Stories from Saturday, December 12, 2009

Dec. 9 There were reports of an assault in the Schell City area, an ambulance request in the Nevada area, a trespassing in the Vernon County area, a request to speak with a deputy in the Nevada area, a stranded motorist in the Rich Hill area, a miscellaneous call in the Vernon County area, and a stranded motorist in the Vernon County area...

Chris and Molly Lewis, and siblings Haley, Kaigan and Natalie, are proud to announce the birth of their twin sons and baby brothers, Riley Dean Lewis and Maxwell Leo Lewis. Riley was born at 9:30 p.m., and Maxwell was born at 9:32 p.m., on Nov. 15, 2009. Riley weighed 3 pounds, 15 ounces, and measured 17 1/2 inches; Maxwell weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces, and measured 18 1/2 inches...

Nancy Lee Ferguson, 63, Nevada, passed away on Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, at her home in Nevada following a sudden illness. She was born April 18, 1946, in Kansas City, Mo., to Frank J. Johnson and Gladys Marie Glassburn Johnson. She married Dennis Eddie Ferguson on April 27, 1963, in Osceola, Mo., and he preceded her in death on Nov. 9, 2004...

Velma Ernestine Rocher, 90, passed away Dec. 10, 2009, at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott. She was born Jan. 22, 1919, at Elkhart, Texas, to Bryant Lee and Lillie Dorma (Brooks) Brooks. On Jan. 19, 1940, she was united in marriage to Alfred Joseph Rocher in Mangum, Okla. She was retired from Key Work Clothes. When she was active, she loved to garden, sew, knit, crochet, and cook...

James E. Burris, 75, of Hume, Mo., died Dec. 8, 2009. Memorial services will be 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 13, at the American Legion in Hume, Mo. Arrangements are under the direction of Marts Memorial Services (816) 561-8181.

Melvin and Joan (Cameron) Higgins, of rural route 1, Richards, Mo., observed their 50th wedding anniversary on Friday. The couple were married Dec. 11, 1959, in Girard, Kan., and have resided in Vernon County since 1959 and at their current address since 1963...

Phil and Jolene (Davis) Willis, of Nevada, observed their first wedding anniversary Thursday. Mr. and Mrs. Willis were married Dec. 10, 2008, in Nevada. The couple will celebrate this year on Dec. 19. The couple have eight children.

Carol Beth McCoy and Richard Paul Gibeault exchanged wedding vows on Dec. 3, 2009, at the Northwoods Wedding Chapel, in Nevada. Vows were solemnized by Betty Plush. Misti Whaley attended the bride as maid of honor. Bryan Boyd served as best man.

Announcement is made of the engagement and approaching marriage of Brooke A. Pettibon and John D. Wilson. The couple plan to be married on Jan. 1, 2010, at 5 p.m., at the Northwoods Wedding Chapel, in Nevada. The bride-elect is the daughter of Bruce and Beth Pettibon, Nevada. The prospective groom is the son of Bill and Kaye Wilson of Nevada...

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Schouten, of Hico, Texas, announce the engagement of their daughter, Brittany Rene, to Donald Joshua Simpson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Scott Simpson, of rural Fort Scott. Josh is a graduate of Pittsburg State University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas...

After graduating from Missouri Western State College, Jeff Post returned to Nevada to become an insurance agent and part owner of the family business, Morrison-Post Insurance Agency on Dec. 14, 1984. He is a 1980 Nevada High School graduate and graduated from college with Associates of Science in Marketing and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in management. ...

The Oakton Methodist Church near Lamar is hosting a living Nativity event Dec. 17-19. Performances, which attendees can view and hear via loudspeaker from their vehicles, last about 25 minutes, and are presented every half hour beginning at 6:30 each evening, with the last performances beginning at 9 p.m...

The ailing Missouri State Public Defender system is failing in its constitutionally mandated mission of providing fair and adequate representation to criminal defendants that can't afford to pay for it themselves and is in desperate need of a mighty and revitalizing increase of monetary support. ...

