News
Be aware of (876) phone scam
In a Thursday press release, the Chanute Police Department reported that a Chanute resident received a scam call from an 876 number this week. Public Safety Director Sam Budreau said that the release is part of an ongoing effort to alert citizens to potential harm. The nature of this scam is that if the call from (876) 293-4821 is picked up, there won’t be anyone on the other end. This allows the scammers to see who is picking up the calls ...
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Chanute honors Babcock for commitment to athletic program
Brian McDowell Sports Editor Rex Babcock’s 34 years of commitment to Chanute’s student-athletes was recognized at this year’s Ralph Miller Classic basketball tournament. The new annual event’s sportsmanship award is now named in Babcock’s honor. Babcock, a CHS math teacher, did not know about this honor in advance. “I was really surprised,” Babcock said. “They really got me on that.” He was busy taking pictures, hundreds of pictures at the ev...
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Higher gas prices hit business owners, residents
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter With crude oil prices nearing the $100 mark, gas prices have shot up, adding financial burden to many Chanute residents. The hike in crude oil prices hits rural Chanute harder than many other areas with residents paying 11 cents more per-gallon for regular unleaded than other Midwesterners and four cents above the national average of $3.35. Local prices changed twice this week, the last .10 cents hike on Thursday....
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State legislation could mean more inmates, higher taxes
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter Kansas’ overcrowded prisons could lead to more felons calling the Neosho County Jail home and higher taxes for county residents. Last week, Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Secretary Ray Roberts and KDOC Executive Director Scott Schultz suggested the state look into changing its sentencing guidelines for probation and parole violations and add $5 million to the KDOC budget. During last Friday’s Neosho Count...
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Local gymnast makes national TV appearance
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter Local gymnastics instructor Casey Finley will make his second national television appearance Monday as he assists with a demonstration to promote the 2014 Winter Olympics. Finley, a Chanute native, will appear on NBC's Today at Rockefeller Plaza in New York Monday morning alongside Olympic Freestyle Skier Ryan Onge to assist in demonstrating aerial maneuvers that will start a one-year countdown to the 2014 Winter O...
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Researcher visits Safari Museum 
The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum is hosting international researcher Madie Armstrong this week. Armstrong is a native of Leicester, England, and is a Ph. D. candidate at the International Center for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort University. She is visiting the Safari Museum to study the newly acquired Elizabeth Main Le Blond collection of more than 2,000 photographs taken by Le Blond in the last part of the 19th and the ...
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Pool cleared to open despite drought concerns
Jimmy Potts Tribune reporter The Maring Aquatic Center will open this summer despite drought concerns after the Kansas Water Office (KWO) did not find it a major cause of water waste. Some questioned whether the Aquatic Center should open due to the worsening drought conditions during previous Chanute City Commission and Recreation Commission meetings. According to a letter sent by Margaret Fast with KWO, read by Chanute City Manager J.D. Les...
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Kansas Quiz Bee held on state’s birthday
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter The St. Patrick’s Catholic School Kansas quiz bee, part of the Catholic schools week activities, was held Tuesday in the gym on the state’s birthday. The single elimination tournament had nine teams of six to seven students arranged so that each team wherever possible had a representative from grades 1-5. The team names had Kansas and western themes like Pioneers, Bison and Twister. The questions were all relat...
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City Commission moves forward on smart meters; honors firefighters
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter The Chanute City Commission approved phase two of a survey Monday night that could lead to an update of city utility meters as well as more affordable television, phone and internet services. The commission unanimously approved a survey that seeks to greater understand Chanute’s needs when it comes to the hardware needed for future installation of smart meters, which could also provide television, phone and interne...
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Cleaver sentenced Monday in 2009 vehicular homicide
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter Garrett Cleaver, 28, of Colony, charged with vehicular homicide in 2010, was sentenced Monday in Chanute. As previously reported in the Tribune, Cleaver was southbound on U.S. 169 near the 35th Street exit, driving a pickup truck. Cleaver crossed the center line and collided head on with a car driven by Joseph Bagnato, 51, of Basking Ridge, N.J. Bagnato died from his injuries. Judge Daryl D. Ahlquist presided over...
