Friday was my last day here in Nevada and Vernon County. I am leaving to take a new position with the city of Rolla, Mo., as the Parks and Recreation Director. It is my hope to be able to serve the residents in the community there as I have tried to serve the residents of this county...

We issue our usual kudos to those who spend their Fourth of July holiday working -- especially those in the safety departments across our area. In addition to the usual traffic problems, fender benders, routine stops, and domestic calls, each Fourth our fire and police and emergency personnel respond to a number of fireworks-related incidents...

Community pride shows itself in a variety of ways. The places where we work and live are good indicators. Our activities and how we choose to spend our time are others. Our towns often show their community pride in their schools and their athletic teams...

Having an opinion is healthy. We all have them. We would all agree, no doubt, that some are more founded on rational thoughts and are better informed than others. After all, it depends on your point of view. One person's truth is often another's fiction...

Farmers' markets are alive and doing well. Before the advent of mass marketing, mass distribution, mass production, and shiny packaging, neighbors relied on neighborhood farms and mom and pop-type operations or their own backyard or garden to get their produce and grocery goods...

May, June and July bring some significant milestones in our country's history. Memorial Day, Independence Day, Flag Day, the anniversary of D-Day, and Armed Forces Day are just a few of the holidays and events that we celebrate and commemorate. At this time, with school out for many, vacations beckon and family gatherings are common...

Often, we take for granted what we have in our own backyard and in our own part of the country. We grew up with it and near it. We may have visited it when we were younger. But often, it was just part of the background. Now, it's something we drive by or walk past or read about and don't give it much thought...

Politics is always in the news. If it's not an election year, it's an off election year. No matter. The political parties and we as citizens always find something to talk about. That's part of the process of keeping everyone informed and involved in the discussion of issues that affect each of us...

March Madness -- it turns normal people into zombies, with furrowed brows, wrinkled foreheads and grim facial expressions one moment and euphoric zealots jumping up and down the next. For true basketball fans, there's not much better. It's the time of year when college basketball reigns supreme, when teams from all across the country converge on a handful of locations and begin a playoff countdown for the national title...

Positions in city government and on our school boards are up for election. That includes seats for the cities of Bronaugh, Nevada, Sheldon, Schell City and Walker, the villages of Deerfield, Harwood, Metz, Milo, Richards, and Stotesbury, and the school boards in Nevada, Northeast Vernon County, Sheldon, El Dorado Springs, and Rich Hill...

The Pacesetter awards for community involvement and for large and small businesses and agriculture -- these are all designations and honors bestowed at the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet. Healthy Nevada, On My Own, Hoffman Financial Resources and the Farmers' Ag and Grain Supply were all honored at this year's banquet, last Saturday with the theme of "Evening on Bourbon Street."...

And they kept coming. Saturday night's annual father-daughter dance at the community center was well attended, very well attended, with over 600 participants. A steady line was the norm as the event opened and that line continued for the first hour and a half of the three-hour event...

The new year brings with it the promise of change. Whether it's trying to stick to those new resolutions we made for personal improvement, or we're simply navigating our way through planning our finances, the new year also often marks a period of transition as new community leaders in government and civic organizations take over...

For the third year, I attended the United Way of Vernon County Appreciation and Awards Luncheon. The annual event serves to recognize the agencies, businesses, and volunteers who make a difference in helping this organization help us in our community...

Our youth are active and engaged. They're curious about the world and their place in it. That has always been true. Often, as adults, we tend to forget that curiosity. We put that sense of wonder and amazement about the world and its workings behind us as we strive for "grown-up" practicality...

A change of year can bring a change of outlook, a new perspective of our approach to every day. There are our family traditions -- such as eating corned beef cabbage or black eyed peas -- singing "Auld Lang Syne," watching the ball drop in New York's Times Square and the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, or kissing at midnight...

Everyone has a favorite Christmas memory. It can be something simple, like sharing a moment with loved ones no longer present. It can be the times we spend with our family and friends during this holiday time. It can be attending the performances of Christmas plays or concerts at our school...

Identity theft -- it's a growing problem nationwide and one that seems to increase around the holidays and around the first of the year. More than 30 million Americans have become victims in the last five years. Law enforcement, credit agencies, banking and lending institutions have been getting out the word that each of us needs to be more careful...

Contributions, of both time and money, are a key part of the fabric of our society. Our quality of life is often determined by just how much we give. Many organizations and efforts wouldn't exist without our generosity -- United Way, the Humane Society, the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, the Children's Center, Community Outreach, Teen Angel, the Vernon County Ambulance District and American Legion toy drives -- the list is endless...

Holidays are synonymous with sharing and giving. It can be something simple, like recalling a moment enjoyed with loved ones no longer present. It can be the times we spend with our family and friends today. It can be taking stock of all of our blessings and joys...

