News
Royster’s bet with Iola Middle School paid off
Tribune staff On Thursday, T-shirts with Royster Middle School logos donned the halls of Iola Middle School. It was a good-natured end to a challenge that raised funds to help build a clinic in Haiti after the devastating earthquake. After the earthquake, Iola Middle School students challenged rival students at Royster Middle School to raise money to send to Haiti. The losers of the fundraiser would have to wear T-shirts from the winners’ sch...
full story
Ornelas sentenced to 39-month jail term
Melissa Smith Assistant Managing Editor A two-year case against Chanute resident Kenneth Ornelas II, 39, came to a close Friday afternoon as he was sentenced to 39 months in prison and two years of post-release supervision. In December, Ornelas pleaded no contest to an amended charge of solicitation of aggravated arson, a felony. Prior to the agreement, Ornelas was facing two counts of solicitation of murder, two counts of solicitation of ars...
full story
Area landowners protest possible road closing
Harold Campbell Tribune Reporter ERIE — About a dozen Chanute city officials and area landowners descended upon Friday morning’s Neosho County Commission meeting to protest the possible closure of portions of 230th Road north of the Chanute city limits. “I’m against any road closure,” Mike Casper, a property owner in the area, said. “Most people are against it.” The county commission recently scheduled a public hearing for 10 a.m. Frida...
full story
Chanute not on top 10 list for Google’s test site
Tribune Staff Chanute’s David and Goliath struggle to lure Google to build an experimental super-high-speed fiber optics network in the city has reached a milestone as today is the deadline for municipalities to submit applications. A report released by Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Steketee Greiner and Company this week has ranked what it believes are the top 10 cities in contention to attract Google. Chanute isn’t on the list. However, the ...
full story
2000 census shows continued losses in rural Kansas
State sees increase in population of 5 percent, mostly in urban areas Mike Corn The Hays Daily News HAYS (AP) — Just as the 2010 Census is getting started, the last in a string of estimates on county populations has been released. For northwest Kansas, the results revealed a virtual bloodbath since 2000, the last time a complete census was taken. It was no cakewalk, however, between 2008 and 2009, the latest figures available. “It’...
full story
Humboldt charts course for growth
Harold Campbell Tribune Reporter HUMBOLDT — Affordable housing, extending zoning jurisdictions and annexation — these are some of the issues the Humboldt Planning Commission will be exploring as it charts the future course for Humboldt’s growth. The commission met Wednesday night for an informal work session with John Riggs, a consultant with Riggs Associates of Lindsborg, and Humboldt’s city planner to discuss procedures and possibiliti...
full story
Palm branches and unbroken colts
Everyone loves a parade. Palm Sunday is the day we celebrate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It was quite the parade. Crowds threw their coats on the road making a red carpet for the celebrity, Jesus. Palms were waving in the air and voices cheered. Jesus rode at the head of the parade on the colt of a donkey. Did you catch that? The unridden colt of a donkey. What a way to lead a parade, riding an unbroken colt. Not me! I don’t want...
full story
Chanute man to face trial in Allen County Court
In Allen County District Court on Monday, Zakary L. Markham, 22, Chanute, pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated criminal sodomy and rape. Judge Daniel Creitz scheduled a two-day trial on Aug. 11-12. A status hearing has been scheduled for July 15. Randall D. Lowry, Humboldt, was sentenced to 11 months in jail, suspended for 12 months probation, for possessing methamphetamine. Lowry must also pay court costs and drug treatment fees. Clay...
full story
CCT takes on ‘Godspell’ this weekend
Melissa Smith Assistant Managing Editor The Memorial Auditorium will be filled with music based on the gospel of Matthew this weekend as Chanute Community Theatre launches its production of “Godspell.” The show — scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday — will be directed by Rick Bushnell, Chanute High School art teacher. Bushnell has been away from CCT for nine years after working with the group for about 20 years. He de...
full story
Ag/business news
Grain commodity growers elect commissioners TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Agriculture Tuesday announced the names of farmers from the eastern third of the state who were elected to the state’s five commodity commissions — corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers and wheat. District nine includes Allen, Bourbon, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Greenwood, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson counties. Ba...
