Stories from Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Kareem Are is heading to the Sunshine State. The 6-foot-6 335 pound former Fort Scott Community College Greyhounds offensive lineman signed a national letter-of-intent on Dec. 18 to play football for the Florida State Seminoles in 2014. Are was also extended scholarship offers from Mississippi, Penn State and South Carolina, in addition to being heavily pursued by Kansas State and a host of other Division I schools. ...

Both Bourbon County Roads crews worked throughout Saturday in an effort to make traveling a little easier for residents during the ice storm, according to Roads and Bridges Director Jim Harris. "We worked all day Saturday and a little bit Saturday evening," Harris said during Monday's Bourbon County Commission meeting...

Marion Marvin Hess, age 90, of Hume, Mo., died Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013 at Prescott Country View Nursing Home in Prescott, Kan. He was born Aug. 15, 1923 to Joseph Dudley and Clemmie Joanna Smith Hess in Hume. Marvin was a graduate of Hume High School. ...

Lyn Eugene Wiley, 58, of St Francis, Kan., died Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013, at Presbyterian St. Luke Hospital in Denver, Colo. He was born to Lloyd and Norma (Mudd) Wiley April 5, 1955, at Fort Scott, Kan. He was an agriculture teacher. Survivors include his parents, Lloyd and Norma (Mudd) Wiley of Fort Scott; wife, Cynthia J. (Shafer) Wiley of St. Francis, Kan., sons, Dustin Wiley of St. Francis and Darin Wiley of College Station, Texas; and brother, Dion "Pete" Wiley of Fort Scott, Kan...

Edward Irvine Blincoe, 88, formerly of Fort Scott, passed away Dec. 17, 2013 in Denver, Colo. Following cremation, the family will hold graveside services in the spring under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home. Full obituary will appear at a later date...

Perhaps not coincidentally, the first official weekend of winter brought ice and snow that caused some minor damages throughout Fort Scott and Bourbon County. An ice storm that blew into the area late Friday night and into Saturday caused problems on area roads, brought tree limbs down and even caused some power outages in parts of the county this weekend, officials said...

Former Fort Scottian Father Dan Lorimer, 37, has learned some life lessons during his more than two-year service as an Army chaplain. He is home for the holidays after his most recent tour in Kuwait. "I think we hear about sacrifice, especially when it comes to country, but being in the Army I get to see that up close, when loved ones go overseas a number of times. ...

The Bourbon County Commissioners will finalize amending the 2013 budget during a public hearing set for 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 30. The amendment will reflect the revenue and expenses related to the April 7 hailstorm. In the meantime, they continue to scrutinize funds to determine if money is being placed and spent from the right line items...

Bourbon County Clerk Kendell Mason is warning residents that many will be affected by changes in the state Homestead and Food Sales Tax Refund program. The changes were announced in November and will take affect Jan. 1. Mason said she attended a state meeting to learn about the changes on Dec. 17 in Iola...

Sarah Steadman, 9, reacts as she sleds down a snow- and ice-covered hill at Third Street Park Tuesday afternoon. Steadman and other youngsters took advantage of the slick conditions caused by a winter storm that hit the area last weekend to enjoy some sledding on Christmas Eve...