Stories from Tuesday, December 30, 2003

Glen Earl Westerhold, 76, of the Metz and Rich Hill area, died Saturday, Dec. 27, 2003, at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, Kan. Glen Earl was born Oct. 4, 1927, in Vernon County, Mo., the son of Frederick Everett and Eula Mae (Reed) Westerhold. He was a World War II Army veteran. Glen was united in marriage to Peggy Tough on Feb. 11, 1950, in Nevada, Mo. Glen was co-owner and operator of Tough Oil Co. for over 40 years, retiring in 2000. He was also a farmer...

James William Yarick, 81, Grandview, Mo., died Thursday, Dec. 25, 2003, at Research Belton Hospital, Belton, Mo. He was born July 31, 1922, to Frank Wilhelm and Sarah Mariah Earnest Yarick in Horton, Mo. James grew up in rural Horton and graduated from Rich Hill High School where he played football and basketball. ...

Obie A. Smith, 72, Nevada, Mo., died Sunday, Dec. 28, 2003, at Research Hospital, Kansas City, Mo. He was born Aug. 9, 1931, in rural Pine Creek, Mo., to Sigle Auston and Carrie Newton Smith. He married June Gillespie on June 12, 1959, in Kansas City, Mo., and she survives of the home...

Thomas Leon Smith, 82, Butler, Mo., died Friday, Dec. 26, 2003, at home. Thomas was born on June 10, 1921, near Cedar Springs, Mo., to Thomas C. and Mamie Ellen Hart Smith. Thomas graduated from Walker High School in 1942. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. While in the Army he worked in hospitals caring for the sick and wounded...

Once again, the present writer was struck by the same two things in the course of reviewing a century-old murder case: They murdered for different reasons, or in a different mental state, in the old days, it seems. And the newspapers certainly wrote it up differently...

100 Years Ago -- December 30, 1903 The Harper Coal Company's business, owned by Joseph and John S. Harper has been sold to H.L. Auman of near Deerfield, who will take charge on January 1. By the dial the Messrs. Harper become the owners of 160 acres of land located a mile north of Deerfield, which is known as the old Lilard Farm. ...

The Slammers, a team comprised of area eighth-grade girls, placed first in their division in the Christmas Tournament held at the Four Seasons Complex in Joplin, Mo., on Saturday. Coached by Bob Kerbs of Nevada, the Slammers defeated Carl Junction in the championship game...

In November 2002 the Nevada City Council agreed to sell the Ozark Building to a Kansas City real estate development company to turn it into Cypress Grove Apartment, a 56-unit senior apartment complex. Today the project is still on the drawing board, however, no work has been done on the building...

During 2003, tragic events that shaped the future of space travel and global intergovernmental relationships were written into the pages of history. In February, the worst tragedy in space travel since 1986 shocked the nation when NASA's space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during its return to Cape Canaveral, Fla...

After a dry growing season in 2002 area agriculture producers spent much of 2003 looking skyward in hopes of rain. They were largely disappointed. Early in the year Vernon County qualified for federal drought disaster relief. To qualify a county has to have under 40% of their average rainfall. For the months of July through Dec. of 2002 we were at 27% of normal...

The Nevada Regional Medical Center's new addition has been completed, on schedule. There have been some bumps along the way but nothing that derailed the project in any major way. Workers cut into a gas line that was mismarked on utility maps around the hospital slowing work one day until Aquila workers could repair the damaged line. ...

On Sunday morning, May 4, families in Stockton, and many southwestern Missouri towns like it, were going about their usual business. But that afternoon and evening, several tornadoes struck the area, one of them destroying a home near Sheldon, one causing great harm to herds of cattle and other livestock between Rich Hill and El Dorado Springs, and one leveling downtown Stockton...

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced the availability of $1 million in rural community development initiative grant funds to provide pre-development and revolving loan grants to support the establishment and operation of home health care cooperatives...