News
Saturday’s outage has far-reaching effects
During a hail and thunderstorm Saturday around noon, the city suffered a power outage that lasted about an hour. “We get our electric transmission service from Westar,” said Larry Gates, director of utilities for the City of Chanute.  “Westar had a fault on their line that tripped the incoming breakers.  We also had a communications failure to our SCADA system that would not let us see our other line.  We had to do some switching in the Ash G...
full story
St. Patty’s ‘Green Parade’ rescheduled
The St Patty’s “Green Parade” has been rescheduled for this Saturday at noon, beginning at Katy Park. Judging will take place at 11:30 a.m., so participants need to be lined up by then. If it is stormy again this Saturday, it will be cancelled and not rescheduled, said Sharon Stirewalt, Main Street director. She advised listening to KINZ Radio and checking Facebook at 11 a.m. for a decision. Call Sharon at 431-0056 with questions or email di...
full story
Elsmore woman killed in Thursday crash
A 45-year-old Elsmore woman, Tammy S. Hughes, was killed in a three-vehicle accident around 2 p.m. Thursday on Delaware Road, .3 miles east of US. 169 southeast of Humboldt (Tank Farm Road.) The Kansas Highway Patrol report stated Merle Beeman, 70, Humboldt, driving a 1994 Freightliner semi and Michael Dean DuPuy, 49, Chanute, in a 2001 International semi, were eastbound on Delaware Road. Hughes, driving a 2005 Chevrolet, was westbound. DuP...
full story
Local candidates stage forum
Marilynn Rutledge Tribune Reporter The Chanute Chamber of Commerce and Area Tourism held a candidate forum Thursday night for members of Chanute to get to know candidates better before the April 5 election. Candidates running for Chanute City Commission and USD 413 School Board met in the Chanute Memorial Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Because there are just three candidates and three positions for the Neosho County Community College Board of Trus...
full story
Worrying about relatives in Japan frustrating
Stu Butcher Tribune editor Takako Griffith of Chanute has been glued to the Internet since the 9.0 earthquake devastated her home country of Japan. The day of she immediately began making phone calls to her mother, who resides in a suburb of Tokyo, where damages were not as bad as in the epicenter in the north of Japan. Phones rang, but there was no answer. “It was very frustrating,” Griffith said. “I spent the whole day sitting in front o...
full story
413 students learn ways to get school connected
Connie Woodard USD 413 After listening to a nationally recognized speaker at Pittsburg, about 30 middle and high school students returned to Chanute energized and ready to “do something” to make their schools better. The goal is to get more students involved or connected at school, said eighth grader Storme Jones. Mark Scharenbroich said to incorporate more low risk activities and fewer high risk activities. “A high risk activity may sound...
full story
CES sponsors two through Compassion International
Connie Woodard USD 413 Chanute Elementary students are making a concerted effort to remind everyone at school about the girl from Honduras and boy from Ghana who they’ve sponsored through Compassion International. “The kids love doing it,” said Jennie Hasty, a volunteer at CES with her daughter Becky Clements, who takes care of the finances and correspondence between the school and the children. So now, in addition to picking up the donati...
full story
Erie High Business Professionals earn trip to D.C.
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter ERIE — Three Erie High School students in the Business Professionals of America Club are on their way to Nationals in Washington D.C. Junior MaKayla LaRue, and seniors Jonathan Bates and Bryce Ruble will make the trip to Nationals in D.C. on May 3 along with their advisor Karen Carlson, a business and computer technology teacher. BPA, a small but successful club at EHS, has five students who refine skills i...
full story
Take severe weather seriously
Stu Butcher Tribune Editor Tornado numbers were down in Kansas’ portion of Tornado Alley in 2010, Rob Lawson of the National Weather Service, Wichita, told about 50 people attending the Storm Fury on the Plains presentation at Chanute Memorial Auditorium Monday night. Attendees are taught the basics of thunderstorm development, storm structure, the features to look for, and where to find them. What, when and how to report information as we...
full story
Local couple witness Florida shuttle launch
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter Chanute residents David and Kathy Wright were able to experience something unusual for any Kansan. They were present for the liftoff of space shuttle Discovery’s last flight into space in late February. “All his life David has enjoyed rockets, and he is a remote control flyer. He has always wanted to see a launch,” said Kathy. Actually being able to witness the event was due in part to planning, and also a ...
