Stories from Wednesday, December 22, 2004

By Ralph Pokorny Nevada Daily Mail Tuesday night the Nevada City Council voted unanimously to give preliminary approval to the 2005 city budget and the city's five-year capital improvement budget. Final approval will be given during a special meeting tentatively scheduled for Dec. 28...

By Steve Moyer Nevada Daily Mail Each December the Widows Group of the First Christian Church gathers toys to donate to the Vernon County Ambulance District's toy drive. Wanda Arthur, the moving force behind the group, said that one year the group just decided to stop exchanging gifts and instead donate gifts to the toy drive. "We're were all getting older and it just seemed better to give a gift to a child who needed one rather than to each other."...

By Ben Holman Nevada Daily Mail The Missouri state auditor's office recently released the findings of this year's audit of Vernon County. The state auditor is required by law to conduct audits for counties that do not have an auditor, those audits are carried out every four years. The statutory audit completed by the state auditor's office financial and compliance issues, areas of county operations and elected officials...

By Ralph Pokorny Nevada Daily Mail The final major piece of developing the former Nevada State Hospital property has fallen into place and Nevada will soon have a 40-unit senior apartment complex in the Ozark Building. It has taken three years, three contracts, two lawsuits and a petition audit but it is finished, Craig Hubler, city manager, said Monday...

By Nancy Malcom Nevada Daily Mail Tracy Sewell's Bright Beginnings Preschool students performed their annual Christmas program, Friday, Dec. 17, for family and friends at the City/County Community Center in Nevada. The children sang and danced to several songs, including "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," "Jingle Bells," "Ten Little Children" and ended with an enthusiastic rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas!"...

Myles and Kristin Miller, Nevada, are proud to announce the birth of their son, Gage Matthew Miller. Gage was born at 8:29 a.m., on Dec. 17, 2004, at Nevada Regional Medical Center. He weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces, and measured 19 inches. He joins a brother Grant Miller. Paternal grandparents are Mark and Harva Miller, Nevada. Maternal grandparents are Bill and Cindy Wynn, Nevada. Maternal great-grandparents are Judd and Maxine Chesnut, Lamar...

Former Bates County Sheriff Leonard "Buck" Hough Jr., 74, Appleton City, Mo., died Dec. 20, 2004, at St. Joseph Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. Funeral services will be held Sunday, Dec. 26, at Heuser Funeral Home in Rich Hill with burial and military rites in the Greenlawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday, from 1 p.m. till service time. The family suggest memorial contributions to the Humane Society or American Diabetes Association in care of the funeral home...

Ernest J. Friend, 47, Butler, died Dec. 19, 2004, of injuries suffered in an auto accident. He is survived by his wife, Darla Friend; two daughters, Rebecca and Christina Friend, all of Butler; father, Buddy Arnold Friend, Peculiar, Mo.; mother, Lela Friend, Oakdale, Calif.; and other family...

Delores June Lewis, 71, died Dec. 19, 2004. Services were held at Ferry Funeral Home today, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m., with Paul Leasor officiating. Musical selections were "In the Garden," "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" and "Life's Railway to Heaven." Pallbearers were Conway Lewis, Joseph Lewis, John Jackson, Steve Stacy, Corey Baker and Tim Baker. Interment was in Moore Cemetery in Nevada. Arrangements were by Ferry Funeral Home...

Charles Ross Douglas, 78, Nevada, died Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2004, at Freeman West Health System, Joplin, following a lengthy illness. He was born April 25, 1926, in Springfield, to Edward Alan Douglas and Astrid Gertrude Bruce Douglas. He married Della M. Cross on Dec. 19, 2000, in Rich Hill, and she survives of the home...

Christmas money disappears Dear Neighbor, I hope you are having a blessed holiday season. My name is Sarah S. Vanderbilt and I have lived in Nevada for almost six years. I have several medical problems -- both physical and mental, and I have been on disability since November 1996. I am a divorced mom and have two children, ages 6 (girl) and 11.5 (boy)...

Christmas is under siege. There is a great effort of attacking Christmas and doing away with it as we have come to know it through tradition. Christmas is not just another holiday. By the way, holiday means Holy Day. Many schools in the nation have banned the celebration of Christmas in any way...

100 years ago: Man claims arrest was not legal Policeman Andy Sheppard arrested a man Tuesday night for being intoxicated and put the fellow in the city calaboose. A few minutes later Chief of Police Janes released the man. The chief consulted City Attorney Elliott and the latter instructed Janes to give the man his freedom. Elliott took the position that Sheppard is not an officer of the law and the arrest he made was not legal...

By Joe Warren Nevada Daily Mail While the holiday break has most students in the Nevada school district relaxing and counting their blessings, the Nevada boys basketball team was at it in full force Wednesday, working on a couple different areas that coach John McNeley would like to shore up...

Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- A World Series rematch with the Boston Red Sox will be among the highlights of the St. Louis Cardinals' spring training schedule, released Monday. The NL champion Cardinals will play 30 exhibition games beginning March 2 when they host Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter, Fla. St. Louis will play the New York Mets a day later in Port St. Lucie, Fla...

Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a St. Louis Rams defensive lineman's request to have a felony drunken driving charge thrown out, declining comment on Leonard Little's claim that the law behind the count is unconstitutional...

Associated Press RAYTOWN, Mo. -- Bud Lathrop, whose 914 victories are a record among Missouri prep boys' basketball coaches, has changed his mind about retiring over a three-week suspension at Raytown South High School. Lathrop, 68, had announced Thursday he would leave the job rather than accept the penalty imposed by Raytown South principal Kevin Overfelt over the coach's use of profanity at a practice...

Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs released punter Steve Cheek Tuesday and signed Nick Murphy, who played in three games for Baltimore this year. Murphy is the third punter the Chiefs have had this season. Jason Baker, their punter last season, was released right before the start of the year and Cheek was signed after playing in only one exhibition game...