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MRH selected to offer The Hartford’s AARP insurance
Stu Butcher Tribune Editor AARP is familiar territory for many Chanute residents. Now any questions about AARP’s auto or home insurance program can be answered by MRH Insurance Group of Chanute. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over that provides a wide range of unique benefits, special products, and services for its members. Ross Hendrickson, agent and president of MRH, is pleased to announce h...
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County reluctant about KDOT proposal
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter ERIE — An offer of $157,200 by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) seems too good to be true for Neosho County Commissioners. During his weekly update, Neosho County Road and Bridge Director Charlie Morse informed the commissioners of KDOT’s proposed deal with the county, which would give the county $157,200 in exchange for taking over responsibility for maintaining Kansas Highway 201. “KDOT approached ...
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Air Force sergeant makes surprise visit to CES
Joshua Vail Tribune reporter Chanute Elementary students Adolyne and Kai Ruggles got a surprise Friday — a patriotic surprise. Their father, Air Force Staff Sergeant Nathan Ruggles with the 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, visited CES Friday morning. Ruggles is stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita. He recently returned from deployment to Turkey. He started out his day explaining the history and purpose of the Pledge of Allegian...
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NCCC receives StormReady recognition
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter Neosho County Community College has received StormReady recognition, only the fifth community college in the nation and the first in Kansas to receive the honor. The only other college in Kansas to receive this recognition so far is Washburn University in Topeka. StormReady is a National Weather Service program that recognizes severe weather preparedness for counties, municipalities, universities and other locatio...
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Prom show to display latest fashions at FireEscape Sunday
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter Needing a prom dress? The Prom Spectacular Fashion Show will start at 2 p.m. Sunday at the FireEscape Coffee House. Talk of the Town owner Betsy McReynolds said this is different from past years’ events which have included bridal fashion, focusing just on prom and the latest prom fashions. “This year we decided that we are going to focus on more prom, because we are one of the few stores in the area and we serve a...
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Linemen thanked for hurricane relief efforts
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter HUMBOLDT — Months removed from Hurricane Sandy, linemen with Westar Energy continue receiving thanks for their efforts in restoring power to many communities throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Soon after Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett declared a state of emergency due to the encroaching hurricane, Humboldt based Westar Energy linemen Rick Snyder, Dennis Rink, Kirt Webb and Doc Holliday received notice that the...
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Older, wiser: Spring conference on aging in April
Aging with Attitude, a one-day regional conference focusing on issues associated with aging – and adding quality to life during the process – is being planned for April 26. The conference will be held at the Wesley United Methodist Church at 500 Leawood Drive in Parsons, with sessions planned from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Registration is $15 per person and includes lunch, refreshments, prizes and a resource fair. The conference is recommended...
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Daycare providers earn first aid certification
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter Chanute daycare providers learned essential lessons in saving lives while getting their mandatory first aid certifications Tuesday night at the Brighter Beginnings Learning Center. During the two-hour American Heart Association (AMA) Heartsaver course, local daycare providers discovered how to respond to a variety of medical issues from bug bites to severe spinal chord injuries. “[First Aid] is the immediate treatm...
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Erie High School
First Semester Honor Roll Erie High School First semester, 2012 Freshmen Riley Angleton, Audrey Audiss, Halie Bettencourt, John Bixler, Lucas Bloemer, Matthew Brungardt, Gabriel Gann, Courtney Gard, Ashton Hughes, Dakota Kincaid, Wyatt Mason, Chrisana Maurer, James Myers, Shivani Patel, Dominick Pontious, Dakkin Sexton, Madison Steenrod, Natorian Steveson, Ashlyn Taylor, Victoria Tharp, Logan Wilson Sophomores Heather Chaney, Cole Cramer, Rea...
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Year of Faith concerts continue next Thursday
St. Patrick Catholic Church, Chanute, is inviting everyone for another concert in a yearlong series of Year of Faith sacred music concerts. The next concert will be Thursday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. at the church, and features the Newman University Troubadours. The Troubadours are the premier select ensemble from Newman University, Wichita. In the past four years, they have been invited and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York three times and a...
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