Stories from Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Carol Elaine Nelson, 78, of Springfield, Mo., went to be with the Lord on Feb. 27, 2014. She was born in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 21, 1935, to Edward and Fern Woolverton. Carol attended Nevada High School and Wichita State University. She was married to her loving husband and best friend, Larry Nelson, whom she married on Aug. 2, 1952, in Huntsville, Ark...

Thomas E. "Tommy" Smith, 44, Nevada, Mo., passed away Monday, March 3, 2014, as a result of a motor vehicle accident. Tommy was born in Nov. 24, 1969, in Nevada. He was united in marriage on May 3, 1997, to Jamie S. Heckadon, in Nevada, and she survives of the home...

Malachai James Mashek, 10 days old, died Saturday, March 1, 2014, in the Nevada Regional Medical Center, Nevada, Mo. Malachi was born Feb. 18, 2014, in Pittsburg, Kan., the son of Daniel James Mashek and Kimberly Ann Porter. Survivors include his paternal grandmother, Tonya Mashek, of St. Louis; maternal great-grandparents, Gerald and Pat Taiclet, of Girard; aunt, Vicky Mashek, of Nevada; and great-aunt, Jody Sandness, of Nevada...

Marilyn Dee Culp, 80, formerly of Fort Scott, Kan., and more recently of Bronaugh, Mo., died Monday, March 3, at the Nevada Regional Medical Center, in Nevada, Mo. She was born April 30, 1933, the daughter of John Clark and Ruth Elsie Lewis Vermillion. She attended Fort Scott High School and Fort Scott Community College...

Nevada Daily Mail In an effort to raise money for improving technology, Northeast Vernon County Parent Teacher Organization launched a not-so-traditional fundraiser March 3. The PTO and students are selling discount tickets for the Harlem Globetrotters performance April 3 at Leggett and Platt Athletics Center on the Missouri Southern State University campus in Joplin with part of the proceeds going back to the NEVC school district...

Nevada Daily Mail Corey Johnson and Mary Mitchell were the recipients of the Community Involvement Pacesetter Award for 2013, with the Vernon County Farmers' Market, Con-Way Trucking, and 54 Feed and Seed also winning Pacesetter awards at the annual Nevada Vernon County Chamber of Commerce Gala Saturday night at the Eagles...

Missouri House Rep. Randy W. Pike has filed for re-election. He is currently serving in his second year as District 126 State Representative, which covers Vernon and Bates counties. Pike was honored with Freshman Legislator of the Year for Veterans Issues in 2013...

Nevada Daily Mail With Cottey College's fundraising campaign complete, the construction of the college's new performing arts center will take center stage. However, before that can begin, the city needs to move a 16-inch water main that runs through the middle of the Cottey campus -- a process that is complicated by the numerous other underground utilities than run along Austin Boulevard...

Vernon County Route Y will be closed Thursday, March 6 between County Road 3000rd and County Route 3050th east of Harwood from 8 a.m to 3 p.m. MoDOT crews will be replacing a drain pipe underneath the road. Drivers will have to find an alternate route around the closing. Drivers will be able to get to driveways and other entrances on either side of the closing. However, they will NOT be able to travel through the work zone...