Stories from Thursday, August 16, 2007

It's never too soon to start thinking about saving for college. Upromise investments has recently developed a new college savings plan titled the Missouri MOST 529 advisor plan. The plan was originally started under section 529 of the IRC code in 1996, and was designated as an alternative college savings plan. ...

New friends. New schedules. New places. It's an exciting time for students and parents. It's the first day of school in the Nevada R-5 school district, and parents and students alike came to Bryan Elementary School this morning to begin a new school experience. There were smiles, some eager, some shy. There were encouraging words, hugs, students showing off their bounty of new supplies to one another, and yes, a few tears...

New friends. New schedules. New places. It's an exciting time for students and parents. It's the first day of school in the Nevada R-5 school district, and parents and students alike came to Bryan Elementary School this morning to begin a new school experience. There were smiles, some eager, some shy. There were encouraging words, hugs, students showing off their bounty of new supplies to one another, and yes, a few tears...

Tourism in Nevada is getting a boost next month, thanks to a bus tour coming to the heart of the town. Occasionally, tour buses with a special interest, such as groups of tourism professionals, for example, have come to Nevada to see local attractions. This time the visit is just for the sake of fun for tourists...

The staff of Kurtz Chiropractic, Nevada, offered specials on services to customers who brought in hats destined for the heads of children with medical hair loss as a result of cancer treatment. The effort is one of many projects the staff has undertaken over the years, said Diana David, noting that they have conducted coat drives, donated calling cards to service members who are overseas, conducted food drives for Community Outreach and more. ...

Bill Edmonds, mayor of Nevada, has announced the hiring of Paul Hokanson as city treasurer. Hokanson comes to Nevada from Warrensburg, Mo., where he has served that city as finance officer since 2004. He has a Master in Business Administration degree from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg. ...

The Vernon County Ambulance District will offer a basic Emergency Medical Technician course, starting in September. The three-month class teaches the skills and knowledge needed to perform life-saving medical procedures as an EMT. Persons completing the course will be qualified to take the National Registry EMT written exam and EMT practical skills exam...

A seasoned softball player who played collegiately at the University of Missouri, third-year Nevada High School head coach Brandi Thomsen knows as well as anyone that it all starts on the hill. Katelyn Brier, a senior, and sophomore Rachel Kennedy, both right-handed pitchers, are back in the fold and counted on heavily to help the Lady Tigers improve on last season's 9-15 record...

Kansas City Chiefs GM Carl Peterson refuted reports earlier in the week that Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson and the Chiefs' front office have narrowed their contract negotiations gap. Based on Kansas City's anemic offensive performance last Saturday night in a 16-12 preseason-opening loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Chiefs need to rework the disgruntled holdout's contract, get him back on the field and put him in the elite contractual company with San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson where he belongs.. ...

NEW YORK -- Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to felony charges for taking cash payoffs from gamblers and betting on games he officiated in a scandal that rocked the league and raised questions about the integrity of the sport. Donaghy faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced for conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting wagering information through interstate commerce. He was released on a $250,000 bond...

By Doug Tucker AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Will they cheer their team's all-time top-rated passer? Or will they boo a guy who complained he wasn't getting a fair chance to keep his job and then wrangled a drawn-out trade to Miami? Trent Green says he doesn't know. But Kansas City coach Herm Edwards believes he knows how Chiefs fans will greet their old quarterback Thursday night, when he returns to Arrowhead Stadium in a Dolphins uniform...

There was excitement in the air Saturday night at Nevada Speedway. But sadness crept into the evening, overtaking the excitement, when a longtime racer and racing enthusiast, Vince "Vinnie" Barker, suffered a heart attack while watching the racing and died that night at Nevada Regional Medical Center...