Stories from Tuesday, August 14, 2007

FULTON, Mo. -- William Woods University is offering Nevada area residents the opportunity to pursue a master of education degree without quitting work. The program will begin with an orientation meeting at 5:30 p.m., Aug. 29, in the Nevada Middle School Library, 900 N Olive St., Nevada...

Jordan Besaw offered a Boy Scout handshake, saying it's a symbol of helping one another. That's a Boy Scout ideal that he's taken to heart -- and he's turned it into a community-wide service project that's one of the many steps he's taken in an effort to earn the rank of Eagle Scout...

School will be in session in Nevada on Thursday, Aug. 16, and is starting soon at other local districts. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reminds drivers that schools will begin soon, and young people will be on the move -- walking, biking, and driving to school. ...

Minutes count when looking for missing persons. The longer it takes to find a missing person the greater the area they could be in and the difficulty increases exponentially with a larger area. Nevada police have a new tool in their arsenal to reduce the time it takes to find a missing person, an automated phone system...

Last season, Truman State University football player Nathan Vickers opted for his redshirt year. Vickers, a graduate of El Dorado Springs High School in 2006, is vying for playing time on the Bulldogs' offensive line this fall. Vickers, listed at 6-feet-2 and 270 pounds, and his Truman State teammates were in Nevada last week, going through drills at Camp Clark...

Nevada High School is having "Meet the Players Night" tonight at 7 at the NHS Gymnasium. NHS principal Brian Thomsen and NHS athletic director Kevin McKinley will begin the evening by making introductions. Nevada's fall sports teams, cheerleaders and dance teams and their coaches will be introduced to the public...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Mark Teahen wasn't counting days or at-bats, but he was aware he had not homered in a long time. Teahen homered for the first time in more than two months and the Kansas City Royals took advantage of three Toronto Blue Jays errors to win 6-2 on Monday night...

RIVER FALLS, Wis. -- For a Kansas City defense that didn't score a single point off of turnovers in 2006, ringing up a touchdown and a safety in its first exhibition game of 2007 was a welcome -- if rare -- occurrence. ''Yeah, we've started out 2007 pretty well,'' Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen said with a laugh. ...

According to a published report in today's Kansas City Star, multiple sources said Monday that the Kansas City Chiefs and holdout running back Larry Johnson have narrowed their differences over terms of a contract extension and a deal could be struck sometime this week...

You may have noticed that I have had more eloquence recently. That is a result of having kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland. Jokingly, I often have said that I had never been out of Missouri. Some have believed me when I said that, but others knew that I often went to Fort Scott and reminded me that I had been to Kansas...