Stories from Thursday, June 21, 2007

By Steve Moyer Nevada Daily Mail Travis and Stacey Keith and their three children left their home Wednesday morning with no idea that it wouldn't be different from any other day. By 9 a.m., that had all changed. The couple's home was in flames; and they and neighbors gathered around, watching firefighters trying to extinguish the blaze...

Nevada Daily Mail The Vernon County Health Department is warning area parents and children that danger could be lurking in the toy box. A line of wooden, Thomas (the Tank Engine) and Friends train sets and railway components have been voluntarily recalled, after the distribution company found that the surface paints on the products contain lead...

By Crystal D. Hancock Nevada Daily Mail Kevin Badgley of the Missouri Department of Conservation provided an animal mystery program for the Nevada Public Library's Summer "Wowsome Wednesdays" program held at the Nevada Community Center. "There are so many mysteries associated with animals in this area that you and I don't often think about. ...

By Charles C. Nash Special to the Daily Mail What would the legitimate American theater look like today without Neil Simon? Nearly zilch. Almost nothing but a wind-swept stage, I'm afraid. Fortunately, early TV, in the 1950's, gave birth to a stable of New York Jewish writers, like Woodie Allen, Norman Rose, and Paddy Chayevsky, who could feed the new medium's insatiable appetite, before Hollywood kicked in. ...

By Steve Moyer Nevada Daily Mail Chicago artist James McNeill Mesplé, a Nevada native, retains a fondness for his old hometown, even after 40 years away. Mesplé has a solo exhibit at the Printworks Gallery in Chicago, now through June 30. Kelly Bradham, longtime sports editor for the Nevada Daily Mail, recalled that Mesplé was unique in the class of 1966...

Robert Irvin Wood, 63, Springfield, Mo., died Wednesday, June 20, 2007, in Springfield, after a long illness. He was born April 27, 1944, in the home in Vernon County, Mo., to George A. Wood and Frances M. Wood. He was married in 1992 to Brenda Wood and she preceded him in death in 2001...

Eric and Shelia Bryson, Hurst, Texas, and Tommie are proud to announce the birth of their son and brother, Nathan Thomas Bryson. Nathan was born at 1:15 p.m., June 13, 2007, at First Methodist H.E.B., Hurst, Texas. He weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces, and measured 19 inches...

Brian and Jacque (Cotten) Atkinson, Pittsburg, Kan., are proud to announce the birth of their son, Joseph Todd Atkinson. Joseph was born at 4:13 p.m., June 13, 2007, at Cox South Medical Center, Springfield, Mo. He weighed 12 ounces, and measured 10.5 inches...

I didn't really want to go. I have attended many years. Sometimes I was even staffing a booth or responsible for seeing that it was staffed. One memorable time (1994) I even rode on the back of the back seat of a convertible as the Grand Marshal. Another time I rode in a horse drawn carriage advertising the Neighbor's Center. ...

Likely most Americans have heard of John Brown. And likely mere mention of his name brings to most minds the image "John Brown's raid." And if anything's added, it's almost bound be "Oh, yeah. Harpers Ferry, Va., Now West Virginia." Yet there was another "John Brown's raid." It involved 25 raiders, .not a mere 19 like that piddling Harpers Ferry affair! And it was a success. Harpers Ferry was a fatal flop...

Showing a complete lack of class and basically going back on what was an agreement with the other Southwest Conference schools, Carthage has cut and run. They've taken all bargaining power the Southwest Conference may have had with them. When the Carthage school board voted to accept an invitation from the COC Monday, superintendents all over southwest Missouri were left scratching their heads...

Nevada Daily Mail The Nevada Griffons swept the Dodge City (Kan.) A's in a Jayhawk League doubleheader on the road Wednesday, and now have a three-game winning streak in what has been a roller coaster season. Nevada won the first game 7-4 and the second game 6-2, moving into second place in the Jayhawk League standings once again...