News
True meaning of Christmas displayed
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter At the request of his mother, 22-year-old Anthony Cooper of Chanute expressed the deepest meaning of the Christmas holiday in the front yard of Lanny and Cyrilla Cooper’s rural Chanute home at 19352 Yale Road. Anthony, currently on break from his studies at Northeast Oklahoma A&M, took five hours last week to construct a life-size Nativity featuring the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the rest of the figures in...
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$25k needed to keep open Hope Unlimited
Iola Register IOLA — Hope Unlimited needs to raise at least $25,000 by next October to be able to continue providing outreach and sexual assault services. The money will be used to match state and federal grants that fund the services. Outreach services include support groups and assisting victims with transportation to medical appointments and court dates. Other services offered are crisis intervention, emergency shelter, child visitation ce...
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Pine Tree Farms open through Christmas Day
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Those in need of a local, fresh-cut Christmas tree have until Christmas Day to place their order. Customers won’t have to look far to harvest a real Scotch or Austrian Pine as local farmer Travis Russell of Pine Tree Farms will have trees available for purchase until the close of business on Sunday, Dec. 25. “We start our operation the day after Thanksgiving and close up shop after Christmas Day,” Russell said,...
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New school finance a concern for USD 413
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter USD 413 Superintendent James Hardy expressed concerns about Governor Brownback’s new school finance plan. “There are some real inequitable problems because of the lack of enrollment weighting,” he said. Under the current plan, school districts would receive extra money for students who had to be transported from more than two and a half miles away, bilingual students, or at risk students. “The amount to educate ...
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Body of missing Neodesha man found in Verdigris River
The body of a missing Neodesha man was recovered from the Verdigris River over the weekend. Kennon Landry, 44, had been missing since Dec. 2 when an oil worker found his truck rolled near the river, but there was no sign of Landry. A team from Texas, using sonar scanning, located Landry’s remains under brush in six feet of water about 100 yards from where his truck had rolled. More than 250 volunteers had joined the search. At least 30 horses...
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Checkpoint resulted in one arrest, violations
Tribune staff The Kansas Highway Patrol, Chanute Police Department and the Neosho County Sheriff’s office conducted a DUI/Occupant protection checkpoint Friday night. Twenty officers worked the checkpoint over a two and a half hour period on South Santa Fe. Five individuals were tested, including one underage passenger. There was only one DUI arrest, which was drug-related. There were two minor in possession violations and two cases of trans...
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Special delivery: Local pug bears nine pups
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Sissy, a two-year old Chinese Pug became the proud mama of nine puppies in a labor of love that lasted six and a half hours in late November. Sissy and Bowser, the four-year old-father, welcomed the litter of nine in the wee hours of Tuesday, Nov. 22 at the home of owners Marie and Steve Girard of Chanute. The delivery of nine puppies is uncommon among pugs, according to Marie. “Our vet was just in shock that ...
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CHS, TFI Family Services team up for annual toy drive
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter A pile of toys donated by a generous group of Chanute High School students are being distributed to area foster children as part of an annual toy drive hosted by CHS and TFI Family Services. “Every year we have an outpouring of generosity from our student body at the high school when we hold this drive,” said TFI Chanute Supervisor Amy Karr. “Without the assistance of these high school students, we would not b...
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Humboldt principal placed on administrative leave
HUMBOLDT — Humboldt High School/Middle School Principal Craig Smith has been placed on administrative leave with pay for personal reasons, said USD 258 Superintendent K.B. Criss. Because of the personal nature of the suspension, Criss was not able to comment any further on Smith’s status. Craig also serves as the district’s technology director and has been principal at the high school/middle school since 2005. Erie livestock ordinance changed...
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Shooting of dog investigated
Tribune staff A dog was shot in the area where Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties meet Nov. 15. The owner, Rod Clagg of Belville, Ohio, was visiting relatives in Kansas with Storm, a six-month-old English Setter puppy. Clagg trains hunting dogs for a living. According to Clagg, they were out with Storm when the dog got away from them, and his beeper collar showed that he had stopped moving. When they reached him, he had been shot through t...
