News
School board approves evaluation protocol pilot
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter At its March regular meeting, the USD 413 Board of Education approved the use of Kansas Educator Evaluation Protocol for the next school year. All school districts in Kansas are required to pilot an educator evaluation protocol in the 2013-2014 school year that includes student performance as a metric. Superintendent James Hardy went over KEEP with the school board at the last meeting. “It will be a smooth transi...
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CHS senior earns prestigious appointment to West Point
By Connie Woodard and Josh Vail After years of hard work and keeping his goal in the cross hairs of his high school education at Chanute High School, senior Jack Martin received the letter in the mail he’d hoped would come. The priority package arrived that contained the announcement that he’d been appointed to the Military Academy at West Point after graduation. The letter — one of the first 500 mailed out — advised him that “on behalf of the...
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Safari Museum on hunt for new building
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum needs more space and officials are on the hunt for another location, said Museum Curator Jacquelyn Borgeson. The museum is currently housed in the depot building on Lincoln, which it shares with the Chanute Public Library. In the meantime, Chanute residents can see many previously undisplayed artifacts on the first Tuesday of every month from 8 to 10 a.m. during a new event...
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Prelim set in unlawful sexual relations case
The preliminary hearing for the case of Thomas Becker, charged with three counts of unlawful sexual relations while an employee of the Neosho County Jail, has been scheduled for 9:30 a.m. April 19 in Chanute. District Judge Leo Gensweider held a phone conference with the Kansas Attorney General’s office Tuesday. The attorney general’s office is prosecuting the case to avoid any conflict of interest, as Becker is a former employee of Neosho Co...
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Car wash seeking more than $75,000 from city
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter Attorneys representing the City of Chanute and the South Town Car Wash meet today as part of a federal lawsuit filed by the car wash seeking more than $75,000. The lawsuit includes costs, punitive damages and further relief after the City of Chanute imposed the strictest water restrictions on only the car wash and no other businesses in town. Attorneys for the car wash owner, Cody Mummert, say this could cause him...
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Local woman celebrates 100th birthday
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter Chanute resident Dorothy Raney celebrated her 100th birthday during a ceremony that brought together four generations of Raney family members on Sunday. More than 50 friends and relatives from as far south as Oklahoma attended Raney’s birthday party at the Guest House Estates III residential care center in rural Chanute. “For people to turn out is great. You don’t do this very often and it is one of those things ...
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Fredonia teen injured in one-vehicle accident
An injury crash occurred at about 10:15 a.m. Saturday on K-39 less than half a mile west of Kingman Road. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Moses S. Rose, 19, of Fredonia was eastbound on K-39, driving a 1992 Dodge Dakota, when he dropped off the side of the road. Rose overcorrected and ended up in the ditch. He was transported to Fredonia Regional Hospital for possible injuries. His passenger, Justin A. Reding, 15, of Fredonia was not inju...
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Student artists celebrated at Art Gallery reopening
The Chanute Art Gallery held a reception for student artists at its reopening Sunday. Chanute Elementary, Royster Middle School, St. Patrick’s Catholic School and the Chanute Homeschool Co-op were represented, as well as crayons, markers, watercolors, ceramics and several other media. March is Youth Art month nationwide, and the Chanute Art Gallery has done student-centric events in March in the past. The gallery will have its grand re-open...
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Ohio couple travel through blizzard for second visit to Safari Museum
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter Andrew and Kristina Tonn came to visit the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum at a bad time. The Columbus, Ohio couple drove through a blizzard to spend the first half of the week in Chanute. They visited the museum once about three years ago in April of 2010. The Tonns are expecting their first child in April, and wanted their last vacation for a while to be in Chanute. Andrew Tonn said that he has done a lot of...
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CRDA retools mission statement and goals
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter The Chanute Regional Development Authority (CRDA) board met Thursday and discussed altering its mission statement and creating action committees to better achieve the goals it set last year. After its first year of operation, the CRDA selected three of its 10 goals established during its inception and altered its mission statement to have a more accurate representation purpose. “We really started from nothing. We ...
