Stories from Thursday, August 4, 2005

Dogpatch will come to Nevada this weekend when the Community Council on the Performing Arts presents "Li'l Abner" at the Fox Playhouse. The musical, based on the Al Capp comic strip, has a cast of over 30 performers featuring, below, Derek Fast as Li'l Abner, Amanda Nichols as Daisy Mae, Sandy Davis as Mammie Yokum and Marvin Klotz as Pappy. ...

Friends and family of the late Robert Wheeler, 57, Milo, gave him a tribute Wednesday as several of them led his funeral procession in custom cars with Wheeler's custom pickup leading the way. Wheeler was a graduate of Nevada High School and a lifelong mechanic and custom car enthusiast...

The words "Alzheimer's Disease" can be frightening for most of us, chances are most people know someone very close to them that is caring for a loved one or is dealing with the disease firsthand. Nevada Regional Medical Center, in conjunction with the Joplin Regional Office of the Alzheimer's Association, Southwest Missouri Chapter will present a caregiver's conference, which is titled, "Alzheimer's Disease: Let's Not Forget the Family," on Friday, Aug. 12, from 7:30 a.m. to noon...

Barone Alzheimer's Care Center, 2101 N. Ash St., Nevada, is deficiency-free again, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Springfield, Mo. Staff were informed at the conclusion of the three-day survey conducted for the purpose of determining substantial compliance with state and federal guidelines. This is the fourth consecutive year the facility has been deficiency-free...

Doris Elizabeth Foland, 75, Kansas City, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2005, at St. Joseph Hospital, Kansas City, Mo. She was born Dec. 14, 1929, in Easton, Pa. Doris graduated from Easton High School in 1947 and Easton School of Nursing in 1950. ...

John Charles Perkins, 67, Carthage, died Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2005, at Freeman Health Care Systems in Joplin, following an illness of several weeks. He was born Oct. 12, 1937, in Springfield, to Russum Lloyd Perkins and Eunice Mabel Holmes Perkins. He was married June 3, 1956, in the Central Christian Church, Springfield, to Glenda Stiles who survives of the home...

Remember the little ditty we used to sing about wishing the rain would go away and come again another day? It has been a long time since I had that type of thought. Even in the spring when we were getting lots and lots of rainy days, I was always glad. You don't have to live through many droughts to know that water is a precious commodity and a little extra some days can help out in dryer days to come...

The recent History Channel series, "Last Days of World War II," reminded me, with a bit of a shock, that it was just 60 years ago I made my epochal pilgrimage to the Mayo Clinic. We arrived on Flag Day. They were having a parade, all World War I old-timers, the young being overseas. The trip took two full days in our 1937 Pontiac coupe. Rationing still being in force, my mother had had to con the ration board out of extra gas, and we had two flats on the way...

Wow, what a night! Great racing with a few bumps thrown in for good measure, kids bicycle races and the Midwest Outlaw Lightening Sprints. Sprint driver Kevin Rupard gave us all a scare when his car flipped several times but we are glad to say he was able to climb out and walk away with no damage. ...