Congratulations to Mary Reilly, the 2011 Cherry Blossom Queen in Cherryvale. She was crowned on Saturday night in a ceremony viewed by about 150 people at New Life Praise and Worship.

Congratulations also goes to Katie Russell, who was named Miss Congeniality, and Amanda Wright, who was Miss Photogenic and first runner-up.

More details and coverage of the queen coronation in the May 5 edition of the Montgomery County Chronicle.

COFFEYVILLE — An ambulance bound for an area hospital was involved in a vehicle collision on Thursday afternoon, April 28.
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LIBERTY — A man was killed in an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers near Liberty late Wednesday afternoon.
Sheriff Robert Dierks said the man was killed by police gunfire after the individual opened fire with his own gun when law enforcement officers approached him. The man did not comply with orders from law enforcement prior to him opening fire on the deputies and officers, Dierks said

Members of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department and Cherryvale Police Department were summoned to the rural Liberty property after the man was found in a wooded area and appeared to be contemplating suicide, Dierks said.

The identity of the mortally wounded man has not yet been released.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation into the shooting.

No officers were injured in the shooting.

BY ANDY TAYLOR
chronicle@taylornews.org

Former Coffeyville city commissioner Virgil Horn, Jr., on Tuesday was selected to fill a vacant city position on the city commission.

By a 3-1 vote, Horn was chosen to succeed commissioner Jim Taylor, Sr., who resigned his commission post on April 5. Horn will continue to serve the remainder of Taylor’s term, which ends in April 2013.
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A South Coffeyville man drowned Friday evening in Copan Lake, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.

Richard E. Brown, 51, jumped off a 21-foot Sedona pontoon boat into the Washington County lake and surfaced once before rolling face down into the water, the patrol reported.

Neither he nor any of the three other people on the boat had on a personal flotation device, and the others were not able to retrieve Brown from the water, according to the report.

Troopers report that alcohol was a contributing factor to the drowning.

The drowning occurred about 5:20 p.m. Friday.

— From the Tulsa World

BY ANDY TAYLOR
chronicle@taylornews.org

CANEY — An Oklahoma-based retail developer was hired Monday by the Caney City Council to develop a retail study for Caney that can be used to lure new business to the community.

Goal number one for Retail Attractions of Owasso, Okla., is to locate a prospective grocery store to the Caney community, which has been hampered with the loss of its grocery store in February.
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The  Lions Club will sponsor its annual H.K. George Memorial Easter Egg Hunt and Pancake Feed on Saturday, April 23, at Caney Valley High School.

The Lions Club pancake and sausage breakfast will be held in the CVHS Cafeteria from 7:30 to 10 a.m. with a freewill donation taken at the door.
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BY ANDY TAYLOR
chronicle@taylornews.org

The ever-popular car and motorcycle will be among the key events at the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, set for Saturday, May 7 at Logan Park.

The event is sponsored by the Cherryvale Chamber of Commerce.

The car and motorcycle will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with registration set from 9 a.m. to noon. Entry fee is $15.00 per vehicle.
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INDEPENDENCE — Many family activities are planned for the annual spring celebration at Little House on the Prairie Museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 23.

There will be history re-enactors and other activities for children and adults at Little House, which is an official Laura Ingalls Wilder homesite located 12 miles south of Independence off Hwy. 75.
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