Stories from Tuesday, June 30, 2009

ch Stasha Richards will host a Basketball All-Stars Camp July 13-16 at Arnold Arena on the FSCC campus. This camp is open to kids ages 5 through high school age. The camp will cover a range of basketball skills from fundamental through advanced. The camp will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day...

Tuition costs will be up this year at Pittsburg State University. Last week, the Kansas Board of Regents approved a request by PSU officials to increase tuition for the upcoming fall semester. For undergraduate and graduate resident students, tuition will increase $116. Non-resident undergraduate and graduate students will pay an additional $251 per semester starting this year, a PSU statement said...

According to a press release from the USD 234 school district, beginning today a new tobacco policy approved by the USD 234 Board of Education takes effect. Starting today, tobacco use of any kind is not permitted at any time on any property owned by the school district. This includes buildings, campuses, athletic fields, parking lots, etc...

According to a press release from the Southeast Kansas Humane Society, pet owners should be cautious during the Fourth of July holiday. "Please remind pet owners to have a quiet, safe place for their pets during the Fourth of July," the press release said...

SEK-CAP workers were an integeral park of the Good Neighbor Blitz, a program held by the Good Neighbor Action Team that targeted houses of people unable to perform tasks themselves for repair work over the previous six days. But while the Blitz came to an end Tuesday, SEK-CAP's weatherization program will continue on through a $1.729 million block grant as part of what is commonly known as the "Stimulus Package," specifically the American Recovery and Investment Funding act,...

The Bourbon County Chapter of the American Red Cross plans to help several local residents stay cooler this summer. Chapter officials recently announced that the Westar Energy Fan Program will once again be available to qualifying families and individuals in Bourbon County. The program provides free fans -- which are donated by the program's sponsor, Westar Energy -- that will be disbursed to eligible individuals and families who meet certain qualifications...

The Bourbon County Conservation District is going to have a sign-up period for cost-share funds from the State Conservation Commission to assist landowners in installing enduring soil and water conservation structures. The State Water Resources Cost-Share Program for applying conservation practices is an asset in the important task of protecting the soil, water, and related natural resources of Bourbon County. ...

A meeting was conducted Monday night at Fort Scott Community College by the Shirley Yeager Animal Friends to discuss the future of the organization. According to Kathy Dancer of the SYAF organization, the meeting was scheduled to discuss the possible spay and neuter program as well as a feral cat program. She added, some Fort Scott city staff were in attendance to discuss a possible solution to build a new animal shelter...

About 30 Big Brothers Big Sisters participants made a splash at the Fort Scott Municipal Swimming Pool on Friday. Sponsored by a grant received from the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas, the local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization conducted a pool party for program participants. ...

Area residents are invited to take part in a 75th Anniversary fireworks celebration at Crawford State Park in Farlington at 10 p.m. on July 2. According to a press release, the fireworks celebration will include a balloon bounce, a silent auction, free watermelon and touch a fire truck. Music by The Earbenders will entertain event attendees starting at 6 p.m. Hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream will be available from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m...

Larry L. Peel, 63 of Fort Scott, Ks., died Saturday morning, June 27, 2009 at the Kansas University Medical Center. He was born September 20, 1945 in Fort Scott, the son of Leonard Leon and Esther Maxine Ater Peel. He married Beverly Lewis on September 18, 1964 in Fort Scott...

Orville Fredrick Schilling, age 89, resident of Fort Scott, died Monday, June 29, 2009, at Mercy Health Center. He was born January 8, 1920, in Mulberry, Kansas, the son of Charlie and Mary Cleffman Schilling. Orville married Emma L. Davidson on January 1, 1943, in Clarksville, Tennessee. ...

George V. Warren, age 90, a resident of Corpus Christi, Texas, died Tuesday, June 23, 2009, at his home. He was born July 15, 1918, in Ellsworth, Kansas. One of five brothers who served in the Navy during World War II, CDR Warren enlisted in the Navy, January 23, 1940, serving until retirement in 1970. ...

Dewey Max Hill Sr., age 81, resident of Uniontown, Kansas, went home to be with the Lord, Thursday, June 25, 2009, at Mercy Health Center. He was born October 9, 1927 in Clifton, Kansas, the son of Irvin Hill and Mary Johnson Hill. Dewey was a veteran of WWII serving with the United States Air Force. He married Lois Kathleen Brown on December 13, 1952 in Douglas, Wyoming. He was retired as a driller with a oil company. He was a member of the First Missionary Baptist Church...

All of my life I have had trouble remembering names. I hardly ever forget a face, but names seem to recede into my mind and are hard to retrieve. It is like a game, the harder I try to retrieve it, sometimes I just draw a complete blank. I hate to say or think it, but does this maybe just automatically come with ones advancing years? Not with me, I have had it as long as I can remember...