Stories from Friday, January 20, 2012

Each school year, day one, I go over my class rules. Most are predictable: "Respect others." "When I'm talking, you aren't." "Feel free to sharpen pencils without asking," etc. None of those cause much reaction. But then I lay the BOMB on these teens. "All cell phones must be put in the basket by the door when you enter this room." My advanced students get a kick out of watching the incoming freshmen stare at each other, panicked. It's obvious what they are thinking...

The First United Methodist Church will be hosting a Friendship Soup Lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the church's fellowship hall on Friday, Jan. 20. The United Methodist men will be serving sausage-tortellini, hamburger-rice and potato soups, chili and venison chili, cornbread and the usual assortment of pies and a drink. Free will donations will be accepted...

Hope Chapel Assembly of God, Moran, will host a USDA commodities distribution on Saturday, Jan. 21. Food will be distributed from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. at the Hope Chapel Assembly of God Blessing Center. The commodities are for low income households in the Moran area...

We as a nation and people, for the most part, remember anniversaries, birthdays and other significant events in the history of our country and families, some of which are milestones. Mr. Webster, one of the author's best friends, defines a "milestone" as "a significant event in one's career or history." Therefore, as we, the United States, commemorate and remember the 150th anniversary our Civil War from 2011--2015, this was indeed a significant event and milestone in our nation's history...

Funeral services celebrating the life of Lewis M. Lyles, 84, will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, at Rose-Neath Southside Chapel, Shreveport, La. Brother Gary Boswell, senior minister of Westview Christian Church, will be officiating. Interment will follow in Forest Park West Cemetery...

Harry Leland Sellers, 84, of Fort Scott, passed away early Wednesday morning Jan. 18, 2012, at St. Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, Mo. He was born July 3, 1927, in Centerville, Kan., the son of Paul Laverne and Alberta (Downey) Sellers. He married Betty Faye Flora June 12, 1948, in Fort Scott. She preceded him in death July 8, 1986. He married Priscilla Isaac May 16, 1992, in Fort Scott, and she survives of the home...

Dorothy Christine Fry, 55, of Fort Scott passed away Wednesday morning, Jan. 18, 2012, at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, Kan. She was born Aug. 26, 1955, in Albuquerque, N.M., the daughter of Elgie and Wilma Christine (Gardner) Sprague. Dorothy graduated from Girard High School in 1973. She married Bill Fry Sr. July 31, 1983, in Walnut, Kan. He survives of the home...

Dasedin Lee Larry Goldsby, 23, Fort Scott, was arrested at 2:22 p.m. Tuesday by the Fort Scott Police Department for DUI, failure to report accident with damage, reckless driving, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and no insurance. He is still being held at this time...

Vic and Tena Anderson, Fort Scott, celebrated their 40th anniversary Saturday, Jan. 14. The Andersons were married on Jan. 14, 1972, at Mary Queen of Angels Church in Fort Scott. They have three children: Rob, Robin and Cooper Anderson, Wichita, Kan., Christy, Rick and Jenna Stockstill, Fort Scott, and Bryce, Lori, Brady and Brendan Anderson, Olathe, Kan...

100 YEARS AGO (1912) There are 20 new lawyers in Kansas during the past few days, two of whom are located in Fort Scott -- James and Kate Sheppard, members of the law firm of Sheppard, Sheppard & Sheppard. The 20 are those who successfully passed the state bar examination given at Topeka...

The Bourbon County Arts Council recently announced its 20th annual Fine Arts Competition and Exhibit. The mixed media competition is open to artists 16 years of age and older. Categories include painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, drawing and graphics, mixed media, pastels and photography...

Gospel music recording artists Phil and Pam Morgan will be appearing on Sunday, Jan. 29, at Cherry Grove Baptist Church, located eight miles South of Fort Scott on U.S. Highway 69. The program and concert will begin at 11 a.m. The husband and wife team from Kansas City, Mo., began singing gospel music full time in 1996, but their ministry came to an abrupt halt Sunday afternoon, June 4, 2000, when the couple's van crashed into a bridge. ...

Students wishing to flex their entrepreneurial muscles can participate in Achievement Planner -- A Top Business Plan competition starting next week in Blue Mound. Joe Rei of MORF Consulting, now based in his hometown of Blue Mound, said the competition is open to students from Pleasanton, Jayhawk-Linn, Prairie View, Marmaton Valley, Crest and Uniontown. Students and parents are invited to a kickoff meeting scheduled for 10 a.m.-11 a.m. in the basement of Federated Church, Blue Mound...

Fort Scott debaters placed second in the two- and four-speaker competition in the state contest. "I couldn't be prouder," coach Brian Weilert said in a news release. "We graduated so many seniors last year; just two of our squad competing this year had debated at a state tournament. The key to a successful program is continuity of expectations. These younger kids showed that they believed they could not only compete at this level, but do so at a high level."...

For more than two decades, the Bourbon County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program has provided volunteers to speak up for abused or neglected children of various ages. Program Director Christa Horn said Bourbon County CASA is preparing to start its 22nd annual recruitment campaign. ...

BASEHOR -- Tyler Adams had his second consecutive 20-point game Wednesday night as Fort Scott High's boys defeated Pembroke Hill (Mo.) 82-65 in the consolation semifinal of the Basehor-Linwood Bobcat Invitational. One night after falling to Ottawa, the No. 3-ranked team in Class 4A, Tiger girls dropped a 45-38 decision to host Basehor-Linwood in the consolation semifinals...

PLEASANTON -- Uniontown and Jayhawk-Linn will meet in the third-place game of the Pleasanton Mid-Season Tournament Saturday as a result of semifinal losses here Thursday. Of the Tribune Area's three boys' and three girls' teams, the only victors Thursday night were Pleasanton's girls and Jayhawk-Linn's boys, both in consolation semifinals...