Stories from Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Superintendent Bob Beckham provided USD 234 Board of Education members with an update on various continuing summer school bond projects during their Monday meeting. Beckham said cleanup of asbestos at Fort Scott High School "went exactly as planned" and "soft demolition" at the high school's old three-story Juco wing, which began last week, is nearly complete. Construction crews have opened each floor of the Juco wing on the west side in order to drop soft materials out and haul them off...

In spite of the challenges of shifting resources, the USD 235 Board of Education is moving forward with a five-year plan. "The current five-year plan will result in cash balances of $324,718 at the end of the 2020 school year," Superintendent Randy Rockhold told the board at its regular meeting Monday. "This is primarily due to the fact that our carry-over at the end of the 2015 school year was $46,767 more than anticipated. This district is very solid. We have $100,000, even five years out."...

Janie Sue Thompson, age 68, a resident of Fort Scott, Kan., died Friday, July 10, 2015, at the Fort Scott Manor. She was born Oct. 26, 1946, in Coffeyville, Kan., the daughter of Harold Gelon Abildgaard and Beulah V. Woodall Abildgaard. She married Levi Thompson. They were later divorced. Janie had worked in customer service with the insurance industry...

Joann Hays, age 72, a resident of Fort Scott, Kan., died Monday, July 13, 2015, at the Olathe Medical Center, in Olathe, Kan., due to pulmonary fibrosis. Joann was born Nov. 14, 1942, to Calvert Sipe and Josephine Finney Sipe. Joann graduated from Uniontown High School with the class of 1960. ...

James Joseph DeMoss age 65, of Fort Scott, Kan., died Sunday, July 12, 2015 at the Neosho Regional Medical Center in Chanute, Kan. James was born Oct. 3, 1949 in Paola, Kan., the fifth of six children born to Chloris Ione and Gladys Maxine (Shoemaker) DeMoss. He grew up in LaCygne and attended school there for most of his school years. At the age of 14 he acquired a position at Willards IGA in Osawatomie, Kan., and then later secured a position at the Ford garage as a mechanic...

James Joseph DeMoss age 65, of Fort Scott, Kan., died Sunday, July 12, 2015 at the Neosho Regional Medical Center in Chanute, Kan. James was born Oct. 3, 1949 in Paola, Kan., the fifth of six children born to Chloris Ione and Gladys Maxine (Shoemaker) DeMoss. He grew up in LaCygne and attended school there for most of his school years. At the age of 14 he acquired a position at Willards IGA in Osawatomie, Kan., and then later secured a position at the Ford garage as a mechanic...