Stories from Thursday, June 18, 2009

Cost-share funds are now available to producers within 17 counties in eastern Kansas and Western Missouri through the "Kan-Mo Bi-State Marais des Cygnes Targeted Watershed Grant Program." Applications need to be postmarked by June 30 for consideration...

Wentworth College's Lamar Extension Site held its first commencement ceremony on May 30, at the Pentecostal Assembly Church in Nevada. Eight students were awarded Associate of Arts degrees from Dr. Roger Hamilton, Provost at Wentworth College. Pastor Dennis Engelbrecht opened the evening with the invocation. ...

The Missouri Department of Transportation reported road closures in Vernon and Barton counties on Wednesday, due to flooding caused by Monday and Tuesday's heavy rains. Flooding from the Little Osage led to the closure of State Route V, 1.67 miles after Route D. State Route KK in Vernon County also was closed beginning 3.88 miles before Route T...

Plans for the 128th El Dorado Springs Annual Picnic are moving along. The committee is planning several activities for this year. Scheduled for July 16-18, all three days will be filled with kids games, a talent show, a lip sync contest, a greased pig contest, plus local entertainment and main stage acts, and it's all preceded on Wednesday with the Take Me Out to the Ball Game Challenge and a street dance on Wednesday night...

The search is on for the best older worker of 2009. Missouri's annual Older Worker of the Year contest seeks to honor a Missouri resident who is 65 or older, employed at least 20 hours a week and displays dependability and new skills on the job. The winner and regional finalists will be recognized at a two-day awards ceremony in September in Jefferson City...

Vernon County Assessor Cherie Roberts said she sent out notices to property owners whose property has increased in value; and, as happens each year, some residents have questions. There's a process in place for those folks to have their assessments reviewed and Roberts said that as happens each assessment year, there are several taking advantage of the first steps in that process this year...

The Nevada Griffons set out to bounce back from a tough night against the Clarinda, Iowa A's as they continued their road trip with the first of two games against the Beatrice Bruins in Beatrice, Neb., Wednesday night. The Bruins came into this season having won the last two MINK League championships, but that didn't seem to bother the Griffons as their offense came to life right from the outset...

The Nevada Red Sox AAA squad got back into action Wednesday night, hoping to take advantage of the momentum boost they got from their dominant performance against East Newton and continue their winning ways as they hosted the Hound Dawgs of Aurora and did just that, adding another strong home victory to their record with an 11-0 win in five innings...

I'm writing this column on a day when we had 3.6 inches of rain during the night. The lightning and thunder woke me several times and even though I reset my clock in the middle of the night it soon started blinking again because of a temporary power shortage. Our lawn looked like a lake when I first woke up, but it has now changed into a rice paddy...

Dear Editor: Recent news releases from Gov. Nixon on May 13, and from the Department of Health and Senior Services on May 20, printed by some of our local newspapers, proudly announced that Missouri will be receiving $1.9 million in federal stimulus funds to provide meals to seniors. What the news releases failed to say is that this money will be a replacement for a $1.4 million reduction in next year's state home delivered meal funding for Missouri's homebound elderly...

June 12 There was a report of a petty theft from a motor vehicle on the 1100 block of south Clay, made by Daniel Kimmell, of Nevada. He reported an iPod and change stolen. There was a report of a petty theft from a motor vehicle on the 1100 block of north Lynn, made by Ruth Allen, of Nevada. She reported change stolen...

The Nevada Red Sox AA squad got back into action Thursday night hoping to break the .500 mark in district play as they hosted Neosho. That was not to be, however, as a 10-run fourth inning catapulted Neosho to a 17-7 road victory. The Red Sox came into the night with a 1-1 record in district play against a completely unknown opponent in Neosho. ...

The Nevada Country Club hosted the 40th annual Four-Ball Invitational golf tournament June 13 and 14, at the Country Club. The tournament was held in a 36-hole stroke play format with two-man teams and each team counted the lowest of their two scores on each hole to determine overall results...