Stories from Sunday, March 13, 2005

By Ben Holman Nevada Herald The first steps have been made toward a national animal identification system and, like it or not, southwest Missouri farmers aren't going to be able to avoid the inevitable. "There's a lot of people out there that think our ag system is pretty vulnerable," said Steve Goff, Missouri animal identification program administrator...

By Ralph Pokorny Nevada Herald The Nevada Parks Board is still trying to decide whether to renovate the current community center or build a new facility across the street from the existing facility if the voters renew the one-half cent park and recreation sales tax in April...

Hola, Mama! Today was the first day of educational modules for the students. I was part of a group that took a day trip to El Escorial and Segovia. Our first stop was El Escorial, the palace of Filipe II and the burial place of Spain's kings and queens. It was built around the 16th century. It not only was a palace, but housed a chapel and the most elaborate crypt I~ve seen outside of Westminster Abbey...

Nevada Herald Tourism is alive and well in Nevada, according to the Nevada Vernon County Chamber of Commerce tourism director, Charlene Winfield. Sure, there's the historic attractions, parks and conservation areas nearby that attract the kind of visitors most people think of as tourists, but Winfield notes that tourism means much more than vacationers and sight-seers...

Nevada Herald On Saturday morning a man entered Fastrip store 36 at Ash and Highland, in Nevada, shortly after opening time, armed with a small handgun and demanded money from an employee. According to a press release from the Nevada Police Department, the clerk complied with the robber's demands and handed over an undetermined amount of money. ...

* Citizens asked to conserve water. By Jason E. Silvers and Robin Hixson Fort Scott Tribune A disastrous inferno tore through downtown Fort Scott Friday afternoon, leaving a row of several downtown buildings gutted by fire, damaging others, incluidng the historic railroad depot and sparking a plea from the city that residents conserve water. Vast amounts of water used to battle the devastating blaze...

Roger "Wayne" Whisler, 70, of Boulder, Colo., died Monday, March 7, 2005, in Boulder, Colo. The son of Bill Whisler and Pauline Current-Whisler, he was born May 5,1934, in Nevada. He married Mary Catherine Rafferty on June 12, 1955, in Boulder, Colo...

Allen Laux Cummings, 87, Nevada, died Thursday, March 10, 2005, at the Nevada Regional Medical Center, Nevada. He was born June 15, 1917, in Bates County, Mo., to Hiram George Cummings and Gertie Cecil Moore Cummings. He was married Feb. 12, 1937 in Butler, to Elsie Lorraine Strange Cummings. She preceded him in death Sept. 24, 2003...

Gladys Matilda Pyle Banks, 94, Nevada, died Thursday, March 10, 2005, at Moore-Few Care Center, Nevada, following a lengthy illness. She was born Feb. 28, 1911, in Walker, to Thomas Francis Pyle and Hattie Mable Dixon Pyle. She married Clifford Banks and he preceded her in death in July 1976...

Recently, I spent my 65th birthday (Feb. 28) with Ginny and the ghost of Huck Finn on the Mississippi River. In our 40 years of married life, the two of us have seldom taken a trip of more than two days' duration, so when we chose, as our first post-retirement trip, with daughter Jessica back in Nevada busily seeking employment in Europe, we decided against the seven and 18-day trips down the Mississippi, and settled for the three-day cruise, which was to depart from New Orleans...

The first Oklahoma State Motocross Series race was held at Hickory Ridge Motocross Park in Warner, Okla., on Saturday, March 5, and Sunday, March 6. Above, Austin Forkner, 6, of Richards, rode his 50cc Cobra to a first place win in the 50cc 4-6-year-old class and placed sixth out of 15 in the 50cc open class. Mike Forkner was seventh in the over 40 class and Andy Collins was seventh in the 250 Novice and seventh in the Big Bike Open Classes...

By Doug Tucker Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Terrell Everett seems to be in the right place at the right time whenever Oklahoma needs him. The 6-foot-4 junior had 18 points, seven assists and two steals Friday in leading the Sooners to an 83-79 victory over Missouri in a second-round Big 12 game that could stand as a clinic in the art of shooting free throws...

Associated Press COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri coach Gary Pinkel knows his program lost national respect last season when it lost five of its final six games. The stretch dropped the Tigers from leaders of the Big 12 North to a 5-6 finish, well below expectations. But Pinkel said Thursday he was excited about beginning spring practice and forgetting the troubles of the 2004 season...

Associated Press JUPITER, Fla. -- Rick Ankiel began his new life in baseball, likely a long climb back as an outfielder, on Thursday. The former St. Louis Cardinals phenom played designated hitter in an intersquad game, a day after walking away from a once-promising pitching career. And almost walking away from the game totally...

Earlier this month at a time when I was still recovering from a triple bypass operation, a fishing friend sauntered into the barber shop and said, "Lets go fishing, they're hitting and running up the river." When my friend said, "They're hitting," he meant one thing -- white bass. Although it may seem a little early in the month for the whites to be running up the rivers on their spawning run, some anglers have been catching whites for weeks...

In early February the Aryan Nazi who was neither, died at the age of 99 in his native Germany. There are not that many million people still around who actually heard the radio broadcast of June 19, 1936 when Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in the first round of their heavyweight championship bout in New York. ...

Special to the Herald Larry and Celie McCord of Nevada announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Lindsey Kay McCord, to James Robert Schlotzhauer, the son of Wayne and Becky Schlotzhauer of New Franklin, Mo. The bride-elect is a 2001 graduate of Nevada High School. She will graduate in May 2005 from Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo., with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing...

Special to the Herald Cotton and Tyler Hardy, Walker, are pleased to announce the engagement and upcoming marriage of their father, George Edward "Eddie" Hardy II, to Valerie Marie Wallace, Overland Park, Kan. Bride-elect Wallace is the daughter of Denny and Debbie Wallace of Nevada and the granddaughter of Bob and Jane Hutchison, Walker. ...

Special to the Herald Brooke Diane Taylor and Michael David Duckworth were married on July 10, 2004, at the United Methodist Church in Nevada, Mo. The Rev. Ralph Clark officiated. The bride is the daughter of Tom and Caroline Taylor, Nevada. The groom is the son of Connie and Dave Lee, Hutchinson, Kan., and Joe Duckworth, Seymore, Mo. ...

Hi neighbors. If you haven't been out on your porch for coffee yet, don't despair. Spring is just around the corner. For those impatient for spring's arrival, there will be lots of green on display this Thursday, March 17. That is St. Patrick's Day and you have to wear green or get pinched...