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Three in Thayer arrested on meth charges
The Neosho County Sheriff’s office seized items associated with methamphetamine manufacture in Thayer on Thursday.¬† The sheriff’s office found the items while executing a search warrant at 415 N. Preston, Thayer. Meth lab trash was also found.¬† Brandon M. Lvicsics, 23, Britany J. Bowling, 20 and Douglas J. Mistler, 37, were subsequently arrested. All are residents at 415 N. Preston.¬† Lvicsics and Bowling are also being held on numerous ben...
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Chanute dealership hosts cookout to celebrate 25th anniversary
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter Lang Diesel of Chanute, 201 W. 35th Parkway, treated its employees and customers to hotdogs and hamburgers Friday to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. Despite freezing cold temperatures, manager John Stewart stood at the Lang Diesel storefront while manning a grill as part of a cookout to thank customers and celebrate the silver anniversary of a company that President Brian Lang started with only a tool bo...
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University of Kansas announces fall 2012 honor roll
LAWRENCE -- More than 4,450 undergraduate students at the University of Kansas earned honor roll distinction for the fall 2012 semester. The students, from KU’s Lawrence campus and the schools of Allied Health and Nursing in Kansas City, Kan., represent 97 of 105 Kansas counties, 41 other states and 39 other countries. The honor roll comprises undergraduates who meet requirements in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and in the schools ...
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Swenders NCCC’s 2013 Heritage Family
Neosho County Community College has named the Herbert and Lesta Swender family as its 2013 Heritage Family. Lesta Swender graduated from NCCC in 1969. She later received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Pittburg State University and her Doctorate of Education from Oklahoma State University in 1988. Swender has served as president and vice president of the USD 413 Board of Education and has been an active member of the Chanute communit...
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County commissioners dismayed by fixture rate hearing
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter ERIE — Neosho County officials spent much of Friday’s commission meeting expressing their displeasure of a hearing regarding House Bill 2285, which seeks to further define personal and real property. County Commissioner Jay Kingery, County Attorney Linus Thuston and County Road and Bridge Director Charlie Morse returned to Neosho County from Monday’s Kansas House Taxation Committee meeting on House Bill 2285 (HB 2...
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Rolling enchiladas, by the dozens
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter BUFFALO — A few ladies from the Buffalo Methodist Church cooked more than 600 pounds of beef on Thursday in preparation for their upcoming Enchilada Day March 20. Enchilada Day began as a monthly lunch to raise money for church upkeep and other expenses, but in 15 years enthusiasm has turned Enchilada Day, and the preceding enchilada sale, into a regional event with people as far as south as Texas and as far north ...
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Brooks retires from NMRMC after 42+ years
Joshua Vail Tribune Reporter Roger Brooks, a longtime maintenance mechanic at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center, is retiring this week. A party was held for Brooks in the hospital’s cafeteria on Thursday. NMRMC CEO Dennis Franks shared some of Brooks’ history. Brooks graduated from Thayer High School where he played basketball and ran track. He spent four years in the Air Force, where he did his training in refrigeration and air conditi...
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Voorhees’ status hearing moved to March 26
Due to inclement weather, the criminal court day in Erie for Tuesday, Feb. 26 was cancelled. As a result, the status hearing for Michelle Voorhees was rescheduled to 1 p.m. March 26. Voorhees was arrested Feb. 14 and is being held on charges of aggravated burglary and felony murder. Investigators continue to pursue leads in their effort to locate Brian Shields. Driver injured in Elk Road accident An injury accident occurred on Elk Road, whic...
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Parsons PD, pharmacists weigh in on pseudo ban
Jimmy Potts Tribune Reporter Crystal methamphetamine abuse in Parsons could affect how Chanute residents obtain cough and cold medicine. Parsons Police Department officials were on the agenda to speak to Chanute City Commissioners Monday night, but were unable to travel because of the snow storm. They planned to give a presentation asking commissioners to ban pseudoephedrine – an ingredient common in many common cough and cold medicines, and ...
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Fredonia rancher wins wildlife conservationist award
The Kansas Wildlife Federation (KWF) announced winners of the 2012 Conservation Achievement Program Awards (CAP) on Feb. 23 at a reception and banquet in Emporia. For 49 years, the Federation has recognized Kansans who have devoted exceptional efforts for wildlife conservation in the state. Kansans, who wished to recognize the awardees for their contributions, supplied the nominations.  The CAP awards are given in several categories includi...
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