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- Organizers of a local holiday community assistance program can breathe a sigh of relief. With less than a week to go before the distribution date, organizers of the annual Adopt-A-Child program and other local volunteers have been successful in finding sponsors for all 90 families and 387 children that are registered to receive assistance this year during the holiday season...

Fort Scott, Kan. -- A book signing has been set for Marcel Normand, retired Fort Scott Community College social science instructor, on Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., in the Gordon Parks Center, located in the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the FSCC campus. Normand recently published an informal biography titled "Father John Reinkemeyer: God's Humble Servant." The book sells for $12 and Normand will have copies available to sign...

BRONSON, Kan. -- "For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:11,14." That is the message displayed on one of the world's largest yard Bibles at the home of Bronson residents Alan and Charlotte Stewart...

Hi neighbors. Christmas is getting closer with each day. If you have small children at home they are probably "x"ing out each day as it passes. I don't know if we will have a white Christmas or not, but I think my grandchild will still be "enjoying" the snow they got this week, long after Christmas!...

The Missouri State Public Defenders office is back in the news with a Missouri State Supreme Court opinion handed down earlier this week. In a nutshell, the decision gives the public defender commission the authority to manage caseload, but says the manner in which they had been managing it has been improper. ...

Spring is just around the corner, and SHE magazine, a regional publication serving women in southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri, is looking for the area's greatest love stories, past or present. If you know of a great love story in our region, drop us a line and tell us about it. ...

Kansas City-Penn Valley edged the Cottey College Comets, 63-61 Thursday night in a Region XVI game at Hinkhouse. It was an up-tempo, fast-paced game and the Comets were initially caught off guard by the Lady Scouts full court press to open the game. In just over 5 minutes, Penn Valley had opened a 11-5 lead and the Comets were having trouble with their passing game. The Lady Scouts held a double-digit lead at 22-12 with just under 10 minutes to play when the Comets began to find their rhythm...

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. -- "Tough night of competition." Those words could be used to describe nearly every event the Nevada Tigers wrestling team competes in this year. Thursday night's dual against the Wildcats of Harrisonville High School was no exception as the Tigers fell by a final score of 52-29...

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- Fort Scott High's basketball team was sailing smoothly at halftime of its game against Labette County at the FSHS gymnasium Friday night. They were shooting well, defending well and running up and down. But they were also playing their fifth game in eight nights -- "NBA teams don't play that many games in a week," Tiger head coach Jeff DeLaTorre said -- and it may have showed in the third quarter when the game turned a 180 and everything started going the way of visiting Labette County.. ...

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- When Jolee Sharp was held in check by Labette County Friday night, Megan McDermed stepped up again just as she did in Pittsburg on Tuesday night. But the rest of the Tigers produced only six points combined while Labette County had several players step up while McKenna Britton struggled to a three-point night just three days after scoring 20 against Iola on Tuesday. This was the difference as Labette County went on to a 43-37 victory in Southeast Kansas League play...

The Nevada Tigers varsity basketball team was scheduled to be in action at home for the first time this season to host the Tigers of Warrensburg. However, due to a number of injuries as well as illness, Nevada High School athletic director Kevin McKinley has been forced to reschedule that contest...

While at the grocery store this week, I ran into several hunters who had just ended the 2009 firearm season last weekend. Now that the deer season has ended, the discussion turned to the fact that Christmas is fast approaching. "I'm not going to be one of those last-minute shoppers," one hunter said, while another commented that shopping for an outdoor enthusiast is easy today with all the items available...

David Irwin, brother of Belinda Beisley, presents a $600 check to Tiger Pit Wrestling club coach Chip Balk and a $600 check to Nevada High School head wrestling coach Devin White during the Tigers' quad meet Tuesday night. Beisley, who was killed last summer, was a supporter of Nevada wrestling...

Nevada High School head wrestling coach Devon White presents a plaque honoring Larry Hurst's accomplishments as a teacher and coach at Nevada High School to his close friend, Terry Hancock.