Stories from Tuesday, July 6, 2004

By Steve Moyer Nevada Daily Mail Safety City has been a feature of summer sessions at Bryan School for at least 20 years according to Debbie Spaur, principal. For all that time the standard transportation was big wheel trikes. Preschoolers learn traffic and pedestrian safety during the class, with some students in pedal vehicles while others are pedestrians...

A 76-year-old man, Earl Dennis of Walker, was moderately injured in a Friday afternoon collision between a 2001 Ford and a 1994 Cadillac, according to a report from the Missouri Highway Patrol. The accident occurred on U.S Highway 71 about 3 miles north of Nevada at 2:35 p.m. ...

By Robert Sandler Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State agencies spent up to $1.2 million on questionable promotional items, including thousands of bumper stickers, chip clips and rub-on tattoos, during the past two years, according to an audit released Friday by State Auditor Claire McCaskill...

By Ben Holman Nevada Daily Mail On Thursday afternoon, Representative Ike Skelton hosted a conference call regarding the disproportionate numbers of men and women from rural areas who serve in the military. Skelton said that he was a member of the Democratic Rural Working Group and that among the issues set forth as priorities were a strong national security and honoring veterans; it was for this reason, said Skelton, that he wanted to draw attention to this disparity...

By Marc Powers Nevada Herald JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- As recently as nine years ago, appointees of former Gov. John Ashcroft held all seven seats on the Missouri Supreme Court. But when Judge Duane Benton steps down in the coming days, only two of the conservative Republican's selections will remain...

Celebrating Freedom Hi neighbors. Happy Fourth of July! I hope you are all enjoying a nice day with family and friends and looking forward to lots of fireworks and watermelon. For most students summer school is over and "regular" school doesn't start till August...

Model Behavior Growing up in the 1950's, shortly after the winning of World War II, I was surrounded by a generation of veterans (Tom Brokaw's "greatest generation") who vividly remembered their service overseas. Although, as a rule, those who had seen the most horrific action were the most reluctant to speak about it, they were invariably willing to speak about the warships they'd sailed and the fighter planes they'd flown...

AMENDMENT I. . . BE AWARE You need to look a little closer to learn exactly what this amendment is all about! Amendment l will open the door for casinos to be built on the White River, in the Rockaway Beach area, which is just down the road from Branson, Missouri. ...

100 years ago: THREE INJURED BY LIGHTNING At the Samuel McGowan Residence Sunday Afternoon. During the electrical storm Sunday afternoon the family of Samuel McGowan residing on north Commercial street had a very narrow escape from death but fortunely (sic) escaped with their lives. ...

Deaths Leola D. Larimore Leola D. Larimore, 87, Nevada, died July 2, 2004, at Moore-Few Care Center. Services and family information to be announced by Evergreen Memorial Chapel. Hayden Craig Brooks Sr. Hayden Craig Brooks Sr., 53, died June 30, 2004. He was born Dec. 3, 1950, in Nevada, the son of Jim and Alberta Brooks. In 1983, he married Marilyn Drysdale in Rich Hill...

Special to the Herald July 1, was the night to be at Sheldon Trap Club for the 4-H Vernon County Shooting Sports Trap Shoot. These young people have been working for three months in preparation for this night. They were all winners, as we have watched them work hard at their skills...

The highlight of the 12th annual Fourth of July celebration at the Vernon County Fairgrounds at Centennial Park was the dramatic fireworks display, which wasn't dampened at all by the rainy weather this weekend. Many people attended the events scheduled throughout the day...

By Nancy Malcom Nevada Daily Mail Advance orders for the Vernon County Sesquicentennial history book will be available at the Youth Fair, July 13-17 at the Centennial Park Fairgrounds. The two volume history of Vernon County will be on sale at a significantly higher price after Aug. 1 and during the 2005 Bushwhacker Days celebration, when Vernon County celebrates its 150th anniversary...

By Ron Fournier Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry today selected former rival John Edwards to be his running mate, calling the wealthy former trial lawyer and rookie senator a man who showed ''guts and determination and political skills'' in his unsuccessful race against Kerry for the party's nomination...

High winds damage trees Ocia M. Crowe, of 1028 N. Clay, and her sister were awakened Monday morning to the crashing sound of an old walnut tree being uprooted by high winds. There were several reports of damage throughout town following storms that brought with them high winds and heavy rainfall this weekend and Monday morning, with the heaviest damage apparent in the northern areas of Nevada, and in rural areas north of Nevada. ...

By Ben Holman Nevada Daily Mail Lately it seems that the rain has been relentless. Nearly every day, or night, the skies open up with a torrent, or at least a light shower. While rain is a blessing to those in the farming community, you can have too much of a good thing. This is especially true at this time of year when growers are trying to harvest wheat and plant soybeans...

By Ralph Pokorny Nevada Daily Mail The Nevada Griffons won two of the three games they attempted to play this past weekend. But the big winner was the weather, as it caused several delays and finally brought the second annual National Baseball Congress Tournament of Champions qualifying tournament to a halt Monday afternoon, during the championship game...

By Ralph Pokorny Nevada Daily Mail The Nevada Griffons won two of the three games they attempted to play this past weekend. But the big winner was the weather, as it caused several delays and finally brought the second annual National Baseball Congress Tournament of Champions qualifying tournament to a halt Monday afternoon, during the championship game...

Recently, I noticed a Leo Tolstoy novel atop the bestseller lists, "Anna Karenina." What's remarkable about this is that, to the best of my knowledge, Tolstoy has not been appearing on any of the usual talk shows to promote his book (though somebody said she saw him on Regis and Kelly, and he kept leering at Kelly like a pervert)...

These days there are those who are doing everything in their power to make sure that any mention of religion in public life is eradicated like some unwanted weed. Those who do so claim that the establishment clause of the Constitution allows no governmental entity to mention religion, any religion, in any way, shape, or form. Nothing could be further from the truth...

Deaths Claude Milton Housh Jr. Claude Milton Housh Jr., 72, Rich Hill, died July 3, 2004, at VA Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo. He was born on Jan. 16, 1932, in Kansas City, Mo., to Claude M. Sr. and Frances R. (Slavins) Housh. He attended school in Kansas City, Mo. He dealt in real estate as a career. He was in the U.S. Air Force...