Stories from Sunday, January 30, 2005

By Ben Holman Nevada Herald In a special session on Friday, the Vernon County Commission approved the county budget for 2005. A draft copy of the budget has been available since Jan. 18 for public review. Presiding Commissioner David Darnold said that while several county department heads and members of the press came to look over the budget, only a few private citizens did...

By Steve Moyer Nevada Herald The Sheldon R-8 School District is seeking voter approval of a $200,000 bond issue, in the Feb. 8 special election. The district wants to build a new agricultural education facility that would sit on 10 acres of land. The building would have classroom space as well as space for welding and other activities that can't be done in existing facilities due to insurance restrictions...

By Ben Holman Nevada Herald According to Vernon County Assessor Cherie Roberts, Vernon County residents have one month remaining to turn in their 2005 personal and business assessment lists used by the assessor's office to determine personal property taxes...

Fire and EMS personnel responded to a vehicle fire on U.S. Highway 54 about two miles west of Nevada Friday afternoon at about 3 o'clock. Apparently no one was injured in the blaze, which did extensive damage to the engine compartment and interior of the white four-door car. Fire departments from Nevada and Deerfield were called to the scene. No further information was released...

By Nancy Malcom Nevada Herald The Eastern concept of Tai Chi involves balancing mind and body through breathing techniques and fluid movements to help the even flow of qi (pronounced chee.) Although the concept of the value of qi hasn't been proven, Western doctors have seen the value of regular Tai Chi workouts in the overall health of their patients. According to the Arthritis Foundation's Web site, http://www.arthritis.org, doctors are impressed with their findings...

Cliff and Tiffany Bryant, Nevada, are proud to announce the birth of their son, Tanner Russell Bryant. Tanner was born on Jan. 27, 2005, at Nevada Regional Medical Center. He weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and measured 20 inches. He joins a sister, Kylie Rowden. ...

Hi neighbors. I suppose we've all been watching the news of elections in Iraq, or trying to avoid watching them. Whatever speeds up the process of things settling down there I'm all for. I have had to ask myself, would I go vote if I knew someone might shoot me for doing so? What if someone is taking names of those who they see go vote to attack them later? Would I risk my family getting blown up to vote? How many of us decline to vote for much lesser reasons? It's too hot or too cold, too windy, too calm? We don't have time or we haven't decided on who we want to vote for or we haven't followed the campaigns and feel we know too little about the candidates to vote -- these are all excuses I've heard. ...

100 years ago: Fire caused by faulty flue burns small hole in roof The fire department was called to the residence of Charles Sickles just across the tracks on East Allison street at 2 o'clock this afternoon. A bad flue caused the roof of the house to get on fire. The fire was put out without the water being turned on. Only a small hole was burned in the roof. Mr. Sickles had no insurance...

Special to the Herald Lee and Rosie Dalton, Nevada, were honored with a surprise 60th wedding anniversary party at the family home on Thanksgiving Eve. The surprise was hosted by their children, Dana Methvin of San Antonio, Texas, Jim Dalton of Columbia, Mo., Anne Kreifels of Orlando, Fla., and granddaughter, Penny Fletcher, of Independence, Mo. ...

Do you really want the Good Old Days? Recently I have been talking to a number of local citizens of the Nevada R-5 School District regarding the upcoming vote on the school levy. I should be in a bad mood hearing what I hear from our patrons, except this is America, and when it comes to politics and taxes in particular Americans have no equal in their vociferousness. It is actually amusing to hear the multitude of reasons why the schools officials are wrong and the voters know better...

Special to the Herald Jim and Peggy Tedlock, of Nevada, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Tiffany Tedlock, to Jason Berberich, son of Kevin Berberich of Bonner Springs, Kan., and the late Valerie Berberich, of Topeka, Kan. Tiffany, a graduate of Pittsburg State University, is currently employed by All Around Child Development Center in Overland Park, Kan...

Special to the Herald Mr. and Mrs. William Wynn of Nevada announce the engagement of their daughter, Megan Alison Wynn, to Brendon Andrew Smith, son of Mark Smith, Nevada, and Janet Kesler, Muncie, Ind. The bride-elect is a 2001 graduate of Nevada High School, and a December 2004 graduate of Pittsburg State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Consumer Sciences, with a major in fashion merchandising and a minor in photography...

Special to the Herald Dennis and Kim Vantellman of Schell City announce the engagement of their daughter, Jill Nicole Vantellman, to Barend Jones, son of Daniel and Brenda Jones of Schell City. The wedding ceremony will take place May 7, 2005, at the Schell City Christian Church...

By Joe Warren Nevada Herald Friday's Lady Tiger Classic semifinal started out looking like a battle between two rivals, but ended with the Nevada Lady Tigers blowing out the El Dorado Springs Lady Bulldogs, 59-41. With a spot in Saturday's championship game on the line, Nevada and El Dorado Springs were tied at 16 with 7:38 left in the first half...

While some Missouri anglers may travel to warmer waters like Florida or south Texas, there are those who never quit fishing in the state no matter how cold it gets. Some good fishing, especially for crappie, can be found at one of the marina or private docks from Smithville to Table Rock...

If nothing else, you have to admire their persistence. What I'm talking about is that gaggle of Kansas Citians, seemingly led by members of the media, who want a new downtown ballpark for the Royals when they have a perfectly good facility right where they have been since 1973. And they came up with this in the wake of the defeat of the Bi-State II tax proposal...

Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- Calling the sexual attack ''the most heinous I have seen,'' a judge Friday sentenced a former St. Louis collegiate football player to more than five centuries behind bars in a 2002 home invasion and rape. ''Heinous crimes deserve harsh punishment,'' the St. Louis Post-Dispatch quoted St. Louis Circuit Judge Margaret Neill as saying in sentencing former Washington University running back Bobby Collins Jr. to 540 years in prison...

Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sparked by growing interest in the important story it tells, big things are happening for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The historic building down the street where Rube Foster founded the Negro Leagues in 1920 will soon house the museum's offices, creating more floor space for exhibits. Money is being raised to open a research and educational center as well as interactive exhibits...

Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Lincoln University's athletic teams have been put on probation for four years by the NCAA because of systemwide violations that resulted from trying to revive the Blue Tigers' football program too quickly. Officials at the Jefferson City school, which reported the infractions to the NCAA in 2002, blamed an influx of athletes in the late 1990s -- when the football team was resurrected after about a 10-year hiatus...