Stories from Thursday, October 30, 2008

Max Franklin Watkins, 67, Pineville, Mo., formerly of Sheldon, Mo., died Friday, Oct. 24, 2008, at his residence. He was born May 28, 1941, in Carthage, Mo. He is survived by his wife Vicki, of the home; two children, Gena and Brandon, both of the state Oklahoma.; one step-son, Jonathan Patterson, Pineville, Mo.; three grandchildren and one step-granddaughter; his mother, Beulah Watkins, Sheldon, Mo.; three sisters, Marge McCarver, Rogers, Ark., Rosa Lee Raynor, Sheldon, Mo.. ...

Oct. 25 An accident occurred at 6:40 p.m., in Sonic parking lot, involving a truck driven by Benjamin S. Phillips, in Grand Marais, Minn., and the awning at Sonic. No injuries were reported. An accident occurred at 11:30 p.m., on Hickory and Perkins involving a parked car owned by Thomas C. Hacker, of Nevada, and a vehicle that left the scene. No injuries were reported...

Oct. 26 There were reports of a careless driver in the Richards area, a stolen vehicle in the U.S. Highway 71 area, an agency assist in the Nevada area, a vehicle vs. deer accident in the Nevada area, and a suspicous person in the Nevada area. Emily M. ...

A Military Memorial Dedication will be held at Balltown Cemetery, at 2 p.m., Nov. 9. Honor the Veterans in your family and your community at the dedication of a new military memorial and rededication of the Civil War burial plot at Vernon County's oldest cemetery, Balltown. ...

Nevada High School gifted students will be trick or treating for UNICEF on Oct. 30, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Students will be raising funds through the effort throughout the city of Nevada. Anyone wishing to make a donation may do so by contacting Tina Sudkamp at Nevada High School. ...

Kennon Shaw, a Republican, and a resident of Bronaugh, is seeking re-election to the office of Vernon County Southern Commis-sioner. Shaw was appointed to the office by Gov. Matt Blunt to fill the term vacated by Bonnie McCord when she was elected to the seat of presiding commissioner. He was sworn in as southern commissioner in January 2007...

Proposition C. an initiative appearing on the ballot for Missouri voters in the Nov. 4 election, is meeting with some late-campaign opposition. The measure, known as the Missouri Clean Air Initiative, would require the state's four investor-owned utility companies to get 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources like wind, solar, and biomass by the year 2021...

JOPLIN, MO -- Oct. 28, 2008 -- The Empire District Gas Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Empire District Electric Company, has filed its Winter 2008-'09 Purchased Gas Adjustment with the Missouri Public Service Commission. Empire District has requested the new PGA to be effective Nov. 12, 2008...

With one week to go until the election, Democrats and Republicans gathered at their respective headquarters, both on the Square in Nevada. Members of each group talked of issues important to each party and each group rallied its support for its candidates in its own way...

This year's All-District volleyball team selections have officially been announced. Five players from the Nevada High School Lady Tigers team were selected to the All-District teams, with three on the first team and two on the second. Junior Mariah Mock, senior Chelsie Johnson and senior Emily Moore were all chosen to play on the Class 3 District 12 All-District first team...

We just got our new telephone books. It always used to be such a pleasure to get the new ones each year so that we could get information on new arrivals, new businesses and numbers for those people who had moved during the year. The present books are fine, but many of our friends are no longer listed there. ...

Voters of the 125th District: I am like Harry Truman, in a response to a constituent who said, "Give them hell Harry." Harry Truman said, "I just tell the truth and they think it's hell." In response to reporter Steve Moyer's Nevada Daily Mail article 'State Representative Race Heats Up', which came out on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 where it notes radio ads telling listeners to watch their mail for the "whole sad story", which details "a betrayal of the 125th District", Barney and others assumed that Jim and Nancy Wilson's letter was the mail piece that my radio ad was referencing. ...

Dear Editor, "Quo Vadiz?" the ancient Romans asked when their empire ruled the world, then crumbled. If it seems like history repeating, where is America going? Why? The economic squeeze seems headed for a depression, with job losses, home mortgage foreclosures, industrial banks and insurance giants collapsing, and everybody insecure and worried, not to mention natural calamities such as hurricanes, floods, tornados, earthquakes and wildfires...

Dear Editor, I thought of another reason voters have to pass the Missouri Clean Energy Initiative -- Prop. C (requiring Missouri utilities to get more power from wind and solar): More manufacturing jobs. Wind companies from the United States and around the world are rapidly opening new plants to make wind blades, towers and turbines in the United States. ...

The Nevada Tigers suffered their eighth loss of the season as they fell in convincing fashion to the Carthage Tigers, 68-28. After winning the opening coin toss, Nevada chose to defer the possession to the second half. A good kickoff return by Carthage gave them the ball with strong field position at their own 38-yard line and were able to mount a strong drive and pound the ball into the end zone with 9:31 to go in the first quarter -- a drive capped off by a 10-yard quarterback sneak by Trey Derryberry.. ...