Stories from Monday, September 20, 2004

By Ben Holman Nevada Daily Mail A soldier from Nevada was shot on Monday by one of his fellow soldiers at a home in Clay Center, near Fort Riley, Kan., Monday evening. U.S. Army Spc. Christopher Hymer, of Nevada, was transported to Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita where his is still listed in critical condition...

Nevada Daily Mail Aspiring performers and anyone just looking to have a good time may participate in the lip sync contest, which returns as a part of this year's Oktoberfest celebration benefitting the United Way of Vernon County. The contest will take place during the United Way Kick-Off event at 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 9, on the lot at Washington and Walnut, across from Ellis Furniture in Nevada. Cash prizes will be awarded to first and second place winners...

By Steve Moyer Nevada Daily Mail The Hume R-8 School Board met Wednesday, Sept. 8, and discussed several policy changes. Ryan Huff read a letter from the district's attorney regarding the use of wireless digital devices capable of receiving or transmitting digital images (camera phones) and after discussion the board voted to approve a policy that forbids students from carrying such devices on campus or at off campus instructional activities...

By David A. Lieb Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Teary-eyed Missouri legislators adjourned their annual veto session Thursday -- saddened not for failing to override any vetoes but because some of them will never cast another vote due to term limits...

By Ben Holman Nevada Daily Mail Dr. Steven Gates, the president of Crowder College, was in Nevada Wednesday visiting the Crowder campus. Gates was recently selected by the Crowder College Board of Trustees as the newest president of the school and this was his first official trip to the Nevada campus as the president...

Paula Gray, a nutrition educator with the Vernon County University of Missouri Extension Office, tests a pressure canner gauge for accuracy. Pressure canners are required when canning any food with low natural acid such as meats, fish and tomatoes. It is recommended that pressure canners be tested once a year. ...

Obituaries Elaine Smith Elaine Smith, age 75, Nevada, died Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004, at St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, following a sudden illness. She was born March 11, 1929, in Sheldon, to Earl Robert Jones and Iva Marie Tyree Jones. She married Leo Smith on Sept. 9, 1950, in Nevada, and he survives of the home...

Back to school is a hectic time for any parent: remembering the booster shots, school supplies and schedules; however, one appointment no parent should forget to make is for a vision screening. Eighty percent of what a child learns is through visual comprehension...

A veto session tribute The constitutionally required veto session concluded today in Jefferson City. There were surprises but many shared memories from the years of service of the 12 retiring legislators. The annual session is called to allow the opportunity for debate and full consideration of any bill that had been vetoed from the previous session...

Habitat project deserves community support Dear editor, I am writing to raise community awareness about an upcoming project in which we could all play a part. Nevada is soon to be the site of a Habitat for Humanity "Blitz Build." As background, the Nevada Area Habitat for Humanity has been around for a number of years and has already completed seven houses in our area. ...

Kudos to the Nevada R-5 School District, which once again has achieved "Accreditation with Distinction." It is the highest level of accreditation in the state of Missouri, and the district must meet stringent standards in terms of academic achievement, overall improvement goals, the level of educational opportunity available to students, attendance and more...

100 years ago: Vernon oil field promises big returns E.D. Horton, secretary, and John T. Bennett, vice president of the Missouri Oil and Development Co., and George Stewart, of Stotesbury, this county, were in Nevada today on business. The Missouri Development Co. is developing the oil and gas field at Stotesbury, and is meeting with success...

By Joe Warren Nevada Daily Mail Nevada finally won a home match. After playing their toughest competition at home and their weakest foes on the road for most of the season thus far, Nevada was able to dominate Webb City 9-0 to collect their first home win of 2004...

By Joe Warren Nevada Daily Mail The Nevada Lady Tigers were able to climb back to .500 again after beating El Dorado Springs for the second time this season. Nevada (6-6) won 14-3 over the Lady Bulldogs, this time in El Dorado Springs. The Lady Tigers had won the first matchup at home by a 15-0 count...

By Joe Warren Nevada Daily Mail Playing their best collective round of the season, the Nevada Lady Tigers golf team defeated Pleasant Hill by 33 shots Thursday. Nevada had a four-person total of 199 for the nine-hole dual, getting season-best rounds from both Emily Benbrook and Tabitha Pitts...

