News
Chanute Veterans Memorial groundbreaking July 4
The Chanute Area Veterans Memorial will break ground on Independence Day. The groundbreaking ceremony will be 7 p.m. July 4 at Santa Fe Park, just east of the ball fields. Laurie Kerns, Chanute Area Veterans Memorial fundraising chairperson and Legion auxiliary unit 170 first vice president, said the project has been in the works for at least 16 months. “We’ve had great community support from businesses as well as individuals.” A color g...
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There is no price on human life
I have watched the steady decline of Main Street buildings for years. I have gone into many of the retail stores and smelled the mold, seen the buckets placed under the leaking ceilings, and wondered why the retailers allowed their stores to be in this type of atmosphere. It wasn’t until becoming involved with Main Street Inc. and now the City Commission that I understand. The problem is not with the retailers struggling to make a living it i...
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Fireworks vendors line S. Santa Fe
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter South Santa Fe is a popular spot for firework vendors as Fourth of July activities kick into high gear this week. “This is a major thoroughfare in Chanute so whether you’re selling fireworks or any other product, you want to set up operations where there tends to be the most traffic,” said Derek Liggett of TNT Fireworks. “This is our fifth year to sell fireworks in Chanute. We opened for business on Sunday and w...
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‘Independents’ Day: Why shopping Downtown Chanute supports community
Phyllis Neff Executive Director, Main Street Chanute, Inc. In the United States, July is associated with America’s independence, a time when we honor and remember those who fought for and served our country and the freedoms we sometimes take for granted. But July is also a time to reflect on the importance of economic democracy and community determination by celebrating our locally-owned independent businesses. We have reason to celebrate ...
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Local band director takes part in PSU recording for movie
Stu Butcher Tribune editor For one day, the bright lights of Hollywood shone on current and former members of Pittsburg State University’s Pride of the Plains Marching Band. Among the alumni was Justin Robinson of Chanute. He is the K-12 music teacher for Southern Coffey County school district, LeRoy-Gridley. The musicians came together Wednesday in the midst of summer to rehearse and record music for a major Hollywood film, starring Will Far...
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County commissioners review proposed 2013 budgets
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter rs met in regular session Friday and reviewed a list of proposed budgets from various county departments. Commissioners asked county department heads to submit two proposed 2013 budget amounts. The commission requested proposed budgets without raises and proposed budgets with three percent raises. Road and Bridge Director Charles Morse presented his proposed 2013 solid waste budget for $141,786 without rais...
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Taylor wraps up national welding competition
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Brandon Taylor, a 2012 graduate of Chanute High School, returned from the 48th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference Wednesday wrapping up his two-year high school welding career. Taylor represented Kansas at the national competition held June 23-27 in Kansas City’s Bartle Hall. The yearly conference showcases the skills of career and technical education students from around the nation. “We...
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Kansas Legislature amends state liquor laws
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter The state legislature has amended Kansas alcohol regulations which will considerably relax existing laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages. The news came in a recent memo this week by Department of Revenue Director Doug Jorgensen. According to the four-page memo, the 2012 Legislature passed Senate Substitute Bill 2689 for House Bill 2689 which amends the liquor control act, the club and drinking establi...
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SEK-CAP expands transportation services in Neosho County
Tribune staff The Southeast Kansas Community Action Program (SEK-CAP) plans to expand its existing General Public Transportation service in Neosho County. Steve Lohr, executive director, said, “Tri-Valley asked us to consider offering expanded services when they decided to discontinue one of their routes in Chanute effective June 30. We were happy to help and agreed to accept transfer of their bus, if KDOT agrees.” “We were averaging 15 peop...
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Fourth sales begin Sunday, display at park Wednesday
The 4th of July is just around the corner and while it can be a great time to celebrate our nation’s independence, the Chanute Fire Department reminds residents of a few safety considerations. Tim Riggs, lieutenant and public information officer, provided these tips: • Always read and follow label instructions. • Make sure your outdoor area is safe for firework use. • Always purchase fireworks from a reliable, legitimate source. • Never give f...
