Stories from Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Rowland E. Hyle, 84, Topeka, passed away Aug. 13, 2012. He was born Feb. 27, 1928, in Fort Scott, Kan., the son of Harry and Margaret Rowland Hyle. He graduated from Fort Scott High School and Fort Scott Junior College, where he played on the football team. He later attended the University of Kansas. He served in the U.S. Navy and was a credit control officer for Credit Union 1, retiring in 1995...

Jack Steele, age 82, of Osawatomie, Kan., died Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012, at the Life Care Center of Osawatomie. Jack was born June 29, 1930, in Fort Scott, Kan., to Andrew Thomas Steele and Carrie Ruth (Ralls) Steele. He was the oldest of three sons. He attended Uniontown, Kan., schools and graduated from Uniontown High School in the class of 1948...

A birthday celebration for Rosamond Shull and Raymond Hinderliter will be held from 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, in the fellowship hall of First Christian Church, First and Judson. Both are celebrating their 95th birthday. No gifts are requested...

Sean and Kirstan Fretwell and siblings Forrest, Bear and Canyon, of Brooklet, Ga., are pleased to announce the birth of their son and bother Trail Boone Fretwell. Trail was born at 2:50 p.m. Aug. 8, 2012, at St. Joseph Candler, Savannah, Ga. He weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20 inches in length...

William Joseph Gooderl, 38, Fort Scott, was arrested at 10:24 p.m. Monday by the Kansas Highway Patrol for driving while license is suspended and was released at 11:18 p.m. Monday on a $1,250 bond.

In Arcadia on election day, Jean Ham was the first person to cast her vote in the Arcadia Community Center. The board consisted of Manager Linda Morris, Patty Peterson and Mary V. Shead. Sixty-one votes were cast with Susie Swezey being the last one in a booth. However, added to Arcadia's credit were 31 advanced votes recorded in Girard. Please make an effort to vote in the forthcoming election in November. Polls will be open in Arcadia from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m...

100 YEARS AGO (1912) Recognizing the danger of further spread of infantile paralysis, which has already resulted in a number of deaths here and with which numerous others are now suffering, the Bourbon County Medical Society this afternoon at a special meeting advised that for the present at least, all children be kept at home; that they not attend Sunday schools, picture shows, parties, receptions of any nature, nor mingle together. ...

The Cherry Jammers will perform Friday evening as part of the summer Friday night concert series at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at the corner of First and Main streets. Sponsored by Cherry Grove Baptist Church, located eight miles south of Fort Scott, the Cherry Jammers are a popular local attraction, a news release said...

A Fort Scott Realtor plans to use a right-of-way just off U.S. 54 and 240th Street as pasture land for horses and calves. The Kansas Department of Transportation auctioned off the 3.44-acre parcel Tuesday morning. Minimum bid was $4,475 and that's what the acreage went for. The land is considered standalone for recreational or agricultural use. It is irregular in shape and unimproved with overgrown trees and brush, according to KDOT...

The grief of losing a loved one, anxiety after receiving a frightening medical diagnosis, or worry over caring for an aging parent aren't necessarily medical problems, but they can be spiritual ones. Mercy patients now have an additional place to turn when they need guidance alongside physical care. It's called e-chaplaincy, and it allows patients and their families to reach out to chaplains for prayer and support via email...

Following the USD 234 district budget hearing on Monday evening, school board members approved a change in board policy regarding the annual report to allow Superintendent Diane Gross to deliver it monthly, rather than annually. In her August monthly report, Gross said since taking on the role of superintendent she has began to formulate a foundation for establishing the district's new mission statement and goals...

City leaders have some options as they prepare to re-work the projected 2013 budget following a recent clerical error found in the county's assessed property valuation for 2012. Assistant City Manager Susan Brown said she found out about the mistake late in the day Friday and the Fort Scott City Commission has been contacted about a special meeting today to discuss and possibly republish next year's budget. All taxing entities in the county are affected and must now re-work their budgets...

The Office for Civil Rights is conducting an investigation into a complaint filed by a parent against USD 234, Superintendent Diane Gross said Tuesday. Gross told school board members about the complaint during Monday night's regularly scheduled board meeting following a budget hearing. OCR personnel are currently interviewing district staff...

The Bourbon County Commission will have a special meeting at 9 a.m. today in the commission room on the second floor of the Bourbon County Courthouse. The purpose of the meeting is to finalize the 2013 Bourbon County budget. A Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce coffee is scheduled for 8 a.m. in the same spot...