Stories from Saturday, January 3, 2015

Nevada Daily Mail Once again, the ballot for elections in November held an empty place for the position of county surveyor, encouraging voters to write in nominations for the position. Although Ryan Renwick of Renwick Insurance received 30 nominations, he decided to turn down the position since he felt he did not meet the requirements. For the time being, the position will remain open unless the Vernon County Commission decides to appoint someone...

Special to the Daily Mail Camp Mintahama is a name that is recognized by local Girl Scouts, Brownies, or their parents in the local and four-state area. Nestled in the woods south of Joplin, this is where life-long friendships have been created through the past 60 years...

Nevada Daily Mail The Vernon County Commission continued work on the budget for the new year with a visit from Circuit Court Judge James Bickel and Courts Administrator David Heumader, Tuesday morning. The 28th Circuit Court, which covers four counties, will end 2014 with about $12,000 in reserve, but decided to keep the 2015 budget virtually the same instead of assuming it would again receive that much revenue and not face other expenditures...

Mrs. Franklin of Benton Elementary School teaches students about Australia during the school's Christmas Around the World event Thursday. Michelle Workman/Daily Mail

Hi neighbors. It is not too late to wish each other a good year in 2015. It seems so odd that 2014 is gone already. Now is a good time to look back and review all we have done in 2014; what has happened in our house, our town, our state, our country and our world...

A change of year can bring a change of outlook, a new perspective of our approach to every day. There are our family traditions -- such as eating corned beef cabbage or black eyed peas -- singing "Auld Lang Syne," watching the ball drop in New York's Times Square and the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, or kissing at midnight...

Dear Editor: I am responding to "Yes, Virginia there Is A Santa Claus" article appearing in a paid advertisement that ran in the 24 December edition of the Nevada News. I truly do not wish to burst bubbles; but truth is truth. Virginia was told a lie. A bit older she would have learned there is no Santa Claus. Being lied to that there is a Santa Claus, has that set her up to not believe there is Jesus Christ?...