Community News
Five vie for four seats on USD 413 Board
On Tuesday, Chanute voters will elect three members of the USD 413 Board of Education. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are five candidates in the commission race: Sean D. Bowman, John Graham, Ross T. Hendrickson (incumbent), Bradley LaRue, Kellie Thomen (incumbent). The following is a profile of the candidates: Bowman: Grew up in Fort Scott and has resided in Chanute since 1996 when employed by USD 413 as a Chemistry and sc...
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New downtown business adds fabric to lives
Marilynn Rutledge Tribune Reporter Main Street’s newest business, Threadworks1, 313 E. Main, has thus far been a huge success in Chanute, with quilters, sewers and crafters flocking to the new location for their large variety of fabrics, sewing notions and lots of other creative options. “It’s been very nice, well received. Everyone has been very nice to work with,” owner Brenda Flowers said. Brenda and her husband, Del Flowers, have oper...
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Rent-A-Center matches BBBS donations
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter In a fundraising incentive that began on March 25 Rent-A-Center employees are encouraging customers to support children facing adversity by donating a dollar in exchange for a colorful paper egg to display in the store to recognize their donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters. The program runs until April 23 and Rent-A-Center matches individual donations dollar for dollar up to $100,000. The annual event has r...
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CHS students to clean up city for Ecology Day
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter Chanute High School students will clean up the city on Wednesday, April 6 for Ecology Day, otherwise known as Earth Day. Teachers and students will scour Chanute, picking up trash and taking it to the landfill in the morning. “We have different routes for each teacher, and they go out all over town and pick up all the trash in town,” said Stugo Advisor Karen Graham. “We just try and clean up the town.” Eco...
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NCCC Student Senate sponsors Cystic Fibrosis Walk
Marilynn Rutledge Tribune Reporter Members of the Neosho County Community College Student Senate have been working hard the past few months to prepare for a Cystic Fibrosis Walk to be held on May 7. The walk, or Great Strides, as it is referred to by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, is a nationwide effort to bring awareness to cystic fibrosis and raise money toward treatment and care options for patients. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic diseas...
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College students trek to Safari Museum
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter The Neosho County Community College History Club sponsored an educational trip to the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum Tuesday night. Around 25 students were in attendance to learn about Martin and Osa Johnson. Many had no idea such adventurers hailed from Chanute. Curator Jacquelyn Borgeson was on hand for a personal tour with plenty of details about the Johnsons’ lives and adventures. Scattered throu...
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Pauline L. Callarman 1907-2011
Pauline L. Callarman, 104, Somerset, Ky., formerly of Altoona, died Monday, March 28, 2011 at Somerset Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Pauline was born on March 16, 1907 in Belmont, the daughter of William Arthur and Mattie Bell VanDolah. Callarman was a homemaker and was a lifelong member of the Christian Church. Survivors include four sons, Stephen Callarman, Somerset, Ky., Kenneth Callarman, East Peoria, Ill., William Callarman, Downers...
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Local caregivers banking on federal dollars
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter A potential pay raise looms on the horizon for caregivers at Tri-Valley Developmental Services. Due to funding cuts in social services they have not received a raise in more than three years and currently they make between $8.05 and $8.61 an hour. Senate Bill 210, which could provide Kansas with federal funds, passed through the Senate last week with a 39-0 vote. After going through a joint effort between th...
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Sisters studying in Georgia win design competition
Marilynn Rutledge Tribune Reporter SCAD [Savannah College of Art and Design] students and Chanute natives Kaleigh and Kourtney Wilson had a lot to celebrate last week when it was announced that their uniform designs had been chosen to be used by schools in Sierra Leone. The sisters got involved with designing the uniforms through a contest their school held, with first prize being a trip to Turkey to visit Orta Blu, the company that held t...
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City OKs flow monitoring study of sewer system
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter City Commissioners decided Monday night to hire a company to do a flow monitoring study on the inflow and infiltration of Chanute’s sewer systems in order to pinpoint the source of the city’s excess waste water flow. “Right now we are pumping about twice as much waste water as what we should,” said Director of Utilities Larry Gates. Average flow rates per capita in Chanute range between 200 gallons per capi...
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NCCC opens new campus in Ottawa
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter Neosho County Community College’s Ottawa campus moved into the brand new facility last week during spring break, and it opened for students on Monday. Due in part to a $2 million federal grant and much hard work and diligent planning the new, spacious campus is up and running for students as scheduled. “I couldn’t be happier!  I actually never had a doubt that we would open on time,” said Project Manager and Vi...
