Stories from Friday, December 12, 2014

Shirley (Shirl) Jean Lionberger, 73, formerly of Nevada, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014, at Landmark Hospital, in Joplin. Born July 26, 1941, in Parsons, Kan., to Orville and Nellie Chastain Morris. She grew up in Parsons and later moved to Greeley, Colo. After graduating from Greeley High School, she worked locally until marrying John Lionberger on Sept. 14, 1962...

Wilma Earlene Vandenburg, 72, Nevada, Mo., formerly of Metz, passed from this life on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014, at her home, in Nevada, surrounded by family, following a brief illness. Wilma was born on Nov. 8, 1942, in El Dorado, Kan., to Theodore Roosevelt Knouf and Lola Mae (Cartmell) Knouf. She was united in marriage to George E. Vandenburg on May 6, 1958, in Nevada, and he survives...

The Nevada Tigers wrestling team fell to Bolivar in a Tuesday road meet. Bolivar collected 46 points to Nevada's 27. Individual results 113 pound: Caleb Hoover (Bolivar) over Clay Landoll (Nevada). 132 pound: Colton Shrewsbury (Nevada) over Chase Hampton (Bolivar)...

JOPLIN ---- After leading Webb City 18-9 at halftime during the semifinals of the Tri-County tournament Tuesday, the Nevada Middle School seventh-grade girls basketball team was unable to hold on, losing 28-26. The loss moves Nevada to 12-2 on the year, with both defeats coming against Webb City...

Nevada Daily Mail The NRTC-DECA chapter will host "Dunk for a Cure" to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation during the NHS boys' basketball game Dec. 19. Purple T-shirts and sweatshirts are currently on sale. They may be purchased in advance or the night of the benefit. The event will feature a silent auction, bake sale, and face painting, all beginning at 5:30 p.m., outside the NHS gym...

Nevada Daily Mail In the near future, the city of Bronaugh may have better access to the Internet after receiving word from InetVisions. The Bronaugh board of aldermen heard a request from InetVisions at their meeting Monday to place a wireless access node on the city's water tower that would provide higher speed Internet access to the city's residents. The company would pay the city a monthly fee of $80 while the city would provide electricity and access to the water tower...

Nevada Daily Mail With the new year rapidly approaching, the Vernon County Commission accepted bids Wednesday from vendors both locally and from other counties for different county services to be used during 2015. Some of the commission's decisions came easily as they only received one bid for the specific service. Others caused a little more difficulty as they compared different bids and quality of work...

Sheldon dropped a pair of games Tuesday night to visiting Golden City, with the boys falling in a close outing, 47-43, and the girls tumbling 50-29. In the boys' game, the teams were knotted at the first break at 12 apiece. The teams were even again in the second period, although the visitors managed to squeak out a 21-20 halftime lead...

Early this morning after deleting several dozen more online emails and Facebook advertisements, I let my thoughts return to my youthful memories of Christmas. The holidays I remember from those times seem much more personable. In past years I have written about the variety of local businesses that had wonderful Christmas displays. This was of course in the years before there were Wal-Marts and online shopping venues. More importantly, there were no UPS or FedEx home delivery systems...

A popular song when I was at the dating age told about candlelit moments, walks in woods, and other romantic settings as something that would always remain in their memory of each other. Some of that holds true, but hopefully the best memories are the ones shared with the one who later became your spouse...

The Cottey Comets were defeated in a nail-biter by the visiting Fort Scott Community College Greyhounds, 60-58, Tuesday night at Hinkhouse Center. The loss drops the Comets to 6-3. This is the second time this season the two squads have squared off, with the Comets taking the first game 64-59, Nov. 22, at the Fourth Annual Greyhound Classic in Fort Scott...