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Murray Hill senior housing plans opening in July, holds open house
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter The former Murray Hill Elementary School is now the Murray Hill Senior Apartment Homes, and provides affordable housing for those 55 and older. Foutch Brothers property management is planning to open the property at 400 W. 3rd July 15, but that is a target date and not set in stone. There will be 24 apartments, eight with one bedroom and 16 with two. Murray Hill will also have a community room, internet cafe, wa...
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City launches new website
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Three weeks since it was launched, the City of Chanute’s new, official website, www.chanute.org, is being fine-tuned with several interactive features like emergency alerts, updated department links, and live video streaming of the Lincoln and Main intersection renovation. “About a year ago, we started receiving requests for proposals from several different firms who specialize in developing websites for municip...
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Cross country bicycle team brings message to Chanute
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Bike the US for MS, a cross country bike team raising awareness about multiple sclerosis, made a day-long stop in Chanute Wednesday at Santa Fe Park as part of a two-month coast-to-coast trek from Yorktown, Va. to San Francisco, Calif. Route leaders Jack and Anne Dillon, Towson, Md., are former cyclists but are still very active and supportive of the event. “We hung up our bikes a few years back, but plan to su...
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KDOT clarifies payment from county
Tribune staff There was much confusion last week over the “return” of federal stimulus money by Neosho County to the Kansas Department of Transportation for the Shaw-Elk Road Improvement Project, but KDOT spokesperson Priscilla Petersen set the record straight. During last Friday’s County Commission meeting, payment of $425,820.74 was approved to be made from the county to KDOT. The meeting minutes read: “The Kansas Department of Transportat...
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Erie to save $186K on electric plant decision
ERIE — The city of Erie will save $186,600 after the manager of a municipal power pool gave city officials good news. The Erie City Council during a regular Monday meeting voted to support a recommendation by Colin Whitley, manager of the Kansas Power Pool, not to install catalytic converters on the generators at the city’s electric plant. The recommendation was the result of a revision of National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Polluta...
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Bicycle duo passes through Chanute to end shark finning
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter California high school teacher Mark DiMaggio and a former student will cross into Missouri today after passing through Chanute Wednesday on a 1,200 bicycle trek from Colorado Springs to Louisville, Ky. DiMaggio, who teaches biology, environmental science, earth science and field biology at Paso Robles High School in Paso Robles, Calif., and Paso Robles graduate Devon Lambert are “Spinning to End Finning,” raising m...
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Planet Aid places donation boxes
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter Wondering what those bright yellow boxes around Chanute are all about? The boxes belong to Planet Aid, a nonprofit organization that collects donated clothing and shoes to be recycled. According to the website at http://planetaid.org, Planet Aid collects approximately 100 million pounds of clothes and shoes each year, which are then processed, bundled and sold to exporters who make the clothes available at low cos...
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Commissioners again table occupancy permit ordinance
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Chanute city commissioners tabled a decision at Monday’s regular meeting to draft an ordinance related to requirements for occupancy permits. The commission will consider aspects of the permit and flesh out the specifics of an ordinance at a commissioners workshop to be announced at a later date. A formal decision to draft an ordinance will be voted on after the workshop during a regular meeting. During public ...
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K-12 education goals, school finance discussed at KASB meeting here
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter K-12 education played a large role in the most recent session of the Kansas Legislature. Tuesday, USD 413 hosted a meeting with Mark Tallman, associate executive director of advocacy for the Kansas Association of School Boards, to discuss the effects of various legislation on education as well as how things might change in the future. USD 413 school board members, school administrators, and senators Dwayne Umbarge...
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Second Cash Mob Thursday at 5:10
The second Cash Mob of the summer will take place Thursday. Participants will once again meet in the parking lot of the Memorial Building. Meeting time is 5:10 p.m. When everyone is gathered, they will proceed to a secret shopping location downtown. Rules for the Cash Mob are: spend at least $10 per couple or family; meet three new people – or reacquaint yourselves; and HAVE FUN! Receipts will be collected for door prize drawings toward th...
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