Stories from Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Dear friends and relatives, I am writing this to all of you at the present time. I hope in the coming weeks that I can write and answer each one of you personally. The letters and phone calls of love and support that I have received are overwhelming. Each letter has touched me very deeply...

Technology -- computers, television, cell phones, mp3 players and such -- make information and entertainment readily available. However, too much of a good thing may not be good for personal relationships. With parents and children vying for time on the computer or children each tuned in to their own music, interaction between family members may be nil. ...

Fred Conboy will be visiting Fort Scott on Wednesday, Aug. 1, for the first time in his new capacity as president and CEO of Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area. He will speak with Rotary on the topic, "Building Community through Partnership with Freedom's Frontier: 'If we don't tell our stories, who will?'"...

Laila and Joseph Berkey, Fort Scott, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter Emerald Lee Berkey at 12:51 p.m. July 26, 2012, at Mercy. Emerald weighed 8 pounds and 10 ounces at birth. Maternal grandparents are Don and Alisa Miner, Fort Scott...

Brittney Lea Ramsey and Charles Ray Haynes Jr., Bronson, Kan., and sibling Khiana Haynes are pleased to announce the birth of their son and brother Dezmond Elias Martice Haynes at 6:29 p.m. July 24, 2012, at Mercy. Dezmond weighed 6 pounds and 3 ounces and measured 19.5 inches in length at birth...

Jacqueline Jones and Robert Cole, Nevada, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter Hadley Makenna Cole on July 19, 2012. Hadley weighed 6 pounds and 15.5 ounces at birth. Maternal grandparents are Jesse and Cherly Jones.

Larry Dean Irwin, 28, Hume, Mo., was arrested at 12:30 a.m. Thursday by the Fort Scott Police Department for DUI and was released at 2:23 a.m. Thursday on a $2,500 bond. Kristopher Paul Dieudonne, 35, Fort Scott, was arrested at 2:28 p.m. Thursday by the Fort Scott Police Department for criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct and is still being held at this time...

Wilbur Edward "Big E" Eastwood, 87, of rural Centerville, Kan., died peacefully in his home on July 29, 2012. Visitation is Tuesday evening, July 31, 2012, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Schneider Funeral Home and Crematory. A funeral service will be held Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, at 10 a.m. at Centerville Community Church followed by graveside services at Centerville Cemetery...

Margie Lee Hughes, 85, of Springfield, Mo., passed away Friday, July 27, 2012, at James River Care and Rehabilitation Center after a lingering illness. She was born on Jan. 22, 1927, in Fair Play, Mo., the daughter of Frank Elmer Sprague and Serena Elizabeth (Hutchins) Sprague...

Orville Ray Scharenberg, 92, a longtime resident of Mapleton, Kan., died Friday, July 27, at the Prescott Country View Nursing Home in Prescott. He was born Aug. 23, 1919, in Marion, Kan., the son of Joe Scharenberg and Fay Selvy Scharenberg. He married Mary Anna Goertz on June 15, 1941, in Marion. She preceded him in death on June 13, 2005...

Lloyd Wayne Callow, 91, resident of rural Fort Scott, died Saturday, July 28, 2012, at Fort Scott Medicalodges. He was born June 25, 1921, at Pawnee Station, the son of Charles Curtis Callow and Winifred Lozier Callow. Lloyd was a veteran of the United States Army having served during World War II from 1942 to 1945. He attained the rank of sergeant while stationed for 39 months in Alaska...

TOPEKA -- The Kansas Board of Accountancy has announced that 27 candidates, including Amanda Lancaster of Fort Scott, successfully passed the computerized examination in the April/May 2012 exam window. As of July 2012, 11,640 individuals have been issued CPA certificates, of which 3,848 hold active permits to practice...

100 YEARS AGO (1912) LONDON, July 30 -- The judgment of the British Board of Trade Court of Inquiry into the Titanic disaster was pronounced today by Lord Mersey, the presiding judge before a large audience. The court finds that the collision was due to excessive speed, that a proper watch was not kept, that the ship's boats were properly lowered, but that arrangements for manning them were insufficient; that the Lapland Line Californian had attempted t do so, that the track followed was reasonably safe with proper vigilance, and that there was no discrimination against third-class passengers in the saving of life. ...

To the Editor: After reading last Saturday's newspaper, I decided it was time to write a letter to the editor. The article "Report Shows County Violated Statutes" was quite informative and interesting. It appears that the county treasurer's office has made several significant errors in their accounting procedures...

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Coffee will be held at 8 a.m. Thursday at Labconco Corp., 2500 Liberty Bell Road. Members can make an announcement about their business or organization by contributing $1 toward "Dollars for Dolly."

The city of Fort Scott and Consolidated Rural Water District No. 2 are initiating the first step in the Water Conservation/Drought Response Plan. The city is now in the "water watch" stage of this plan, in effect until further notice, a news release said...

Head injuries to athletes are getting more news coverage. Both young athletes and professionals are at risk, and not just those participating in the hard hitting sports. In an effort to decrease the number of athletes who return to play prematurely, the state of Kansas has passed a new law. ...

Enrollment dates have been set for all grade levels in the USD 234 school district. On Aug. 1 and 2, students in all grade levels including those for the Fort Scott Preschool Center, will be able to enroll at Fort Scott Middle School in the commons area. Anyone unable to attend either of those days will need to go to their respective school office at a later date to enroll, according to information provided by the district office...

A promotion organized by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is designed to benefit local shoppers. Eight local businesses will offer a "We Pay the Tax Promotion" this weekend, Friday through Sunday, that includes an 8.8 percent discount on all purchases up to $300, FSACC Executive Director Lindsay Madison said...

Movie theaters nationwide have increased security and Americans have become more watchful in the wake of a mass shooting July 20 at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., that left 12 people dead and dozens injured. The Fort Scott Tribune interviewed Fort Cinema owner Amanda Hale shortly after the shooting and the following are the Tribune's questions and her responses:...

Some 23 hopefuls for local, state and federal offices are expected to participate in today's Primary Election Candidate Forum. Hosted by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, the event will be held at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the Fort Scott Community College campus, 2108 S. Horton. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the forum starts at 6 p.m. Larry Gazaway, from 103.9 KOMB radio, will be the moderator...

More than 20 people crowded the tiny Bourbon County commission meeting room on Monday morning for a public hearing about a resolution to assess the debt incurred by Lake Fort Scott residents in Bourbon County Sewer District No. 1 from the construction of the new sewer system...

The Fort Scott Hurricanes celebrated their 10th league title in 11 seasons Monday night as they gathered for the season-ending awards banquet at Buck Run Community Center. The Hurricanes, who lost the title to Independence last season, reclaimed their crown in the home pool of the team that took it away. ...