Stories from Thursday, January 24, 2008

Sometimes I fuss at the machines in our lives today. I feel that they tend to isolate us more and more from our family and friends. We can entertain ourselves all alone at our desk or in our easy chair. We don't need other people to play a game, see a show or figure out a problem...

By Jason Salzman - Minutemanmedia.org We're heading into the thick of the election season, and we're relying on journalists to inform us about the candidates and issues involved. Here's what we ask of them: Polls. First, please, don't waste your money on excessive polling, especially in the early going before the candidates' positions have become known. ...

Gov. Matt Blunt's announcement Tuesday that he would not seek re-election was a surprise. It was almost as big a surprise that he managed to keep his plans private until they were announced in a YouTube video. There had been some rumors in recent weeks that something like this might happen, but most veteran politicians and political observers chalked such speculation up to election-year prattle...

The four-member Nevada High School swim team finished seventh in a field of seven teams at the Webb City Invitational Swim Meet on Saturday. Nevada swimming coach Becky Lowery said that her team finished with 93 points, just one point behind sixth place Lamar, which has twice as many swimmers as Nevada...

The Cottey Comets convincingly beat Region XVI opponent North Central Missouri College 75-63 Tuesday night in Hinkhouse Gymnasium. The Comets set the tone for the night when they took a 10-0 lead at 16:40 and maintained a double digit lead through most of the first half. Melissa Hedges, Jessica Roberts and Liz Wagoner combined for 25 of the Comets 33 points in the first period to keep the pressure on the Lady Pirates in an up-tempo game...

The Women, Infants and Children's Program is sponsoring a kids' fair for all families in Vernon County during the month of February at the WIC Office in the Vernon County Health Department, Feb. 7 and Feb. 26, 8 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m. The general topic for this year's fair is Fitness Awareness for Children. ...

The Vernon County Relay For Life committee and the American Cancer Society announce the 2008 kick-off meeting to be held on Sunday, Jan. 27. This informational meeting will take place between 2 and 4 p.m., at the Moore-Few Community Room in Nevada. All team captains and co-captains need to attend to pick up team packets and to go over the information in them. ...

Officials from NOAA National Weather Service along with Missouri State Emergency Management Agency Director Ron Reynolds, made a visit to Nevada on Wednesday, Jan. 23, to honor one the few industries in the nation to become a storm ready facility. 3M of Nevada has completed what the National Weather Service calls a set of rigorous warning criteria, and was given the title of StormReady...

A home in the 400 block of North Elm was quickly engulfed in flames Wednesday afternoon. The fire, which started approximately 2:30 p.m., was called in by a city of Nevada employee who happened to be driving by. Richard Brockman was in his car at Hickory and Osage when he first noticed the smoke...