Stories from Saturday, January 17, 2015

Bourbon County rural firefighters responded to a rash of fires in various portions of the county Friday afternoon. Firefighters kept busy at four separate fires that included a brush fire, a fire caused by burning trash, one reportedly due to a welder and a flue fire...

Official charges have been filed against a 16-year-old Bourbon County male accused of sending a threatening email message to USD 234 on Jan. 5. The Fort Scott High School student was arrested Jan. 6 at the Fort Scott Police Department on charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated criminal threat. The Tribune was unable to confirm exact charges the juvenile faces or whether additional charges have been filed in the case...

As a result of a discussion on poverty held during the Gordon Parks Celebration in October, a new program is being organized to help bring people out of poverty. On Thursday, about 25 people attended a meeting to develop the Circles program in Bourbon County through Project 17, a regional economic development project. Heather Morgan, Project 17 executive director, facilitated the meeting...

William Marion Shrimplin, Jr., Nevada, Mo., passed from this life on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015 at Nevada Nursing and Rehab Center at the age of 83. Marion was born on Jan. 25, 1931 to William Marion and Anna Irene (Campbell) Shrimplin in Moundville, Mo. He graduated from Bronaugh High School in 1949. After working at Pryor & Oberlin Supermarket and Safeway Supermarket, he spent 40 years as a sales representative for Henry Kraft Mercantile of Nevada before retiring in December 1994...

Uniontown Junior High's girls basketball teams were swept by Pleasanton Monday and Crest Thursday. Monday, the "A" team lost 29-9 and the "B" team fell 11-9. Maddie Ard was the leading scorer in both games, scoring 6 points in the A game and 5 in the B game...

Fort Scott Middle School boys' basketball started the week with games on consecutive days. The Tigers went to Jayhawk Junior High in Mound City on Monday and played at home against Nevada on Tuesday. In Monday's games, which involved only each grade's "A" teams, the seventh grade won, 35-21, and the eighth grade won, 31-16...

Former Fort Scott High School and Fort Scott Community College player John McFall recently won his 500th game as a high-school basketball coach. McFall, a 1964 graduate of Fort Scott High School who also played at FSCC from 1965-67, currently coaches the girls' team at Mill Valley High School in Shawnee. Win No. 500 came against Kansas City-Piper on January 13...

GIRARD -- In a tightly-called game, Fort Scott High's girls were called for over 30 fouls here Friday night, leading to 42 free-throw attempts for Girard. The Trojans, ranked No. 6 in Class 4A-Division II by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, took advantage of the opportunites and converted 24 charity tosses in a 63-46 victory...

GIRARD -- Fort Scott High's boys scored the first 5 points of Friday night's game here. Girard scored the next 13 and never trailed again as the Trojans (8-0), ranked No. 2 in Class 4A-Division II by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, went on to a 60-50 victory...