Stories from Friday, April 2, 2021

Thursday's match against Reeds Spring marked the first varsity dual for all but one player on the Nevada High School boys tennis team — and it showed. Junior Evan Rea, who was the Big 8 conference champion at No. 5 singles his freshman year, lit up the court in No. 1 singles with an 8-0 win over Connery Spain, and along with partner Andrew La Near beat Spain and Jaden Mcguirk 8-2 in No. 1 doubles...

After a 12-0 win over Bacone College in game one of a doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Vanek Family Memorial Field, the Cottey College softball team looked poised for an easy sweep. True to their name, though, the Warriors put up a valiant fight in the nightcap...

From the first hole at his first meet of the season Thursday afternoon at Frank E. Peters Municipal Golf Course, Nevada High School junior Owen Swearingen set a tone that, if sustained through the rest of the season, will surely find him back at the state tournament...

Nevada High School senior Elijah Nadurata did not make Carthage pay Thursday at Lyons Stadium after the batter in front of him was intentionally walked to load the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning of a tie ball game...

Thomas James (Tommy) Phillips, 55, departed this life to meet Jesus with his secret handshake on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Tommy, named after his father and Uncle Tom, was born to Romie James and Joan Loraine (Woolverton) Phillips in Nevada, Mo., Feb. ...

Gloria Marlene Murphy, 78, Sheldon, Mo., died on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at Medicalodges of Fort Scott, Kan. Marlene was born Aug. 24, 1942, in Independence, Kan., to Homer Hugh and Ruby Lee (Willis) Graves. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 3, at Bluff Cemetery in Barton County, Mo., with Steven Hopkins officiating. The family will receive friends from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Friday, at Ferry Funeral Home, in Nevada...