Stories from Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Nick and Karen Graham, Uniontown, and sibling Leia, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter and sister, Piper Olivia Graham. Piper was born at 1:31 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20, 2012, at Mercy Hospital. She weighed 6 pounds, 11 1/2 ounces at birth...

Denise Morales and Walter Alfaro, Fort Scott, and siblings Fidel Alfaro and Walter Alfaro, Jr., are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter and sister, Isabela Rose SueAnn Agustina Alfaro. Isabela was born at 4:02 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20, 2012, at Mercy Hospital. She weighed 6 pounds, 11 1/2 ounces at birth...

Dorothy Josephine Armstrong, age 89, resident of Fort Scott, died Monday, Aug. 20, 2012, at Guest Home Estates. She was born Jan. 1, 1923, in Lee's Summit, Mo., the daughter of Fred Leban Prather and Myrtle May Acre Prather. She married Roy Wilbur Armstrong on Dec. 30, 1941, in Clinton, Mo. He preceded her in death on April 4, 2010...

Lois Meddock, 92 died, Sunday Aug. 19, 2012, at Lone Tree Retirement Center in Meade, Kan. She was born Sept. 13, 1919 at Uniontown, Kan., the daughter of Fay and Ruth (Bobbitt) Keith. She graduated from Uniontown High School and attended Fort Scott Junior College...

Bernice Louise Pruitt, age 101, resident of Fort Scott, formerly of Mapleton, moved to Glory from Fort Scott Manor, Monday, Aug. 20, 2012. She was born on the family farm just southeast of Devon, to James and Sarilda Killion, on April 30, 1911. She married Elza R. Pruitt in Fort Scott, Kan., on Jan. 29, 1934. After sharecropping for a while west of Devon, they opened a grocery store which they operated for several years before moving to a farm south of Mapleton...

Mark Leroy Shinn, 62, of Iola, Kan., died Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012. Mark was born June 10, 1950, in Iola, the son of James and Thora (Nichols) Shinn. He graduated from Iola High School, Iola Junior College and served six years in the Kansas Army National Guard...

Ivan Howard Bolinger, age 91, a former resident of Uniontown, Kan., and more recently of Olathe, Kan., died Monday, Aug. 20, 2012, at his home in Olathe. He was born Feb. 22, 1921, in Redfield, Kan., the son of Glen E. Bolinger and Minnie I. Steele Bolinger. Ivan graduated from Uniontown High School. He later served as a pharmacist's mate with the United States Navy during World War II when he was stationed in Guam...

100 YEARS AGO (1912) Fort Scott is entertaining the youngest licensed aviator in the United States in the person of Robert McCrum, son of the pioneer railroad man of this city. Mr. McCrum was billed to fly at Fairmount Park in Kansas City this week, but on account of an accident to his machine it was necessary that he cancel the dates, subsequently a part of the week will be spent here. ...

Allen and Linda Watt are proud to announce that their daughter Mechelle and Jerry Presnell of Wichita made them grandparents to baby boy Ronnie Wayne Presnell. The newborn was baptized on Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012. Congratulations to the proud great-grandmother, Mae Watt of Fort Scott...

To the Editor: Last week, meetings were held for three of the five Bourbon County executive boards that have been granted taxing authority by citizens of the county. In all three meetings, decisions were made by elected board members to keep current tax rates the same as last year and not raise levies. ...

Mercy Clinic physicians will donate more $2,000 to local school district activity accounts through funds generated by their annual sports physical clinic program. Each year, physicians and nursing staff at Mercy Clinic Fort Scott host sports physical clinics for area middle school and high school students at a cost of $10 each. In 2012, the clinic staff examined 226 students from Fort Scott and neighboring school districts...

Navy Seaman Kevin M. Butler, son of Shana M. Raciti of Arcadia, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Butler completed training which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness...

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Coffee will be held at 8 a.m. Thursday at the Fort Scott Livestock Market, 2131 Maple Road. Members can make an announcement about their business or organization by contributing $1 toward "Dollars for Dolly."

For 12 years, Mercy has offered free evaluation of student athlete injuries at the Bumps and Bruise Clinic. Mercy's free Bumps and Bruises Clinic will resume from 8-8:45 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 1 at Mercy Health for Life. Greg King, Mercy orthopedic nurse practitioner, and Sara Hunt, certified athletic trainer, will conduct the clinic...

Local pianist Michael Lundeen will be the featured act during a concert at 7 p.m. Friday at the Heritage Park Pavilion at the corner of First and Main streets. Lundeen has been playing piano since he was 6 years old. He has played for churches, weddings and other events. He plays mostly by ear, but can read music well...

Motorists heading east on U.S. 54 since Friday have probably noticed a delay. It's re-striping along a 3.5-mile stretch heading toward Nevada, Mo., that is slowing things down, Kansas Department of Transportation officials said. Work to make the stripes more reflective and visible began Friday and is expected to continue at least through the end of this week...

Dave Martin will remain in his spot as top city administrator for the next few years after the Fort Scott City Commission chose to renew his contract Tuesday evening. The commission voted unanimously to approve changes recently made to the employment agreement for Martin, who came on board as city manager in 2010. The main benefit of the contract extension includes a 2 percent increase in his salary -- from $71,400 to $72,828 annually...