Stories from Friday, December 7, 2007

Christy, Brian and Lauren Bloom are proud to announce the birth of their daughter and baby sister, Alyssa Kate Bloom. Alyssa was born at 3:38 p.m., on Dec. 3, 2007, at Nevada Regional Medical Center. She weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces, and measured 20 inches...

Harland Howard Swope, 91, of Rich Hill passed away Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007. Harland was born Aug. 26, 1916, in Rich Hill, to Roy Acy and Ella Pauline Merchant Swope. He attended Rich Hill High School and graduated in 1934. He married Norma Lacy Feb. 1, 1937, in Mound City, Kan.; to this union seven children were born...

In James Michener's celebrated panorama of the west "Centennial," there is a animal story that I feel is relevant to one of our current city issues. It is the story of a fictional bull buffalo that Michener called Rufous. When I think of Rufous, he reminds me of our parks and recreation sales tax, and the struggles for its use...

WASHINGTON -- A new report from the National Intelligence Estimate concludes that Iran's nuclear weapons development program has been halted since the fall of 2003, a stark contrast to the conclusions U.S. spy agencies drew just two years ago. -- The Associated Press...

Nevada's bridge maven, Betty McCord, has been playing the game since 1956 and now teaches the game to novices at the Osage Prairie YMCA. Every once in awhile she likes to throw a bridge party for all the students, past and present. Tuesday, Dec. 11, McCord will hold another party and she wouldn't mind a few extra people showing up...

Travelers on U.S. 71 encountered slick conditions for a short while in Vernon County on Thursday as a winter storm passed through the area. Meanwhile, travelers in Kansas City and commuters who work in that area faced more treacherous roads, since that area took more of the brunt of the storm...

First Baptist Church of Nevada pulled out all the stops in preparation for their Christmas presentation of George Frideric Handel's "Messiah," to be performed Sunday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m., in the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church. The presentation features a list of professional vocalists to perform solos throughout the show, along with First Baptist's Praise Choir, led by Wesley Morton...

The Nevada Lady Tigers varsity and JV split two closely fought games with the Monett Lady Cubs Thursday night at Wynn Gymnasium. The Nevada Lady Tigers varsity battled a persistent Monett Lady Cubs team, as well as, the turn-overs that have plagued the Lady Tigers all season to a 37-34 win that was not decided until the final buzzer, four seconds after Nevada's last free throw in the game...

Appleton City beat the Hume Hornets 43-40 Monday night in Hume to end the Hornets perfect season. The Hornets got off to a slow start Monday night with a 23-10 deficit at the end of the first half, but the team roared back to life in the third quarter, picking up 17 points while Appleton City only added 7, narrowing the deficit to 30-27...

Saturday night marks one of the biggest nights in recent boxing history. Undefeated "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather Jr. honored by most in the boxing community as the best pound for pound boxer in the sport will put his 147 lb. WBC title on the line to take on Britain's undefeated, former 140-pound IBF, WBA champ, Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton, in a 147 lb. welterweight bout...