Contributions, of both time and money, are a key part of the fabric of our society. Our quality of life is often determined by just how much we give. Many organizations wouldn't exist without our generosity -- United Way, the Humane Society, the Salvation Army, the Red Cross -- the list is endless...

We can pat ourselves on the back, or at least half of us can. Voter turnout approached nearly 50 percent in Vernon County. We had a number of contested county races, important state and national races on tap, as well as decisions on four constitutional amendments, ranging from allowing certain types of evidence in sex abuse cases of children, one that focused on teacher tenure and local school board control, another centered on early voting, and the last one targeting the governor's budget power.. ...

Voters will go to the polls to determine a number of key local races, as well as state and national races in our House of Representatives. The Nevada/Vernon County Chamber of Commerce is holding an election forum for the candidates at Cottey College, with questions that will likely touch on a variety of subjects...

National Fire Prevention Week begins Sunday, Oct. 5, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 11. Begun in 1925, the goal of the week is to increase awareness of the dangers of fire and to educate the public on how to stay safe. Consider these facts: More than 1.7 million fires strike homes, parks and businesses each year...

With the passing of long-time correspondent Mary Virginia Corporon Shead, our paper has lost a valuable link to our communities. Mrs. Shead, 95, died Sunday, Sept. 14. Shead, like a number of community news correspondents over the years, came by her newspaper work naturally, following in the family tradition...

Before the advent of mass marketing, mass distribution, mass production, and shiny packaging, neighbors relied on neighborhood farms and mom and pop-type operations or their own backyard or garden to get their produce and grocery goods. Over the years, the direct to consumer approach disappeared, replaced for convenience, time and cost efficiencies...

The world has changed, for each of us. We were forced to come to grips with the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001. The aftermath of that day ripples still and has forever altered our national psyche. Much like the Oklahoma City bombing left its mark on us in 1995 and we were faced with the unthinkable, before hoping that surely, events like this wouldn't happen again, still more has happened...

In honor of National Dog Day, this is a story about a boy and his dog, or more accurately a family and their dog. Unfortunately, we lost our dog recently as she succumbed to a quick but deadly illness called HGE, in which she seemed normal Friday, became ill Saturday, and left us Sunday morning...

We're heading into a new school year. And with the children preparing to adjust to the routine of books and classes, so too do we as parents need to find our routine. I'm convinced that routine should include a healthy dose of support and volunteerism...

The car went whizzing past, not slowing down to notice the children lined up on the sidewalk waiting for the school bus. It didn't seem to matter it was a residential district -- a neighborhood -- where children congregate each morning waiting for their ride to school and arrive back at the same point in the afternoon after a full day of school...

The primary election is coming up Aug. 5. A few of us, unfortunately too few, will determine for the rest of us, who will lead us in key local races. We'll also whittle down some other races, selecting our party nominee. Turnout typically runs in the 20 to 40 percent level, depending on what the issues are, what races are up for grabs, and the whims of the public...

Reading -- what a wonderful ability. To travel to a distant land, live history, experience the future, meet people and visit new places, and learn of today, both at home and abroad, it's all possible by just reading the printed word. Many of us are familiar with the RIF program --reading is fundamental...

The fair offers a unique chance to visit and learn, to say hello and to soak up the uniqueness that is a county fair. Fairs, rodeos and parades are American traditions. We come to display and to view the various youth exhibits done through 4-H, FFA, and Scouting, with animals, crafts, hobbies, and various skills, along with the ever-popular fair food...

We issue our usual kudos to those who spend their fourth of July holiday working - especially those in the safety departments across our area. In addition to the usual traffic problems, fender benders, routine stops, and domestic calls, each 4th our fire and police and emergency personnel respond to a number of fireworks-related incidents...

What's the attraction to events such as tribal pow wows, renaissance festivals, Highland games and a muzzleloader rendezvous? The answers are almost as many as there are historical festivals. We like to remember our past, to step outside our day-to-day lives and imagine life in earlier times while joining in with others in fun recreation...

There's not a more international game than soccer. And for fans of the "beautiful game," as South and Latin American audiences call it, the most anticipated month in sports has arrived. This event, which occurs every four years, is being played this year in Brazil. The month-and-a-half long tournament draws a larger worldwide audience than any other televised event. Only the summer Olympics can compare to the 3.2 billion who watched four years ago...

Local emergency medical services personnel joined with their counterparts and the public during Emergency Medical Services Week that concluded last week, May 18-24. National Emergency Medical Services Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to publicize safety and honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine's "front line."...

May, June and July bring some significant milestones in our country's history. Memorial Day, Independence Day, Flag Day, the anniversary of D-Day and Armed Forces Day are just a few of the holidays and events that we celebrate and commemorate. At this time, with school out for many, vacations beckon and family gatherings are common...

