Stories from Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Betty JoAnn Cooper, age 75, a resident of Richards, Mo., died Monday, August 18, 2008, at her home in Richards, following a cancer illness. She was born May 12, 1933, in Richards, Mo., the daughter of Clyde Rye and Frances V. "Toss" Norris Rye. She married Thomas G. Cooper on December 25, 1949, at Richards, Mo. In addition to being a homemaker, Betty had worked for Wal-Mart in Fort Scott as head of the clothing department. She was known for helping the elderly of her community...

Bertha Marie Bell, 72 of Fort Scott, Kan., formerly of Frontenac, Kan., died at 5:20 p.m., Saturday, August 16, 2008, at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott, Kan. Bertha was born December 10, 1935, in Mulberry, Kan., to Ray Forest and Hazel G. (Swartz) Cox. She attended area schools in Mulberry, Kan...

Edmund Joseph Bliznick, resident of 912 Linn, Bronson, Kan., died unexpectedly Tuesday, August 19, 2008, at his home. He was born February 11, 1926, in Chicago, Ill., the son of Michael Bliznickowicz and Victoria Guzy Bliznickowicz. He married Shirley Gogerty on February 20, 1943, in Chicago. ...

Make laundry tasks environmentally friendly. Many liquid laundry detergent containers -- as well as dishwashing detergent containers -- are smaller than they used to be. These "ultra" detergents are concentrated, so they come in smaller packages, yet offer the same cleaning power as similar products in larger packages...

The other morning I woke up quite early, 5 a.m., for no apparent reason. So I decided to go out on the front porch and sit for a spell and enjoy the nice cool breeze and quietness. I got to thinking about my date for my second complete knee operation, August 26, and the more I thought about it, the more I didn't want to have it...

Developmental screenings will be available for preschool aged children at West Bourbon Elementary, Friday, Aug. 29, from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. The purpose of the screening clinic is to locate children with possible developmental delays that may need special education or related services or who need assistance with referrals to other service related agencies. ...

Pittsburg State University would like to announce local graduates that have recently graduated with department honors. In order to graduate with department honors, a student must maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher and have a minimum of nine semester hours of course work in the student's major department taken...

In an effort to provide local residents with a wide variety of health and safety information, the City of Mapleton will be hosting a First Annual Health and Safety Fair, Saturday, Aug. 23, beginning at 4 p.m., at the Community Center in Mapleton. Sponsors of the event include the City of Mapleton and the Little Guy of Mapleton, LLC...

Each year, an average of 2,096 children 14 years of age and younger die as a result of a home injury, according to a statement from the Safe Kids Kansas organization. Parents who have taken safety precautions around the home need to make sure their baby-sitters are familiar with these measures, the statement said...

A local man was recently arrested for a probation violation resulting from drug charges. Quintin Duran Grant, 25, Fort Scott, was arrested at 10:42 p.m. on Monday, on a Bourbon County warrant for violating his probation. As of press time, Quintin was still being held at the Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center...

Tuesday night's city commission meeting covered three main topics of discussion; broadcasting city commission meetings, demolition of properties and concerns with the StreetScape project. A motion to adjourn was interrupted by a citizen in attendance who wished to discuss the work being done on the StreetScape project. ...

Coming to college for the first time can be a daunting experience, to say the least. Between finding your classes, meeting new people, adjusting to a new schedule and moving to a new place, it's a series of life changes that can be quite overwhelming for some students...

A gala celebration to help fund the construction of homes for individuals with developmental disabilities is currently planned to take place next month in Iola. The Fourth Annual Friends of Tri-Valley Foundation Gala, currently scheduled to take place from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9 at Madison Avenue Steaks and Chops, 415 W. Madison Ave., Iola, will include an evening of food, music and entertainment, auctions of various celebrity items and sports memorabilia, and other activities...

In order to cause a minimal amount of road disturbance on Main Street, Kissick Construction Company, Inc., Project Superintendent Mike Eddings said construction workers will install new water lines on Main Street without tearing up the road as they did on First and Scott streets...