News
Parents of slain woman retire organization
Mother of victim in 1993 a Chanute native The Associated Press LEAWOOD — The parents of a Pittsburg State University to advocate for crime victims. Stephanie Schmidt was kidnapped and slain just before her 20th birthday in 1993 by Donald Ray Gideon, a convicted felon who worked with her at a restaurant. He was convicted of her murder and is serving a life sentence. KSHB-TV reports Gene and Peggy Schmidt are retiring the organization “Speak O...
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Erie teacher to help review science standards
Virginia Wolken, a physics teacher at Erie High School, has been selected to be part of the Kansas Committee to review the national Next Generation Science Standards. Kansas was selected to be one of 20 states taking part in the review this past July. The Kansas Committee has 62 members, including Wolken and other science teachers, Kansas politicians and industry leaders. The Framework for the Standards was released by the National Research ...
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Legislators eye ‘jobs first’ initiative
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter Democrats in the Kansas Legislature are proposing a set of bills to bring jobs to Kansas. Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley, Topeka, and House Democratic Leader Paul Davis, Lawrence, along with members of the House and Senate Democratic caucuses, announced Dec. 20 the “Kansas Jobs First” plan that includes 14 bills to be introduced during the 2012 Legislative session. Of particular interest to southeast K...
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Police respond to self-inflicted wound
The Chanute police reported at mid-day on Tuesday that the department sometime had responded to a self-inflicted wound. They said they were releasing this information to dispel rumors, however, no other information was released, pending an official statement that has not yet been received by The Tribune. Next hearing for Whittley on Jan. 24 Laura Whittley, the former Thayer City Clerk, did not have a status hearing on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. as ...
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Library mural depicts history of Neosho Co.
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter Local history enthusiasts searching for a visual history of Neosho County won’t have far to look. Neosho Community College’s Chapman Library houses a historical mural depicting major highlights of the history of the county. Researched and painted by Winfield artist Marjorie Hall Bicker in 1998, the 95-foot by 9.5 foot mural winds around the wall above the library’s reading area. “This is one of the best linear ...
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Thirteenth annual candle lighting in St. Paul
ST. PAUL — For the 13th year, a candle lighting will be held the day after Christmas on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul. The candle lighting is the Wagner family’s way to give back to the community an event that can dedicate memories to those lost in a joyful, religious setting, no matter what denomination. “It is meaningful to us because there were so many people who showed their sympathy and ways of caring...
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City ends relationship with Fry Technology
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter After investing nearly $300,000, the City of Chanute has pulled out of an agreement that leaves the city with little to show for its money. Following 18 months with little progress, the city has officially terminated its working relationship with Fry Environmental Technology (FET) and its president, John Fry. Fry was to head a tire reclamation project in an agreement approved by the city commission in July 201...
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Urbana residents request return of four-way stop
ERIE — County commissioners heard requests Thursday from Urbana residents to replace a four-way stop intersection. Everett and Joy Underwood, Urbana, asked why they changed the four-way stop intersection to a two-way stop intersection. Underwood said there are children who ride their bicycles and people who walk and ride their horses on that road so he wants it changed back to a four-way stop. The commissioners agreed to have Road & Bridge Di...
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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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