2006 -- a Year in Review

October

Nevada Daily Mail

In October, the race for U.S. Senator heated up substantially, with frontrunners Claire McCaskill and Jim Talent duking it out with harsh political ads, inundating the airwaves and the print media with barb after barb. Polls waffled back and forth, with Talent and McCaskill trading top numbers so often the race was impossible to call before the election. In fact, when election numbers finally rolled in, Talent seemed ahead until late in the evning, when the vote tally put McCaskill into the seat.

Local races also picked up momentum, with an associate judge's seat and the presiding commissioner's seat on the line.

The race for state representative also picked up steam, with challenger Tim Wells taking on incumbent Barney Fisher in a debate on Oct. 24

Magicians brought a character-building message to Bronaugh, and in Nevada, high school show choirs were preparing for a busy season of competition. Meanwhile, the Tiger Pride Marching Band was taking its share of honors in competitions throughout the state as well.

IMPACT Nevada tourism committee began its search for a new coordinator after Charlene Winfiel's resignation in September.

Plans were laid to install a long-awaited historical sign at Deepwood Cemetery, and the local historical society received confirmation that President Bush had signed the bill establishing the Freedom Frontier National Heritage Area encompassing much of eastern Kansas and the Missouri border counties, including Vernon County.

According to the U.S. National Park Service Web site: "A National Heritage Area is a place designated by the United States Congress where natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape arising from patterns of human activity shaped by geography."

The Nevada chapter of Soroptimists International hosted a bone marrow donor registration event, adding to the national registry. The group also had conducted a similar event in the past.

A consultant recommended an increase in water and sewer rates, which had not been increased in several years.

The United Way's annual Oktoberfest celebration took place on Oct. 14, with entertainment from Connie Smith and the Marci Mitchell Band that evening. During the day, games, more entertainers and a chili cook-off highlighted the celebration.

November

Nevada Daily Mail

The month of November was full of plenty of political decisions for Vernon County residents to ponder over. With the U.S. Senate race between Claire McCaskill and Jim Talent being tagged as one of the closest ever, and the local judicial races in Vernon County following closely behind. Challenger Neal Quitno won 58 percent of the vote, while Gerald McBeth received 41 percent of the vote.

In a race that stayed close and even looked like a victory for Talent in the early evening hours, Democrat Claire McCaskill unseated incumbent Jim Talent for Missouri's U.S. Senate seat by a very slim margin. In Vernon County, Talent led with 4,125 votes, or 57.8 percent. Talent campaigned more heavily in Vernon County than McCaskill, rallying support on at least three visits to McCaskill's lone visit to the area early in the campaign.

A bid to enact a sales tax to support the Vernon County Ambulance District failed to make the cut this month, which would have enabled a 1/2-cent sales tax to replace the property tax that currently funded the district. James McKenzie, VCAD director stated that "We won't be getting a new fleet, and we need two paramedics, still."

Minimum wage went up during the month of November when voters OK'd Proposition B to raise the wage to $6.50 an hour. The Stem Cell Initiative also narrowly won approval with 50.7 percent in favor of the initiative and 49.3 percent voting no.

A local producer, Dale Moore who owns and operates the new Freshmorels.com facility located north of Nevada on U.S. 71 was acknowledged during the month for his new booming business. Moore, who spent years developing the capability to grow morels -- a gourmet mushroom --indoors reliably, saw his business skills payoff. Moore stated that he was "sold out through Jan. 26," of the upcoming year.

Local residents also gained a new reason to watch their speed this month, as new speed monitors were installed behind the high school on the north side of Ashland Street, and in front of the Nevada Middle School.

The monitors, which were donated to the city by 3M, were installed to help remind motorists to obey the 15 mph speed limit in the school zones.

December

By Steve Moyer

Nevada Daily Mail

On Dec. 1, local residents woke up to the deepest snow they'd seen in years. Estimates varied, but people reported nine to 13 inches of heavy snow. It was slow-going for anyone out and about on Friday morning, with deep drifts and roof collapses reported throughout the state. In the central part of the state, a portion of Interstate 70 was shut down for hours due to numerous accidents.

The Midwest was struck with a winter storm Thursday, Nov. 30, that cut power to thousands of customers in Missouri and Illinois. In Nevada the roof of the Landmark Skate Center collapsed and the Masonic Lodge roof sagged. In Lamar, a portion of the O'Sullivan roof collapsed as well.

"It happened Thursday night, around 3 a.m.," Cheryl Straight said of the skating rink's roof. "It was 50 percent at first but then more collapse and it's about three-fourths now."

Lawrence Cripps, Masonic Temple Association, was called Monday about 5 p.m. by Jim Melton, Jim's Appliances and told the roof was sagging.

"He called me up and said I ought to get down there," Cripps said. "I went down there and met with the city inspector. Fortunately there is a flat roof under the new roof so it won't collapse all the way."

The year had begun with a hotly contested race for three city council positions, seats eventually won by Bill Gillette, Russ Kemm and Richard Meyers. Now one of those seats is again up for grabs, Meyers announced his resignation, effective Dec. 31, at the Dec. 19 city council meeting.

Since Meyers' term had more than one year to run the council will have to hold a special election to fill the seat.

The city's revamp of plans for improvements at the airport continued with the city council voting to approve a contract with Jack Ball and Associates for design services on the airport

The Vernon County Commissioners are working once again with Sheriff Ron Peckman and Judge James Bickel to seek a permanent solution to the inadequacies of the Vernon County Jail.

The request introduction starts off: "Currently located in Nevada, the Vernon County Jail and Sheriff's Department are undersized and in disrepair."

Firms planning to participate need to submit copies of their qualifications by 4 p.m., Dec. 26.

The selection process should be finished by early February 2007 and planning should be complete by spring 2007, in order for the proposal to make it on the ballot in April.