full story
KU to honor seniors from Neosho and Wilson counties
LAWRENCE — Students from six Kansas high schools will be honored Wednesday, April 7, by the University of Kansas Alumni Association and KU Endowment. A total of 38 seniors from high schools in Neosho and Wilson counties will be recognized for their academic achievements and named Kansas Honor Scholars at a 6:30 p.m. dinner and program at Neodesha High School, 1000 N. Eighth St. The Kansas Honors Program began in 1971 and has honored more than...
full story
Parsons business seized for unpaid taxes
PARSONS — State and local law officers on Monday afternoon closed a Parsons mechanic shop and seized the assets of the business to pay toward $571,419 in delinquent withholding and sales taxes the business failed to pay since 2001. Marty’s Automotive, 1831 Appleton, was closed for business at 1 p.m. Monday by agents of the Kansas Department of Revenue, ABC Law Enforcement and officers from the Labette County Sheriff’s Department and Parsons P...
full story
Erie tables decision on propane tanks
Tribune Staff ERIE — A decision about enforcement of an ordinance regarding propane storage tanks was tabled Monday night by the Erie City Council. Jeff Gard, Beachner Grain manager, asked the council to reconsider enforcement of an ordinance prohibiting use of storage tanks of more than 100 pounds. The council tabled a decision until it could obtain more information. The council also awarded a low bid of $23,900 to Jim Walters Mowing for...
full story
Legion’s Operation Comfort Warriors first in PepsiCo contest
Tribune staff WASHINGTON — The people voted and the troops won. PepsiCo has officially announced that The American Legion’s Operation Comfort Warriors will be awarded a $250,000 grant from the soft drink giant after finishing first in voting during February’s Refresh Everything Project. Internet voters were able to choose which of 729 competing charities would receive grants of $5,000, $25,000, $50,000 or $250,000. The top three finishers i...
full story
Thousands in state face delays in gov’t health care
TOPEKA (AP) — The sour economy has pushed a growing number of families into government health programs but in cash-strapped states like Kansas, thousands face delays in actually getting the coverage. Kansas has a backlog of nearly 25,000 applications for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and about 17,000 of those are more than 30 days old, up from only 10,000 about a month ago. State officials blame such delays on multip...
full story
Parsons Movie Gallery to close; Chanute store moot
Tribune staff The reorganization of a company under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code means that a Parsons video store will close soon. Movie Gallery, 1306 Main, announced last week that it is selling its DVDs in anticipation of the store closing. The Movie Gallery manager told the Parsons Sun on Monday that she doesn’t know when the store will close and is not allowed to answer questions about the closure. The Tribune was also told empl...
full story
City commission briefs
Meeting on hazardous materials on April 1 A discussion of hazardous materials storage and transportation in Chanute will be the focus of a meeting at 6:30 p.m. April 1 at the Memorial Building auditorium, City Manager J.D. Lester said Monday. The meeting will feature representatives from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad and Ash Grove Cement Co. Volunteers sought for committee on cable ...
full story
Patrol steps up seat belt enforcement
Tribune Staff Neosho County will be part of a 10-county enhanced seat belt enforcement effort in southeast Kansas, the Kansas Highway Patrol said Monday. State and local law enforcement are utilizing a special federal grant to step up enforcement of Kansas seat belt and child passenger safety laws in the area The enforcement campaign is designed to promote a higher level of seat belt usage and compliance with seatbelt laws in rural areas ...
full story
USD 413 outlines effect of funding crisis
Melissa Smith Assistant Managing Editor Only a handful of citizens showed up at Monday night’s community meeting to explain the effect the state funding crisis is having on school districts. A lively discussion followed the informational meeting and a variety of ideas were presented to bridge a possible $900,000 gap in Chanute school’s 2010-11 budget. The meeting started with Superintendent Steve Parsons explaining to the audience how the...
full story
City considers pool management plan
Costs thousands higher than originally anticipated Harold Campbell Tribune Reporter City staff has been asked to whittle down costs on a proposed management plan for the new aquatic center under construction as well as schedule a special meeting with the Chanute Recreation Commission to finalize operations plans for the center. With slightly more than two months remaining before the center’s opening, Chanute city commissioners ins...
full story