hughes, 83, Perry, Kan., will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 24, at Mustard Seed Church, 700 Wakarusa Drive in Lawrence, Kan. He died on Thursday, May 17, 2012, at his home. He was a member of the Mustard Seed Church and the Alpha Course at the Mustard Seed. He was also a member of the 9th Street River City AA Group and Bricklayers Union for more than 30 years...

Eleanor N. Hergert, 87, Nevada, passed away on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at Christian Health Care in Nevada, following a lengthy illness. She was born Dec. 6, 1924, in Arcadia, Kan., to Steven Corder Stephan and Dessie Fern Smith Stephan. She married Leon E. Hergert in 1947 in Great Bend, Kan., and he preceded her in death in 1988...

Faye Covey, 90, formerly of 752 Lowman in Fort Scott and most recently Guest Home Estates, passed away Thursday, May 17, 2012. Faye was born Oct. 6, 1921, in Everton, Ark., on the family ranch on the prairie. Her parents were Robert Alex and Minnie Myrtle (Barger) Simmons...

Corla June Houchin, 74, Walker, Mo., passed away on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at Nevada Regional Medical Center, following a sudden illness. She was born Aug. 29, 1937, in Lowry City, Mo., to Floyd A. Bauer and Dora D. Taylor Bauer. She married James Houchin Sr. on Feb. 19, 1954, in Kansas City, Kan., and he preceded her in death...

Teresa Lynn Garren, 47, Nevada, passed away on Thursday, May 17, 2012, at her home in Nevada, following a brief illness. She was born Sept. 3, 1964, in Kansas City, Mo., to Junie "Duane" Kerns and Martha Renae Baldwin Kerns. She married Arthur Garren on Aug. 27, 2010, in Miami, Okla., and he survives of the home...

Jesse Lee Holman, 18, died on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at the Allen County Hospital, Iola, Kan. He was born April 8, 1994, in Fort Scott, Kan., the son of Mike and Lori (Nelson) Holman. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, May 23, at the Marmaton Valley High School New Gym. ...

Jay and Jessica Sloniker of Milo, Mo., and older sister, Lauren, are proud to announce the birth of their son and baby brother, Landen Alan Sloniker. Landen was born at 5:30 p.m., Friday, April 20, 2012, at Nevada Regional Medical Center. He weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and measured 20 and 1/2 inches...

The Vernon County Fireworks Committee has announced that the annual fireworks display will once again be held at the Vernon County fairgrounds and begin at dusk on Saturday, June 30. Last year's show was community funded and the committee is "trying to raise some money to pay for it" again this year, committee member Phyllis Sprenkle said...

BRONSON, Kan. -- Forty years of a traditional community gathering will be celebrated during the annual Bronson Day Saturday, May 26, at the City Park. Event co-organizer Alan Stewart said there have been a few events added to this year's celebration, which include a horseshoe pitch, barbecue dinner, a parade, kids' games and more. There is no admission charge for the celebration, which is sponsored by the Bronson Ruritan Club and Bronson Day Committee...

The national spotlight is trained on Missouri's 4th Congressional District with incumbent Republican Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler facing a well-funded challenger in Democratic Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley. The Harrisonville women are the only two candidates in the field of five to report big contributions in the race, featuring the side story of a former Republican Cass County presiding commissioner ousted by Hensley in 2010 but now running as a Libertarian and ironically poised to siphon at least a little support from Hartzler.. ...

Fort Scott Community College held three separate commencement ceremonies to honor more than 150 students who were eligible to graduate and walk the stage at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on Friday. "The journey is every bit as important as the destination," FSCC President Clayton Tatro said. "How we get there is every bit as important."...

Emergency personnel from the Vernon County Sheriff's Office and ambulance district and Nevada police and fire departments worked with Nevada High School administrators, students and community members to stage a drinking and driving crash so students could see its impact...

GIRARD, Kan. -- Fort Scott High School sophomores Jillian Lattimer and Katren Rienbolt each had issues to deal with in the week before the Class 4A Regional Track and Field Meet at Jameson Field here Friday. Lattimer was suffering from a lack of confidence. Rienbolt was trying to shake off the effects of a high fever that hit her over the weekend and didn't allow her to go back to school until Wednesday...