Stories from Thursday, January 20, 2005

By Ben Holman Nevada Daily Mail The Vernon County Commission has completed work on the 2005 county budget and it is now available for public review at the commission office in the Vernon County Courthouse in Nevada. Vernon County's government comes with a $2 million price tag. After several weeks of work, the commissioners now have a budget that will be officially approved after the mandatory 10-day public viewing period...

Special to the Daily Mail The removal of native vegetation and modifications to the hydrology through drainage and levees has nearly eliminated once-common bottomland hardwood forests, wet prairies, shrub swamps, and freshwater marshes in Missouri, according to a recently released study by the U.S. ...

Nevada Daily Mail Washington, D.C. -- Fourth District Congressman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., recently returned from a 10-day Congressional fact-finding trip to East Asia that included visits with U.S. troops that are stationed in South Korea and meetings with government officials in South Korea and China...

Nevada Daily Mail Internal Revenue Service VITA volunteers will be preparing federal state and property tax returns again this year, free of charge, to low income, elderly or disabled taxpayers. In most cases these returns can be electronically filed. Refunds can be expected in five to 10 days if deposited directly into your bank account or approximately 14 days if mailed to you...

Special to the Daily Mail The students, parents, and staff of Bryan Elementary School will soon be collecting pennies in observance of the 100th day of school, Monday, Jan. 31. All pennies collected beginning on the hundredth day through Friday, Feb. 4, will be counted and sorted by the kindergarten and first grade students. At the end of each day, the pennies will be deposited in the Bryan School Lucille Smith Scholarship Fund...

By Steve Moyer Nevada Daily Mail The Vernon County United Way celebrated a great year of fund-raising Wednesday at the Nevada Country Club. So far the United Way has raised $114,683.71, exceeding their goal of $110,000. David Slaby, drive chairman, welcomed the guests to the luncheon and handed out awards to winners...

Rebecca Ward and Shawn Jackson, Nevada, are proud to announce the birth of their son, Braxton Lee Jackson. Braxton was born at 6:41 p.m., on Jan. 19, 2005, at Nevada Regional Medical Center. He weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces, and measured 19.75 inches. He joins a brother Isac Wesley Jackson. Paternal grandparents are Marge and Chuck Jackson, Sheldon. Maternal grandparents are Jack and Shelly Ward, Milo. Maternal great-grandparents are Joe and Norma Sloniker, Nevada...

Mary Jane O'Connell, 74, Jefferson City, died Jan. 16, 2005. Services were held at Ferry Funeral Home at 10:30 a.m., today, Jan. 20, with John Nichols officiating. Pallbearers were Trey O'Connell, Troy O'Connell, Micah O'Connell, Josh O'Connell and Joel O'Connell. ...

Charles "Chuck" Darrell Swiney, 70, died Jan. 14, 2005. Services were held at Evergreen Memorial Chapel on Jan. 19, at 3 p.m., with Bob Textor, Rod Hillhouse and Richard H. Swiney officiating. Comments were by David Leimkiller. Musical selections were "Shouting on the Hills," "I'll Meet You in the Morning" and "When We All Get to Heaven." Vocalists were Brenda and Daisha Hillhouse. ...

Middle age plus years are years that call for constant maintenance. Often the cars that we are driving have been in our family for several years. It's comfortable to have an old friend taking you where you want to go. So cars with a little history behind them make us feel comfortable...

Presidential second terms usually end in failure. Since 1900, only Teddy Roosevelt could boast of a second term that was as good or better than his first. Woodrow Wilson lost Congress, and then couldn't bring America into the League of Nations. ...

100 years ago: Vernon Farm sells at more than $81 an acre Dr. T.B. Jackson and wife of near Milo were attending business here Friday. He has sold his fine farm near Milo to Minnie Scheizer of Kansas. The farm contains 80 acres and it is splendidly improved. It is known as the Spring Valley fruit farm. It has 3,000 bearing apple trees. The purchase price was $6,500, which makes a fraction more than $81 an acre...

Dear editor: Joe Kraft's behavior over the past couple of years has distressed many of his old friends. It seems that for unfathomable reasons he has developed a derogatory attitude toward the city administration. He has disappointed his friends to the point that months ago a prominent citizen was asked to talk to him about what he is doing. He replied sadly, "Nobody can talk to Joe."...

Nevada Daily Mail The Cottey Comets dropped their second straight since returning to the court following a month-long winter break, losing 72-40 against Penn Valley Community College Tuesday. Playing in Kansas City on Penn Valley's home floor, the Comets continued to struggle offensively. Cottey had only 21 points in the first half, turning the ball over 16 times before the break...

Nevada had 33 wrestlers compete in the youth tournament that was held at Nevada High School Sunday. Sam Ellifrits (pictured above) and Jacob Johnson both had first-place finishes. Finishing second were Caleb Shanks, Chance Mays, Roger Hardin, Ellifrits (in another class), Zach Shepherd, Todd Brier, Colby Shepherd, Austin Denning and Tristan Smith. ...

Nevada Daily Mail The Hume Hornets defeated Miami Tuesday in both boys varsity and junior varsity action. The varsity won 56-50, holding off Miami in a close game throughout. The Hornets had three players scoring in double figures in the win. Justin Wehar led the Hornets with 16 points, while Clayton Brooks scored 14 and James Salters had 11...

Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Left-hander Jeremy Affeldt, who had 13 saves for the Kansas City Royals last season, has filed for $1.2 million in salary arbitration, with the team offering $950,000. Affeldt, the team's only arbitration case this season, made $350,000 last season. Unless the two sides can agree before a hearing, an arbitrator will pick one of the salary amounts...

There is nothing more entertaining than watching a football game that features two teams combining to score almost 100 points. That's why I enjoyed watching so many Kansas City Chiefs games this season. Often the Chiefs would score a few dozen points, their opponents would score a few dozen plus one, and the game was generally exciting from start to finish...