Stories from Saturday, May 29, 2010

Recently, I learned that some more of my favorite weekly television shows were being cancelled. It is more than their loss that bothers me, it is also a reminder of that other "gorilla" in the room, getting older. At the end of last year's season, CBS cancelled one of my weekly viewing pleasures, "Without A Trace." I did a little online investigating to see if it was a lack of popularity, and to my surprise, I discovered that the real reason was expense. ...

Fort Scott-Good Ol' Days announces a new addition to the lineup of activities for the annual festival. Accel Aviation, a flight training business, will offer introductory flights at 10 a.m., June 5 and 6, at the Fort Scott Airport. The flights will be 15 minutes in length and are $40 per flight for up to three people. For more information call (620) 365-3100...

After the success of last November's Jason Aldean concert, Adam LaRoche's family and the Youth Activities Team has decided to do it again. The planning has begun to follow up last year's Ropin' & Rockin' for Pennies for the Park which raised more than $56,000 for the Ellis Park Project. The YAT has announced they, along with LaRoche and his wife Jennifer, will be bringing county musician Luke Bryan to the Bourbon County Fairgrounds on Nov. 13...

Staff Sgt. Ed Davis of Columbia, Mo., grandson of Clyde and Margaret Davis, Nevada, Mo., and Tom and Jean Eberhart, Camdenton, and the son of Lynn Davis of Nevada and Dorothy Eberhart of Camdenton, has been awarded the Bronze Star for his "exceptionally meritorious service as platoon sergeant during Operation Iraqi Freedom."...

James Dulin was born in Alabama, and for the first 23 years of his life, he said he "just fooled around." One day he answered a knock at the door and there was a Marine Recruitment Agent. "He said my mother told him to come by and talk to me. I decided it was time for me to change my lifestyle--and I enlisted."...

Bennie Curtis Culbertson, 81, of Fort Scott, died Thursday morning, May 27, 2010, at his home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home. He was born to Roy & Alpha (Mason) Culbertson June 11, 1928, and grew up in Uniontown, Kan. He married Nettie Ruth Cartwright Nov. 21, 1959, in Miami, Okla. She preceded him in death Jan. 30, 2009...

Jack Shields, 73, Nevada, died Friday, May 28, 2010, at the Nevada Regional Medical Center, Nevada, following a lengthy illness. He was born Dec. 8, 1936, in Bronaugh, Mo., to Archie Ray Shields and Milbur T. Cocke Shields. He was married April 11, 1964, in Nevada, to Marjorie Hammond, and she survives of the home...

Mary L. Journey, 79, of El Dorado Springs, died on May 27, 2010, in Eudora, Kan. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 1, at 2:30 p.m., at Evergreen Memorial Chapel, Nevada. Interment will be in Moore Cemetery, Nevada. View obituary and send condolences online at www.evergreenmemorialchapel.com...

Brent Haile, of Blairstown, Mo., and Susan Versilus, of Neosho, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashton Lauren Schulze, to Darren Ray Chapman, son of Keith and Susan Chapman, of Carthage, Mo. Ashton is the granddaughter of David and Connie Couch of Bronaugh, Mo. Darren is the grandson of Robert Richardson...

Ed and Linda Weaver, of Liberal, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Pamela Thompson, to Devin White, son of Danny and Rhonda White, of Nevada. Pamela is a 1998 graduate of Liberal High School and a 2002 graduate of Southwest Missouri State University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education. In 2004 she received her Elementary and Gifted certification. Pamela is employed by the Nevada R-5 School District as the ACTION teacher at Truman Elementary...

Ronnie and Carla Westervelt, Columbus, Kan., announce the engagement of their daughter, Kylie, to Ryan Edgecomb, son of Kenny and Donna Edgecomb, Pomona. Grandparents of the bride are Dorothea and the late Lawrence Westervelt, Columbus, and George and Phyllis Stapleton, Oswego. Grandparents of the groom are the late Jesse and Louise Edgecomb, Pomona, and the late David and Hazel McDowell, Ottawa...

Dean and Carolyn West will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on June 4, 2010, with their children and grandchildren at the family farm, north of Mapleton, Kan. The couple met while attending Pittsburg State University. Dean and Carolyn are both retired teachers from the U234 school system...

The children of Karen and Andy Johnson, Fort Scott, will host a celebration in honor of the couple's 46th wedding anniversary on Sunday, June 13, 2010, from 2-5 p.m., at Shelter House No. 6 in Gunn Park, 1010 Park Ave., Fort Scott. The event is open to friends and family. ...

A card shower will be held for Kenneth and Lucile (Deer) Bacon, in honor of their 65th wedding anniversary. The couple were married in Iola, Kan., on June 6, 1945. The Bacons have five children with spouses: Harley and Beverly Fuhrman of Bronson, Charles and Cris Bacon of Moran, Doug and Paula Bacon of Towanda, Jason and Cindy Mefford of Mapleton, Phil and Jean Davolt of Valley Center. They have 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren...

With the big unofficial start of the summer outdoor season, campers, boaters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiast are set to take advantage of the holiday. However, hunters like Russell Blake, Clinton, was able to get a jump start on the big weekend...

For the second time in three days a Nevada golfer has scored a hole-in-one, usually a very rare feat. Thursday, Circuit Judge James Bickel sank the ace at the Nevada Country Club course. The ace is defined as "when a player hits the ball directly from the tee into the cup with one shot." According the Golf Digest magazine, the odds of an amateur player hitting a hole-in-one range from 5,000-12,000-to-1...

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- Tuesday afternoon, Fort Scott Community College and KSEK radio will hold a press conference on the FSCC campus to discuss major changes to the sports broadcasting arena in the four states and how that will impact Greyhound Athletics...

SALINA, Kan. -- When eighth-seeded Valley Center started the Kansas Class 4A State Baseball Tournament here Friday by knocking out undefeated Silver Lake, it blew the tourney wide open. In the second game, traditional Class 4A power Kansas City Bishop Ward closed the door on Fort Scott High's season, taking advantage of four Tiger errors to prevail 5-0...

WICHITA, Kan. -- Two area schools have produced Kansas state champions on the first day of the Kansas State Track and Field Championships here Friday. Fort Scott junior Griffin Knopp won the Class 4A high jump as he was able to clear 6 feet, 6 inches. Four others had a shot to tie Knopp but couldn't clear that height themselves. Jesse Bahner of Carbondale-Santa Fe Trail was awarded second place at 6' 4" after he and three others tied at that height...

Hi neighbors. As many of you know I am deeply addicted to genealogy. To genealogists, Memorial Day is like an annual pilgrimage to various cemetery holy lands. We all know Memorial Day is intended as a day to remember those service men and women who have died after (or for too many, while) in the United States military. Through the years the holiday became associated with honoring all the dead in one's family...