Stories from Thursday, April 3, 2008

Superintendent explains R-1 ballot issue Dear Editor: I have been overwhelmed by the support of the community in reference to our proposed new school project. Even the few who have admitted that they will probably vote against the issue have expressed their understanding of our severe need and wish us well regardless of the election outcome...

Wenona Carol Wagner, age 61, of Joplin, passed away March 21, 2008, at 11:40 a.m., at the home of her daughter. She was born in Flagler, Colo., June 12, 1946, to Delbert Ivan Harth and Opal Belle Herriette Livingston Harth. She moved to Richards, in 1948. She attended school in Richards. She married Robert Lee Wagner, on Dec. 22, 1962, in Nevada. They divorced in 1978. To this union their only child, Deborah Lea Wagner, was born...

An idea has circulated lately about the power of the number seven. It is said that if any two people get into a conversation, that within seven questions and answers the two will find some connection to each other. It may be as simple as finding out that each person has visited a certain site, gone to a certain school, or shares an interest in some subject. I have tried this out several times and have never failed to have it work...

Ray and Phyllis (Jantz) Hiebert, and siblings Austin, Garret and Tamara, of Hillsboro, Kan., are proud to announce the birth of their son and baby brother Travis Jade Hiebert. Travis was born on Feb. 8, 2008. He weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces, and measured 19 inches long...

A lawsuit filed by Barton County Electric Cooperative against their ex-CEO Jim Fanning could be dropped soon according to co-op officials. An arbitration hearing held in Springfield on Jan. 23 determined Fanning was responsible for the repayment of more than $112,000 in co-op funds he is believed to have used for personal home upgrades in 2002...

Courtney Mlinar, assistant director of Cottey's Blanche Skiff Ross Memorial Library, will present a spring clarinet recital on Wednesday, April 9, at 8 p.m. in the Missouri Recital Hall. Also performing will be Cottey professor of music Theresa Spencer, Cottey adjunct assistant professor of dance Jo Byrnes, and guest pianist Paula Niehouse of Avila University...

On April 8, voters living within the Northeast Vernon County R-1 School District will see a proposition to increase the operating tax levy in order to fund the construction of a new school on their ballots. Currently, NEVC is separated into two schools; the high school, a 79-year-old building, in Walker, and the elementary school located approximately 14 miles away, in Schell City...

You can call him Sergeant Pete -- that is, if you're not one of his students. Retired Sgt. Peter Quinlan has something of a secret life. By day he's a by-the-book sergeant instructing JROTC cadets at Nevada High School and coaches the Flying Tigers drill team. By night he can be a fast-talking disc jockey playing music, cracking jokes and warming up the crowd...

Nevada Daily Mail Nevada High School boys' golf shot its lowest round ever against Carthage High School Tuesday night, but it still wasn't enough as the Tigers lost the 9-hole match 157-161. Junior Tyler Gast and senior Zach Braucher fought off the soggy conditions in Carthage left over from Monday's storms to shoot 2 and 4 over par, respectively. Gast's 37 was good for the lowest round of the tournament...

Nevada Daily Mail Nevada baseball searched for offense all night Wednesday but found too little too late as the Tigers lost 5-4 to Seneca High School at the Bill O'Dell Tournament in Carthage, Mo. Seneca senior pitcher Patrick Bennett tormented the Nevada bats all night from the mound. Bennett gave up four runs on five hits in seven innings of work, two of those hits coming in the last inning...

Nevada Daily Mail Rich Johnson, 69, shot a hole-in-one Wednesday afternoon on the 11th hole of the Frank E. Peters golf course. Johnson hit a driver into the wind from 170 yards over water for the ace. It was Johnson's first hole-in-one. He was witnessed by Jo Poyzer...

Boys team scores: 7th grade: 1. McDonald County 2. Joplin North 3. Carthage 4. Nevada 5. Carl Junction 6. Joplin Memorial 7. Webb City 8. Mt. Vernon 9. Joplin South 8th grade: 1. Carthage 2. Memorial 3. Webb City 4. Nevada 5. McDonald County 6. Mt. Vernon...

When the word "pitch" is used in the month of April, one generally figures it is about baseball. Well, that is not the kind of "pitch" I am referring to here. I am making my usual "pitch" regarding our upcoming Tuesday, April 8, elections. Before I started this article, I read "Be A Responsible Citizen By Voting," in Wednesday's Nevada Daily Mail Opinion Page. My fellow columnist, Leonard Ernsbarger, made many good points in his article...

Dear Editor, On April 8, the patrons of the Northeast Vernon County School District have the opportunity to alter the course of education in our area. The question has been placed on the ballot to determine if we should fund (or at least begin to) the district so that they may enter into a lease purchase agreement and have someone build the district a new $4.5 million school...

Midway Track Meet, April 1

By Chris Patch Nevada Daily Mail For the second time in as many outings Nevada boys' golf shot its lowest-known round at a tournament, this time Thursday in the Joplin Invitational at Twin Hills. Nevada shot 344 as a team and tied Carl Junction for seventh in the 19-team field. Junior Tyler Gast set the pace for Nevada with an 80, along rounds of 86 and 87 from seniors Zach Braucher and David Cavener. No Tigers broke 100 -- something not un-heard of Thursday -- en route to the top-10 finish...

Nevada Daily Mail Nevada's baseball game against Lamar at the Bill O'Dell Tournament in Carthage, Mo., Thursday was rained out. It has been rescheduled for 2 p.m. Friday. If Friday's game is rained out the contest will be moved to 9 a.m. Saturday and Nevada will play a doubleheader to finish the tournament...