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Shaw River Bridge work to begin
ERIE — At Friday’s meeting of the Neosho County Board of Commissioners it was reported pre-construction work on the Shaw River Bridge is expected the week of Jan. 16 by Dondlinger & Sons Construction Company, Inc., Wichita. In other business, commissioners: • Moved to hire Agricultural Engineering Associates (AEA), Uniontown, to conduct a Construction Quality Assurance investigation for $2,500 of a newly opened cell at the Neosho County C&D L...
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RMS holds annual drag car races
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Royster Middle School students enjoyed an afternoon of racing Thursday during the annual RMS CO2 Drag Car Races sponsored by RMS technology teacher Jeff Keller. Winners for the fall semester race include Jason Isle (1st), Victoria Jay (2nd) and Sydney Trout (3rd), all seventh graders. “The CO2 car is one of the original technology modules and is always a favorite among students,” Keller said. “It’s hands-on and...
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Solemn Choral Evensong program on Sunday afternoon
An early Christmas gift to the Chanute community in anticipation and celebration of the Advent and Christmas seasons will be given by the Grace Episcopal and the First Presbyterian churches. A Solemn Choral Evensong service, directed by Rob Jenkins, approximately one hour in length, will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday in First Presbyterian’s newly refurbished sanctuary. The 25-strong choir includes members of several local congregations. Jenkins ...
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Seniors recall Christmas memories
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter “The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting.” — Louisa May Alcott The atmosphere was sunny and friendly on Thursday as the Chanute Senior Center celebrated its annual Christmas dinner. Hannelore Mahoney will be celebrating her birthday on Monday, Dec. 19 and recounted a few of her holiday me...
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Low phosphate detergents raise city water concerns
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Maybe it won’t be necessary to get a new dishwasher for Christmas afterall, because the machine may not be to blame. Chanute residents with automatic dishwashers may have noticed a mineral buildup on their plates, cups and silverware. The problem has been observed throughout the city, according to resident Richard Benard who lives at the corner of 6th and Malcolm. “My problem started about a year ago,” Benard ...
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EPA, KDHE complete initial environmental screenings
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter The first phase of state and federal environmental screenings in Chanute have wrapped up, according to a release by EPA Region 7 out of Kansas City. Comparison air screenings from other communities in the state were not logistical, said EPA Region 7 spokesman David Bryan. “Air screenings are virtually impossible to compare because they are not long-term samplings.” Bryan said. “Since we are taking short-term ep...
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Commissioners OK budget amendment
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Following a very brief public hearing, Chanute City Commissioners approved the 2011 budget amendment at Monday’s regular meeting. Nine funds are highlighted in the amendment including industrial, special liability expense, recreation complex, special alcohol programs, tourism and convention, special highway improvement, g.o. bond and interest, TIF and the grant fund. Revenue from 2011 will support the proposed...
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Children’s book promotes southeast Kansas through eyes of terrier
A trip to Nashville a year or so ago gave Humboldt writer Jackie Witherspoon the idea for a children’s book. “My husband, Gary, was attending meetings so I had lots of time to shop,” she says, with a laugh. “Many of the stores I went into were selling a book about a bear that becomes lost in Nashville. While finding his way home, the bear discovers interesting places to see in Tennessee,” Witherspoon said. “The second I flipped through the b...
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County sales tax will fund river bridge completion
ERIE — The Neosho Board of Commissioners were told Friday the Shaw River Bridge project will be covered within the $15,000,000 maximum amount voters approved to pay for the costs of improvements to 160th Road and Elk Road with the imposition of a one-half cent county-wide sales tax. Road & Bridge Director Charles Morse said it was not originally thought to be enough money to fund the Shaw River Bridge, but the following cost saving measures a...
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Cable ONE expects to lose two channels effective Dec. 31
Chanute cable subscribers will lose two channels in January, but the local Cable ONE manager is confident the company can avoid losing two Pittsburg/Joplin network affiliates. Cable ONE notified the city of Parsons recently that the company is in negotiations with three broadcasters for retransmission consent. The following changes affect both Parsons and Chanute customers. The contracts with the three broadcasters, KOAM (channel 7), KFJX (c...
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