full story
St. Patty’s celebration on Saturday
Chanute area residents are invited to “think green” and participate in St. Patty’s events downtown on Saturday. A 5K Run/Walk and 1 mile Fun Run is planned at 7:30 a.m., beginning at Katy Park near the baseball field. The event is sponsored by Chanute Community Foundaion. From 8 to 11:30 a.m. Cedar Lodge #103 will serve a Blarney Breakfast of pancakes and sausage at Masonic Hall, Elm and Highland. Prices are $5 for adults and $2.50 for child...
full story
Chanute’s Miller to intern in New York City
Fort Hays State University HAYS — A top New York arts and entertainment industry advertising agency, Spotco, reached out to a place “four hours from the middle of nowhere” to get a design intern from Fort Hays State University. “He asked where I was from,” said Michael Miller, Chanute junior and a graphic design major. “I told him, four hours from the middle of nowhere.” “He” was an interviewer from Spotco, interviewing via Skype. Miller ...
full story
USD 413 program to help lead students to career path
Marilynn Rutledge Tribune Reporter’ With a new funding law in place, Kansas schools have begun switching to a more effective way of educating, now relying on the use of Career Pathways and Career Clusters to place students in the appropriate courses as they correlate with future careers. Chanute High School Family and Consumer Science teacher Deborah Noakes is the first from CHS to take on new courses to follow along the lines of the new p...
full story
City approves move of farmers market location
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter This year the local farmers market will move from Katy Park to Santa Fe Park after the vendors voted unanimously to request permission from the city to move. At the City Commission meeting on Monday night, organizer of the farmers market, Carolyn Berthot, asked the commission to grant the vendors' request. "They thought we would have a lot more business and we would be noticed more up on the hill at the mai...
full story
Area briefs
Chanute High 4A chess champions WICHITA — Chanute High School earned the 4A state chess championship in Wichita on Saturday at the Kansas State Chess Tournament. CHS is also co-champs of the overall division 1A to 6A, sharing the title with the Purdy Homeschool and Chapparal.  Bob Larson reported four CHS players received medals and two tied for first,  Deric Marr and Freddy Foshag.  “It was a great, great day,” Larson said. “I am proud o...
full story
Erie woman killed in crash
Tribune staff A 35-year-old Erie woman died after a two-vehicle crash at 5:55 a.m. Saturday in Anderson County, .5 miles south of K-58 Highway at Colony. Trina K. DeMeritt, driving a 2004 Chevy Impala, was struck by a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Jesse J. Cooper, 24, Overland Park. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Cooper, a former Iola resident, was southbound on U.S. 169. He crossed the center line and the vehicles collided head-on.  ...
full story
NCCC hikes tuition and fee rates for fall
The inevitable happened at Thursday’s meeting of the Neosho County Community College Board of Trustees — tuition and fee rates were raised for 2011-2012. “This is never an easy recommendation to make when we have to increase rates to our students,” said NCCC President Brian Inbody.  “However, with our rapid growth, lower county valuation, and shrinking dollars from the State coupled with our commitment to provide a premier, quality education ...
full story
Local severe weather presentation Tuesday
Byron Shultz, K.C.E.M., Neosho County sheriff’s office, is heralding the severe weather season. Area residents are invited to attend a presentation at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 15 at Chanute Memorial Auditorium. “You can learn what it takes to produce a severe storm as well as what to watch for,” Shultz said. The presentation is sponsored by the Neosho County Sheriff’s office and will be put on by the National Weather Service, Wichita. “The pre...
full story
CHS chess team takes high hopes to State
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter Twelve members of the Chanute High School chess club compete at the State tournament in Wichita today. Eight of the 12 members are seniors who anticipate having a strong showing and compete for the title. For most of the seniors, it is their fourth trip to the State tournament. CHS math teacher Bob Larson has been the chess club coach for 31 years and has gone to State almost every year. His teams were gran...
full story
Evidence in drug case suppressed by court ruling against wire tap
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter On Wednesday Judge Tim Brazil determined the wire tapping used to find evidence in the drug case against Charles Bruce, Jr., was inadmissible. As a result all the evidence found through the wire tap must be suppressed. Bruce, 26, Iola, was charged in February of last year with one count of conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and one count possession of ephedrine, pseudoephedrin...
full story