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Health Department readies for Meltdown kickoff
Marilynn Rutledge Tribune Reporter The Neosho County Health Department has set the kickoff for the county Meltdown program to begin Saturday, April 19. The kickoff will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until noon with a variety of activities happening while attendees record their beginning blood pressure. weight and measurements they will hope to better during the 10-week program. “You’ll come in, starting out, and get your weight, blood press...
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Virginia B. Johnson 1920-2011
Virginia B. Johnson, 91, longtime rural Erie resident, died Saturday, March 26, 2011 at the Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. She was born Feb. 7, 1920 on a farm north of Pleasanton, to Jon T. and Ethel Ison Slater. She grew up and graduated from high school there.. On Feb. 22, 1939 she and Wayne C. Johnson were married in Iola. After their marriage they briefly lived in Chanute, LaCygne and Osawatomie until 1951, when they moved...
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Dorothy Katherine Warner 1918-2011
Dorothy Katherine Warner, 92, Humboldt, died Sunday, March 27, 2011 at the Pinecrest Nursing Home in Humboldt. Dorothy was born on Dec. 31, 1918 in Chanute, the daughter of Jessie Vincent and Esther Christine Nylund Nelson. She graduated from high school and attended Neosho County Community College. She was united in marriage to Howard MacKenzie Warner on August 26, 1944 at Woodside, San Mateo, Calif. He preceded her in death on Feb. 26, 200...
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Betty Rose Nold 1931-2011
Betty Rose Nold, 79, Humboldt, died Sunday, March 27, 2011 at the Heritage Health Care Center in Chanute. Betty was born in Bedford, Ind., on August 26, 1931, the daughter of Ferd and Lennie Jones Colvin. She was united in marriage to Robert J. Nold on July 29, 1950 in Atlanta, Iowa. He preceded her in death on Sept. 4, 1993. She was a homemaker. Betty is survived by two daughters, Jewel Davis and her husband, Greg, Wichita, and Stephanie Sc...
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Lillian L. Porter 1930-2011
Lillian L. Porter, 81, Fredonia, died Saturday, March 26, 2011 at The Golden Living Center in Fredonia. She was born Feb. 3, 1930 in Fredonia, the daughter of Armer and Sybil Short Porter. She was a 1948 graduate of Fredonia High School and received her Bachelor’s degree from Antioch College. She was employed by IBM her entire working life and retired to Fredonia in 1990. She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, James Porter, and...
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W. K. “Pete” Peters 1927-2011
W. K. “Pete” Peters, 84, McPherson, died Monday, March 28, 2011 at Promise Regional Medical Center, Hutchinson.  Pete was born in Buffalo on Feb. 24, 1927 the son of John William and Mabel Alberta Dryden Peters.  He attended the Chanute grade schools and high school. Pete served in the U.S. Navy in WW II. He was owner and operator of Peters Lumber Company. William Keith “Pete” Peters was united in marriage to Betty Louise Stone on April 21, 19...
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Katherine Betty Naff 1915-2011
Katherine Betty Naff, 95, Chanute, died with family in the comfort of her home on Thursday, March 24, 2011.   Betty, daughter of Arthur and Myrtle Clayton, was born Sept. 23, 1915 in Independence, where she grew up and graduated from Independence High School in 1933.  June 1, 1941, Betty married Floyd Walter Naff and created a family/friends oriented lifestyle in Chanute. Floyd partnered with Emmet Bolze to own and operate Naff and Bolze Hardw...
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Ash Grove presence at meeting with EPA
Nearly three dozen Ash Grove employees showed up Friday donning the now-familiar “Real Families, Kansas Jobs” t-shirts, carrying American flags and signs in the bitter cold. They were at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s  Region 7 offices in downtown Kansas City, Kan., to protest the closed-door meeting of the EPA administrator and a handful of Chanute residents who have concerns regarding Ash Grove Cement’s operations. As with all pr...
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A relative in the White House
Jason Peake Tribune writer Dean Dillard was casually reading a newspaper when he came across some familiar names.  Moments later, Dillard came to a realization  — he’s related to Barack Obama. A longtime Chanute resident and retired Neosho County Community College professor, Dillard confirmed to the Tribune this week that he is related to the current President of the United States. Dillard is a second cousin, once removed, from Obama. “I’ve kn...
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