December -- City OKS budget, coldest weather of the year strikes area

For the second month in a row Vernon County parents were left to grieve the death of their children after an early morning fire destroyed their home.

Darren and Cheryl Dennison's four children were alone in the house when the fire broke out around 2 a.m,. on Dec. 10. When fire fighters and law enforcement personnel arrived on the scene the house was fully engulfed. Eleven-year-old Amanda Shadden and 5-year-old Coleen Shadden died in the fire. The Dennison's other two children, Kadessa and Braxton were able to escape.

The death of Emily DeBrine in a head-on collision west of Deerfield on Nov. 26, prompted her family to announce in December that they had established a foundation in her name and were establishing two scholarships in her name for Lady Tiger Golf and humanitarianism to help other students in the future. They also announced that they are planning to hold the Emily Ann DeBrine Memorial Golf Tournament on May 9, at the Frank E. Peters Golf Course with all proceeds going to benefit the foundation.

A deadly year for Vernon County youth continued when Kelly Masters, 19, and Chelsea L. To, 20, were killed an a traffic accident Dec. 23, on an icy portion of Interstate 35 near Holt.

With Nevada in the grips of the coldest weather so far this winter, 14 residents of the Uptown Apartments at the intersection of Lynn and Walnut streets were left to spend Dec. 18-22 without heat when KCP&L turned off the electricity because bill was unpaid. According to KCP&L their records showed the Uptown Apartments was a motel, which is classified as a commercial building, not apartments. When they found out it was an apartment complex, they turned the power back on. The Uptown Apartments was originally a motel.

After holding several work session and voting to approve the 2009 city budget, the Nevada City Council gave their final approval to the 2009 city budget at a 7 a.m. special meeting on Dec. 31. The council also took the unusual action of starting eminent domain condemnation proceedings against Wendell Lee to gain a 100 foot construction easement to rebuild a portion of the city's south interceptor sewer line. The council handled the ordinance as an emergency to prevent any further delay in the sewer renovation project.