Stories from Tuesday, October 24, 2017

The case of a local man facing a second degree murder charge was set over for a competency hearing in November. During a “no go” preliminary hearing Monday in Bourbon County District Court, Bourbon County District Chief Judge Amy Harth set a competency hearing for 9:45 a.m. Monday, Nov. 6 in the case of George T. Mellenbruch, 68, who is accused of second degree murder in the death of his wife, Diane P. (Smith) Mellenbruch, who died Sept. 10...

The Bourbon County Commissioners spent much of Tuesday morning discussing and hearing complaints about the Garland Fire Department. Following advice from Justin Meeks, county counselor, commissioners did not take a stance or accept two petitions residents tried to submit. According to Garland Fire District No. 2 resident Tom Applegate, the petitions ask for a consolidation of the Garland Fire District into the Scott Township Fire District...

With the American flag whipping behind him, Chad Johnson, carpenter at the Fort Scott National Historic Site, works on placing a pulley on the flagpole rope for the National Parks Service flag. He was using a boom lift to reach the top of the two poles in front of the fort Monday afternoon to replace the ropes, a task he said he doesn’t mind doing – even on a windy day. Johnson said he enjoys going up in the boom...

Fort Scott High School senior running back Zarek Fewell will go into Friday night’s final regular-season game versus Ottawa in hot pursuit of two school records. Fewell has rushed for 1,416 yards this season — an effort which includes a probable school-record 301-yard night at Chanute on September 15 — and scored 23 touchdowns (22 rushing and one on a reception), which leads the Southeast Kansas League...

ERIE — Northeast’s volleyball team was ousted from the Erie Class 3A Sub-State Tournament in the first round here Saturday as third-seeded Neodesha took a 24-26, 25-20, 25-23 win in the first round. Northeast’s season closed with a record of 14-20. Host and No. 2 seed Erie (33-6) defeated Neodesha in the second round, 25-9, 25-7, and went on to win the tournament with a sweep of top-seeded Riverton in the final, 25-13, 25-15...

BURLINGTON — The season closed for the Uniontown cross country team here Saturday morning at the Burlington Class 2A Regional Meet. Uniontown’s lone girl, senior Kathryn Bolinger, finished 39th with a time of 27:32.93. Kansas City Christian freshman Alysa Wagner was the winner in 21:40.52...

YATES CENTER — Uniontown’s volleyball team fell in the first round of the Yates Center Class 2A Sub-State here Saturday in three sets, 25-17, 23-25, 25-17. Keely Goodridge had 9 kills for the Eagles (12-24) while Maddie Ard had 8 kills. Yates Center (22-16) went on to beat Oswego in three sets in the semifinal before losing to Colgan in the championship match, 25-14, 25-9...

Independence earned its second consecutive trip to the State Tournament after sweeping host Fort Scott in the final of the Class 4A-Division I Sub-State Tournament in the new FSHS gymnasium Saturday. The top-seeded Bulldogs (35-4) swept the Tigers, 25-13, 25-17, and tied the school record for victories in a season. It’s the seventh time head coach Kristi Speicher has taken Indy to State in her 33 seasons at the helm...

By the numbers, Fort Scott Community College’s football team did not dominate Ellsworth in a non-conference game at Frary Field Saturday night. But they did what they had to do better than the visiting Panthers and that led to their third consecutive home victory, a 16-14 decision...

WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Fort Scott High School graduates finished in the top 15 here Saturday as Pittsburg State University’s girls’ cross-country team claimed the MidAmerica Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship hosted by the University of Central Missouri...

Deborah Diane Silvers, age 66, of Fort Scott, Kan., passed away Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017 at the Promise Skilled Nursing Facility, Overland Park, Kan. She was born on Dec. 11, 1950, in Fort Scott, the daughter of Perry and Juanita Blake Roberts. Deborah worked in housekeeping for several nursing homes and hospitals in the area. She attended the Fort Scott Nazarene Church, and enjoyed crocheting...

Editor's Note: This version was updated at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday with corrected information about Gavin Smith.