Stories from Thursday, January 6, 2005

By Ralph Pokorny Nevada Daily Mail This building on north Osage Boulevard, which once housed the Sperzel company, is going to be the home of Nevada's newest employer. According to Sam Foursha, Nevada's economic development director, The Fortner Group has purchased the building and is now installing telephones and computer systems in the building...

By Ben Holman Nevada Daily Mail Vernon County Commissioners met with more county officials on Wednesday regarding departmental budget requests for 2005. Doug Shupe, county recorder, Vickie Erwin, circuit clerk, and Ron Peckman, sheriff, each presented proposed budgets to the commissioners...

Nevada Daily Mail Barney Fisher, Richards, and Chris Koster, Belton, officially took over their respective offices in the state's legislature, during a formal swearing-in ceremony in Jefferson City on Wednesday, Jan. 5. Fisher is now the 125th District's state representative, and Koster now serves in the Senate's 31st District...

Nevada Daily Mail The Vernon County Historical Society will conduct its annual meeting at 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 9, at the Bushwhacker Museum. The program, presented by Jim Long of Long Creek Herbs, Blue Eye, Mo., will feature the history of herbal medicine...

Carl Everett Tourtillott, 79, Rich Hill, died Dec. 24, 2004, following a brief illness. He was born on Dec. 10, 1925, the son of Denver and Willa P. Tourtillott. He married Madelyn Jean Ayer on Sept. 14, 1944. He was a World War II veteran and spent his life in the farming and cattle business. He was part owner of the Rich Hill Sale Company for many years and served as the Bates County Southern Commissioner for a number of years...

Florence Marie (Terry) Bell, 92, Prescott, Kan., died Dec. 24, 2004, at the Country View Nursing Home in Prescott, Kan. She was born on May 3, 1912, the daughter of Joseph and Minnie (Beshore) Terry near Rich Hill. She married Donald Lee Bell in 1948...

William (Bill) Phelps, 81, Rich Hill, died Dec. 25, 2004. He was born May 4, 1923, the son of Margaret (Maggie) Powell and Lafayette Phelps. He married Betty Lou (Wilkins) Phelps on Aug. 27, 1946. He is preceded in death by his wife, Betty; two sons, William Richard and Elmer Eugene Phelps; and one granddaughter, Jennie Phelps. ...

Ronald Eugene Wilson, age 40, of Lamar, died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2005 at his home. He was born May 28, 1964, in Lamar, to Fred Willis and LaVeda B. (Wessler) Wilson. He was a lifetime resident of Barton County and graduated from Lamar High School in 1982...

Ora Lee (Philpot) Smith, 78, of Butler, died Tuesday, Dec. 28, at the Bates County Memorial Hospital in Butler. She was born Dec. 5, 1926, in Humboldt, Neb., to Herbert Willard and Winnie Mae McLaughlin Philpot. She was married to Richard "Earl" Smith...

Jack William Seitz Sr., 78, Sheldon, died Monday, Jan. 3, 2005, at his home in Sheldon. He was born June 28, 1926, in Heavener, Okla., to Jackson Lon Seitz and Martha Ellen Little Seitz. He grew up in Oklahoma and was raised as a Baptist. He served in the U.S. ...

Cawood Ingle Neas, 89, Nevada, died Jan. 2, 2005. Services were held at the All Saints' Episcopal Church today, Jan. 6, at 10:30 a.m., with the Very Rev. Mimi Savidge officiating. Soloist was Stacy Gordon. Musical selections were "Whispering Hope" and "Amazing Grace." Organist was Karen Hertzberg. ...

Everyone needs an attic. Each house should have a spot, preferably out of sight, where mementos of precious events can be stored for later review. Of course we may never really go look at them again, but there is comfort in knowing that there is a place where your first lost baby tooth can nestle comfortably with the cake decoration from the top of your Golden Wedding cake...

How long will the bitter partisan polarization that has gripped the U.S. last? Will we remain, forever, two nations -- one red and one blue? No. Partisanship is the order of the day, but its days are numbered. American political cycles have alternated between times of intense, polarized debate and bipartisan consensus. ...

U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are finding that a military background can help land them a job -- quicker than they might have expected. Several national companies have developed aggressive recruiting programs for recently discharged soldiers...

100 years ago: Nevada man loses roll of money A woman, who came to town a day or two ago and a man from Nevada mixed in a little escapade near the Missouri Pacific depot last night. During the melee a woman got the man's roll of money. As soon as he could find a policeman he had her arrested for stealing, and Policeman McMannus locked her up in the city jail. ...

The recent end to the NFL regular season and the constant chatter over the past few days about ice storms got me thinking about it. Then slipping on the ice on my way into the office earlier today and almost falling on my posterior really got my mind spinning...

Nevada Daily Mail An unusual set of circumstances have set up a rare Thursday night of games for both the Nevada Tiger boys basketball team and the Nevada Lady Tiger girls team. While the schedule usually has the two school playing on Tuesday and Friday nights, this week is different...

Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs have proved once more that no matter how high any offense might soar, all is lost when the defense can't stop anything. It's a point they've made three years in a row -- never more emphatically than this season...

Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A former exotic dancer accusing Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez of assault in a civil lawsuit is ''looking for fame and fortune,'' his attorney said Tuesday. ''I'm 100 percent certain this case will be thrown out of court quickly and we will hold those involved in filing it responsible for defamation of character,'' attorney Kevin Regan told The Associated Press...

Associated Press OLATHE, Kan. -- Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Eric Warfield pleaded no contest Wednesday to a felony charge of driving under the influence. The charge was a felony because Warfield, 28, has two prior DUI convictions. A plea agreement with Johnson County prosecutors calls for him to serve 10 days in jail and 80 days of house arrest and pay a $1,500 fine...

Nevada Daily Mail The brunt of the Midwestern ice storm that caused treacherous roads and widespread power outages in areas of Kansas and Missouri just north and west of Nevada stayed in that area, and icy roadways and rain caused few problems for motorists in the Nevada area. ...