By Joe Warren Nevada Daily Mail The Nevada Lady Tigers fought off a pesky Neosho team Thursday, winning 25-19 and 26-24. The win ended a two match losing streak for Nevada, as they improved to 5-4-1 overall, 2-1 in conference play. It was the first road match of the season for Nevada...

By Marc Powers Nevada Herald JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- If Missouri voters ratify Amendment 3 on Nov. 2, an estimated $160 million a year in existing revenue will eventually be redirected to the Missouri Department of Transportation. That money, however, will be pulled from the state's general fund, which is used to support most other state agencies, especially education and social services...

By Steve Moyer Nevada Herald Several cars parked in the parking lot by Cottey College's Robertson Hall were broken into and the car radios stolen. According to Assistant Chief Gary Herstein of the Nevada Police Department, most of the radios were taken from locked vehicles, and some of those vehicles were relocked -- apparently by the thieves --after the thefts...

By Steve Moyer Nevada Herald Encroaching development threatening the pristine Wilson's Creek Battlefield site has stirred Missouri Senator Jim Talent to propose legislation that would provide funds to purchase additional land to include in the national park...

At about 8:35 a.m., Saturday, Donald R. Peterson, 48, was driving northbound on Washington Street in Nevada when he lost control of his pickup truck. The vehicle smashed through a utility pole, damaged a stop sign and came to rest against a tree in the yard of 1000 N. ...

Mike Dines, of Appleton City, adds his personal dog tags to the "soldier's cross." The upturned rifle with the helmet, along with the dog tags and a pair of boots, which Dines added later, represents the graves of fallen comrades-in-arms. Left, members of the Don E. ...

By Ralph Pokorny Nevada Herald Each year, during September or October some kind of mock disaster seems to hit the Vernon County area that tests the limits of area emergency response agencies. In recent years the area has been subjected to a mock tornado that cut a swath through the Nevada High School campus, and re-enactments of a meth lab explosion, a major gas pipeline leak and people needing decontamination after being exposed to hazardous materials...

Births Avery Grace Morris Dustin and Erin Morris, Nevada, are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Avery Grace Morris. Avery was born at 11:27 p.m., on Sept. 13, 2004, at Nevada Regional Medical Center. She weighed 8 pounds, 13 ounces, and measured 20 inches. ...

I wonder why? Hi neighbors. I'm writing this one from Iowa while visiting my daughter and granddaughter. My granddaughter is now three years old and while the twos is the year for the word "no" the threes is the time for the word "why." "Oh look Alyssa, there is a pretty flower," I'll say...

George W. Bush: a Brag Sheet About a month ago, I received the following resume of George W. Bush; yes, the other son of the former U.S. President George Bush, over the Internet from a friend. After reading the following document, I would say this: If a baboon were the only alternative to George W. Bush, come November, I would cast my vote for the baboon...

100 years ago: Shooting affray at Greenfield City Marshal Campbell of Greenfield who shot and probably fatally injured a man at Greenfield Saturday was in Nevada today. A crowd of men from the country came into Greenfield to attend the last day of that town's street fair. ...

By Joe Warren Nevada Herald The Nevada Tigers were feeling very patriotic Friday night when they hosted East Newton High School. But they were not feeling hospitable, as they sent the Patriots home with a 42-8 defeat in the Nevada home opener. The Tigers rushed for almost 250 yards and also had a good contribution from the passing game as they dominated from the onset...

Nevada Herald The Nevada Middle School football teams both had big wins this week. The eighth-grade team shutout Joplin South Thursday in the A-team game, 48-0. Colby Shepard scored on a 67-yard touchdown run on the game's first play and Nevada never looked back...

Can't duck fishing weather Matt Brown, of Lamar, was glad he took some fishing gear along on the opening day of the 2004 teal season because it saved the day for him. With weather more suited for fishing and not duck hunting, Brown was at a small lake with decoys set out as the sun rose on opening day of the short special teal season last Saturday...

Would have liked to see Maddux's 300th Thanks to the television networks we all got to see Barry Bonds hit his big home run if we wanted to, but we didn't get a chance to see Greg Maddux win his 300th game. I don't recall now if they were cutting away to show Bonds when he was going for his 600th home run, or the home run he hit to pass Willie Mays because I don't pay much attention to anything that goes on in San Francisco...