News
Royster students treated to flash mob by staff
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter During the 2012 assessment pep rally on Friday, the teachers and staff of Royster Middle School did a surprise “flash mob” style dance for their students. Social studies teacher Wendy Wawrzewski came up with the idea and went to Lance Burnett, the vocal music teacher. Royster Principal Brad Miner said Wawrzewski was instrumental in setting up the pep rally. “We’ve done it every year for several years now to get ...
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Safari Museum opens new mask exhibit
A new exhibit of donated African masks has opened at the Martin and Johnson Safari Museum¬Æ. Former Chanute High School wood shop instructor Wayne McDaniel crafted the new exhibition mounts and helped staff install 15 masks on Wednesday.¬†The display will be permanent with new masks rotating every few months.¬† These masks are made and worn by women in the Sande women’s secret society among the Mende people who live in Sierra Leone, West Afri...
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Chanute family initiates autism support group
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of an autistic savant in 1988’s Rain Man helped flesh out the face of autism in America. House of Cards followed in 1993 and tells the story of a mother who tries to reconnect with her autistic daughter following a family tragedy. In 1998, the thriller Mercury Rising made its debut in theaters and dealt with a top secret government code that was cracked by a nine-year-old autistic boy....
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Humboldt to adapt to ADA laws through DOJ agreement
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter The City of Humboldt and the U.S. Department of Justice have entered into an agreement to ensure civic access for people with disabilities, according to a release by the Justice Department. The signed agreement is geared toward improving access to all aspects of civic life for individuals with disabilities under the umbrella of Project Civic Access (PCA). “This has been a long, two-year process and we’re being...
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Wabaunsee County couple with local ties finish in Top 10 of national competition  
MANHATTAN – There is no “Golden Globes” of farming and they don’t hand out “Best Supporting Ranch Hand” awards, so when a Wabaunsee County farm couple finished recently in the Top Ten of the American Farm Bureau’s nationwide Excellence in Agriculture Award for young farmers and ranchers, they were humbled. “To be recognized for something you’re doing might lighten your steps a little bit, because someone is recognizing that you’re doing a goo...
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Ghost adventures scare up more events
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter The inaugural ghost investigation event Jan. 13 at the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Mu seum has been officially labeled a success. Beth Cooper, president and CEO of Ghost Adventures USA, said many of those who participated were happy with how it turned out. “They’re ready to do it again,” she said. Rebecca Layne, Vassar, had one of the most notable experiences at the Jan. 13 investigation. Her flashlight was...
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Five things while you wait
Rick Qualls First Baptist Church Stopped by the train on Main, I waited patiently for two hours (2 minutes by the clock). I looked up the tracks and down the tracks, there were railroad cars as far as I could see. Muttering under my breath I decided if I could turn around I could beat the train to the next crossing. And I did.¬† Turn around. I didn’t beat the train. The crossbars were down before I got there. Muttering to myself I waited thre...
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Kansas Housing details city and county data
Faith House, Murray Hill, others benefit from funds Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Chanute’s Faith House will again receive an emergency shelter grant from the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, just one of several funding projects announced last week in KHRC’s annual report. Five categories are covered in the report and include funds for emergency shelter grants, weatherization of homes, housing tax credits, local data for the First Time...
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Availability of ebooks delayed at library
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter The availability of ebooks at the local library was the subject of a program on Wednesday. Chanute head librarian Susan Willis and Chanute librarian Diane Barton led a discussion about ebooks and downloadable media. Currently, the Chanute library facilitates audiobook downloads through the Kansas State Library system. Only audiobooks are available at this time. Readable ebooks for Barnes and Noble’s Nook device a...
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CCT radio show brings 1940s to life
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter The radiowaves will come to life when the Chanute Community Theatre and the FireEscape Coffeehouse present a live radio play starting Thursday. “Rick Lowell, Private Eye” starts tomorrow night at 7 p.m. on the FireEscape stage. It will also be broadcast live on KFEX, 93.1 Director Scott Cunningham said the piece is a 1940s radio drama that follows the adventures of a private detective in Los Angeles. “He is on the ...