Who doesn't love watching with awe a muscled, well groomed horse, mane and tail flying, decked out in all colors of the rainbow, majestically soaring over the ground? Racing's Triple Crown got underway recently with the Kentucky Derby. The next two legs of the Crown, the Preakness and the Belmont, will follow May 17 and June 7...

National Day of Prayer is a unique celebration because this observance is a celebration of our freedoms, freedoms that have been with us from the beginning of our country. It is a particularly poignant day each year and grows more important in relevance at a time when many in the religious community feel they are under increasing attack from those who they believe would deny these same freedoms...

My first wife died this past Saturday. While not unexpected, as she had been battling cancer, it was still a blow for the family. Margaret had rarely been ill during the years I'd known her, but she was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. She went through two operations and a round of chemotherapy to eradicate the cancer, only to discover that, while the treatment had eliminated the original cancer, a second, more invasive and quicker growing sarcoma had developed...

As the school year winds down and thoughts turn toward the future, our school leadership across the county faces a Herculean task that just seems to grow more challenging. Over the past decade, school funding has become even more tumultuous amid an ever-increasing landscape of state and national mandates and regulations and a local and state economy that remains shaky...

I confess I have a strong feeling for the arts and history. I can't remember a time when I didn't find myself involved in participating or being a spectator at artistic events or historical commemorations. Reading with rapture the printed word, marveling at someone's artistry in creating sculpture or a painting, listening to music of all kinds, watching movies and plays, or learning about our past and those who came before us, I find an emotional connection...

Most of us have seen the events such as the Pinewood Derby, the Eagle Scout ceremony, the food drives, and the church and individual service projects. Likely too, most of us have bought Girl Scout cookies, especially this time of year. Yet, what we may not see are the more subtle benefits of Scouting -- values such as hard work, teamwork, cooperation, and understanding of others...

March Madness - it turns normal people into zombies, with furrowed brow, wrinkled foreheads and grim facial expressions one moment and euphoric zealots jumping up and down the next. For true basketball fans, there's not much better. It's the time of year when college basketball reigns supreme, when teams from all across the country converge on a handful of locations and begin a playoff countdown for the national title...

Throughout one's journey through life, you meet and share with many people -- your family, your teachers and classmates, your friends and neighbors, and those you meet through church and through various social activities. Some you connect with more than others...

The Pacesetter awards for community involvement and for large and small businesses and agriculture - these are all designations and honors bestowed at the Chamber of Commerce banquet. Corey Johnson, Mary Mitchell, Con-Way Trucking, the Farmers' Market, and 54 Feed and Seed were all honored...

We make a continuous effort at connecting with you, our readers. But often, we need your help to do that. To cover Nevada and Vernon County, it takes a Herculean effort. We have an excellent staff and one that is dedicated to providing you with accurate, timely and useful information...

Volunteerism and community spirit are alive and well. Rarely does a week go by that some civic, social or educational groups are not out, collecting for a worthy cause and contributing their time and effort to support and improve our towns. Groups like Rotary, the Lions, and the Soroptomists, along with a number of other community organizations and service groups, such as the Chamber of Commerce, our local downtown merchants, Beta Sigma Phi, the Association of University Women, Thalias and Dianas, the Eagles and Elks, the Masons and Shriners, just to name a few, as well as the various church, veterans and social groups, are deeply involved in making our towns a better place to live.. ...

Two significant events took place this past week -- the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and the passing of film legend Shirley Temple. While very different people, both were more than a passing interest for me. I vaguely remember the furor over the Beatles on the Sullivan Show. Ed Sullivan was a regular presence in our home, on our new black and white TV...

Few things impact us like our faith. According to the most recent Gallup Poll, released Dec. 24, 2013, one in four of us say we attended church in the past seven days. That's been pretty steady over the past three years and is close to where it was in 1940 and 1950, noted the Gallup Poll story by Frank Newport...

We're past the halfway point of the school year. The young people are settled in to the routine of books and classes. We as parents have also settled in to our routine of preparation, homework, and after school events. That routine should include a healthy dose of support and volunteerism...

For the second year, I attended the United Way of Vernon County Appreciation and Awards Luncheon. The annual event serves to recognize the agencies, businesses, and volunteers who make a difference in helping this organization help us in our community...

Saturday night, the Children's Center hosted its first fundraiser, expected to become an annual event. For those who don't know what the Children's Center is, the organization describes itself as "a safe place for the assessment and treatment of child sexual abuse."...

The new year brings with it the promise of change. Whether it's trying to stick to those new resolutions we made for personal improvement, or we're simply navigating our way through planning our finances, the new year also often marks a period of transition as new community leaders in government and civic organizations take over...

Is the cup half empty or half full? The answer depends on whether you're an optimist or a pessimist. There are those who are an optimist by nature so they tend to look at things in a more positive light. Then there are those who are pessimists and can't see the good in anything. Their negativity overflows and takes others around them down to their level...