Taylor News

Here are the first-round results from the Wilson County Classic in Fredonia . . .

BOYS’ BRACKET

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INDEPENDENCE — An armed robbery of an Independence coin shop turned violent Wednesday when the robber and the store owner exchanged a volley of gunshots.

Harry Smith, Independence police chief, said the shooting occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m., at Uncle Ken’s Coin Shop, 1819 N. Penn. Upon arriving at the scene, officers learned that a black male subject had entered the shop and robbed the store owner, Kenny Preble, at gunpoint.

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COFFEYVILLE — A man wanted for questioning in connection with a quadruple murder in Tulsa, Okla., was arrested north of Coffeyville on Tuesday evening.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department arrested Joseph Tillman, age 33, after a citizen spotted Tillman in a residential area on North Cline Road.

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SYCAMORE — A three-vehicle, multiple-injury collision was reported at about 4 p.m., Thursday (Jan. 3) on U.S. 75 highway near the intersection of county road 5400

Sheriff Robert Dierks said a 1998 Nissan Maxima driven by Valerie J. Jones of Independence was struck from behind by a 1996 Mercury Cougar driven by Dalton W. Parks of Neodesha. The Nissan was pushed into oncoming traffic and was struck by a 2008 Dodge Nitro driven by Robin K. Hines of Independence, causing the Nitro to leave the road and roll several times in a west ditch.

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CHERRYVALE — A Cherryvale family lost their home and possessions in a fire Sunday afternoon.

Chad Russell, assistant chief of the Cherryvale Fire-Rescue Department, said the house at 414 E. Seventh was fully involved in flames and smoke when local firefighters were summoned to the home shortly before 1:30 p.m., Sunday. The home is registered to Kenneth and Kimberly Schell, according to property records at the Montgomery County Courthouse.

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BY ANDY TAYLOR

chronicle@taylornews.org

If the latest unemployment record from the State of Kansas is any indication of the economy, then Montgomery County appears to have survived the economy’s brutal sucker punches over the past several years.

The Kansas Department of Labor on Friday announced its November unemployment report, which shows Montgomery County with a jobless rate of 6.6 percent. That marks the lowest unemployment rate in Montgomery County since December 2008, where the unemployment rate was 6.1 percent.

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ELK CITY — America’s State Parks has announced that all 50 state park systems will sponsor guided First Day HIke programs on New Year’s Day 2013. The hikes offer individuals and families an opportunity to get off the couch and get on the trail.

Elk City State Park will host a one-mile nature hike at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 1. Participants will meet at the park office, located at 4825 Squaw Creek Road near Independence. Registration is encouraged.

For more information, call (620) 331-6295 or visit www.ksoutdoors.com or www.americasstateparks.org/first-day-hikes.

BY ANDY TAYLOR

chronicle@taylornews.org

A Montgomery County native has been hired to lead the Montgomery County Action Council, an economic development and industrial-business recruitment organization.

Aaron Heckman, who attended Coffeyville Community College after graduating from Independence High School, will assume the position of MCAC director on Jan. 2. Heckman not only is familiar with the Montgomery County turf but he also has more than eight years experience in bringing economic opportunities to Kansans. For the past eight years, Heckman has been on the staff of the Ottawa-based East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corporation, also known as ECKAN, which provides resources to low-income individuals in east-central Kansas. He leaves ECKAN as the chief operating officer of that organization.

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COFFEYVILLE — The Coffeyville Police Department, with the assistance of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Bartlesville Police Department, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department arrested nine individuals with active warrants during a preplanned round-up operation on Dec. 21.

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