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City OKs water plant improvements
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Bids were approved for water treat plant improvements at Monday’s meeting of the City Commission. Commissioners authorized City Manager J.D. Lester to sign contract documents for the water plant improvements. In 2010, an energy audit was performed on the water treatment plant building and equipment. Several items were listed to improve energy at the plant including a pair of 16-inch water meters located at the...
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NCCC students organize dance for care center
Heritage Health Care Center joined the NCCC volleyball team in “Bringing Hearts Together” on Tuesday. The volleyball team, led by Coach Asya Herron, RSVP volunteers/NCCC ambassadors and the residents and staff put together a Valentine’s Day dance. The event planning brought together the older and younger generations to share their ideas and create the activities for the special day. Students and residents worked together decorating, baking, ...
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Library sweetens deal on Valentine’s Day
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter All things chocolate were definitely available at All Things Chocolate at the Chanute Public Library on Valentine’s Day. Head librarian Susan Willis said in addition to the regular cakes, pies, cookies and other foods that traditionally contain or are covered in chocolate, there were more interesting items for sale. “We have pretty much anything you can imagine with chocolate in it, including chocolate covered po...
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Walk Kansas registration is open; kickoff March 20
Walk Kansas registration packets are now available from local Southwind Extension District offices. The Kansas State University Research and Extension’s fitness program is scheduled to begin locally on March 18 and continue through May 12¬†The program is designed for teams of six friends, neighbors, family, or co-workers to cover the distance across Kansas during the eight week program. This breaks down to about 30 minutes of activity five da...
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Couple celebrate first anniversary after 20-year courtship
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter After being together for more than 20 years, an Iola couple decided it was time to tie the knot. Ina and Jack Day celebrated their first wedding anniversary on Jan. 3 of this year. And they marked the event by attending the First Thursday Dance at Chanute’s Central Pavilion. Jack Day had actually asked Ina to marry him two months into their relationship, which began August 17, 1991, but Ina was only fairly recentl...
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FET audit reveals little, lawsuit possible
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter The City of Chanute has completed its audit of Fry Environmental Technology (FET) and city officials did not get exactly what they were after. The city is trying to verify the original cost and manufacturer of a processor used in FET’s prototype. The processor was to be used to house the tires, according to JD Lester, City Manager. It is also the most expensive part of the prototype, with total payments of more...
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Vault Denim jeans, home parties make perfect fit
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Business is a lot like sports. In a competitive sense, everyone puts on their pants “one leg at a time.” The adage is no intended pun for Tina Gossett, a Chanute consultant and regional coordinator for Vault Denim, a direct sale women’s designer jeans company. “I began my business with Vault Denim after attending a few open houses. I joined the company in August, 2011 after seeing what a fast-growing, dynamic c...
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American Idol dream postponed
The American Idol dream was sidetracked, but isn’t over for Thayer native Kayla Thornton. Thornton, actually Kayla Satterlee now that she is married, confirmed by phone from her home in Tulsa that the group round was her undoing in Hollywood. “The group audition was really bad. The guy who forgot the lyrics was the only one to go through,” she said. Kayla said her group, who got about two hours of sleep, spent too much time on choreography an...
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Shaw Bridge closed for construction work
The Shaw Bridge project is under way. At Friday’s meeting of the Neosho County Board of Commissioners, George Finical, inspection personnel with Cook, Flatt & Strobel Engineers, P.A., updated the commissioners on the pre-construction work being done on the Shaw River Bridge Project. 160th (Shaw) Road is open to local traffic only on each side of the Shaw River Bridge between U.S. 59 Highway and Elk Road. The Shaw River Bridge is closed. Eve...
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Thayer student wins bee, Royster 8th grader advances
Trenton Smedley, an 8th grader from Thayer Middle School, became the Neosho County spelling champion Friday with the word “poisonous.” Jenny Angleton, an 8th grader from Royster Middle School, was declared the runner up with “scenario,” after a protracted back-and-forth with Angelo Andoyo, grade 5, St. Patrick’s Catholic school. Eleven students participated in the Neosho County Spelling Bee, which was held in the library in Royster Middle Sc...
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