Stories from Tuesday, February 21, 2006

An ongoing effort to promote upgrading U.S. 71 to Interstate 49, an interstate highway route offering a stronger north-south artery across the United States continues, members of a coalition in favor of the project met in Nevada on Friday. People living in the Midwest often say being the center of the country has its benefits; however, that very feature can also be a liability to this part of the country...

Thomas Eugene Oakes, 35, Nevada, was arrested Feb. 19, on four counts of the felony B charge of child molestation. Sgt. Jimmie Dye of the Nevada Police Department signed a complaint stating that a 10-year-old girl said Oakes would molest her and her 7-year-old sister. The two girls were interviewed at the Children's Center...

Cottey College's Lumina Foundation Diversity Project officially kicked off this week, with a visit from Dr. Gladys Brown, consultant and a dinner bringing local leaders with concerns about diversity to the table on Monday night. More than just an academic search for what diversity is, Cottey is seeking to work with others in the community to determine what their needs are in developing resources for underrepresented segments of the population, and what developments are occuring in terms of other local projects involving persons from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and races.. ...

On Saturday, Feb. 18, Vernon County Goat Sheep exhibitors conducted a fund-raising auction at the Vernon County fairgrounds in Centennial Park. It's part of an effort to raise funds for a new sheep barn at the fairgrounds, to accomodate the growing local interest in sheep and goat projects for the Vernon County Youth Fair...

Tessa Jean Bandy, the daughter of Douglas Bandy and Barbara Allphin, was born on Aug. 5, 1996, in Kansas City, Mo., and passed from this life on Friday, Feb. 17, 2006, at nine years of age. Tessa was a baptized member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she attended services and was given strength and support by the entire congregation...

Ruth E. Craig was born July 25, 1930, at Olivet, Ill., the sixth of eight children, six brothers and one sister, to the Rev. Lester and the Rev. Mrs. Delona Smith. After a considerable time of illness Ruth went to be with Jesus, members of her family, and many friends on Friday, Feb. 17, 2006...

Margaret A. Cross, 64, Sheldon, Mo., died Saturday, Feb. 18, 2006, at St. John's hospital, Joplin, Mo., following a short illness. She was born Oct. 21, 1941, in Nevada, Mo., to Orville Lynwood Shannon and Vivian Cooper Shannon. She was married to Quincy R. Cross on Sept. 23,1962, in Springfield, Mo...

This past week the media has had a feeding frenzy over the hunting accident involving Vice President Dick Cheney. Acknowledging that I have never been a fan of his style of politics, I nevertheless thought it was probably another case of media overhype. There is a mountain of legend and fact when it comes to our famous political figures in American history and Cheney is just the latest...

Mother falls upon infant MONROE CITY, Mo., -- Mrs. Benjamin Darnell, residing 12 miles south of this city, fainted upon arising from a chair Sunday afternoon and fell upon her 9-month-old child, whom she was carrying in her arms and crushed the infant to death...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Nevada sophomore Spenser Daniels placed sixth at the state wrestling meet Saturday, after falling to Matt Taylor of Excelsior Springs, 4-3 in the fifth-place match. It was the second match between the two in the state tournament, with Taylor winning both 171-pound battles...

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. -- Sometimes, to overcome a Webb, you have to lean on a Webb. Nevada did just that as sophomore Jordan Webb scored a career high 24 points to lead the Nevada Lady Tigers over the Webb City Lady Cardinals Monday, 58-51, in the quarterfinals of the Class 4, District 12 tournament...

NEVADA, Mo. -- The Cottey Comets had a chance to go above the .500 mark for the first time all season, but couldn't get it done as they lost to the Stephens Stars Saturday, 66-62, at the Hinkhouse Center. Cottey led for most of the game, jumping out to a 21-8 advantage in the first half, but they couldn't keep the Stars' outside shooters grounded...