Stories from Thursday, December 11, 2003

Wednesday morning the Nevada Square was ankle deep in snow, from a storm that stymied residents and closed area schools. This morning it was gone. What happened, did elves steal it? The answer is, of course, no. It was removed with the combined efforts of the Nevada water and street departments. ...

One can hardly imagine how Santa can make it to all those homes in one night -- but how's he going to make it to all those places he's planning to be between now and then? Well, he's coming by car, on foot and by train. He's already made an appearance in downtown Nevada, during Saturday's parade. ...

The auditor for the Nevada R-5 School District, B.G. Wolfe, praised the school board for its management of the district's finances during a school board meeting dominated by finances. "The difference between the budget you started out with and the final budget figure is extremely small. I think this shows you've done an exceptional job of budgeting. This is an excellently run school district and I'm proud my children go to it," Wolfe said...

When we visited our youngest daughter recently we were intrigued by her new television set and the gimmicks it had on it. When she was watching a show and couldn't catch what one of the characters said, she could stop the program, back up to the place where she missed the words, hear them again, then continue on with the program as if nothing had stopped it. ...

It's hard to find a time more polarized than right now. People have staked out positions that they defend with a ferocity rarely seen outside of a wild animal park. Right or left, Republican or Democrat, secular or religious, it makes no difference which side people are on, whatever the cause, people are championing said causes with more ardor and passion that ever...

Nelson Foster, 54, of Lamar, Mo., died Dec. 9, 2003, at his residence of a short illness. He was born on May 21, 1949 in Lamar, Mo., to the late Harold Foster and surviving mother Jean Foster of Lamar, Mo. He married Connie Foster on May 20, 1972, in Everton, Mo., she survives of the home...

Eldy Richardson, rural Sheldon, erected this colorful Santa along his fence on DD highway east of U.S. 71 highway. Richardson made the display from recycled materials.