Stories from Friday, April 1, 2005

By Marc Powers Nevada Daily Mail JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Riding a wave of momentum following significant victories in the fall elections, the Republican-led Missouri General Assembly managed by mid-March to dispose of three politically contentious issues that lawmakers had grappled with for years...

Nevada Parks and Recreation Department personnel resealed and repainted the east side of the parks maintenance barn. Jason Pike prepares the surface of a bay window on the building before painting begins.

Nevada Daily Mail A former Joplin, Mo., attorney pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to defrauding his clients -- including a Vernon County man -- of approximately $512,000, according to Todd P. Graves, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri...

Nevada Daily Mail Cottey College alumnae will gather on campus and in Nevada for their annual Founder's Day weekend celebration, April 1-3. As part of the annual festivities, the Cottey College Alumnae Association will provide a fireworks display on the south athletics field behind Robertson Hall. The fireworks will begin at 7:30 tonight and are for the enjoyment of Cottey alumnae, students and neighbors around campus...

By Steve Moyer Nevada Daily Mail The United Methodist Church has a rich history, over the years several congregations have merged to make the church what it is today. Sitting on South College Street the colonial structure is a recent addition to Nevada's houses of worship but the history of the congregation goes back to before the founding of the city...

Thelma Maydene Wright, 87, former resident of Fort Scott, Kan., died Thursday, March 31, 2005, at the Prescott Country View Nursing Home. She was born Oct. 13, 1917, on a farm near Hume, the daughter of Aubrey Oliver and Georgia Ann Smith Pyle. She married John A. Wright on Sept. 28, 1940, in Fort Scott, Kan. He preceded her in death on Oct. 9, 2003...

Donald Etna Loiselle, 64, Nevada, died Wednesday, March 30, 2005, at Nevada Regional Medical Center following a lengthy illness. He was born July 11, 1940, in Chippewa Falls, Wis., to William and Pearl Loiselle. He married Alberta J. Stewart on Jan. 25, 1971, in Miami, Okla., and she preceded him in death on Dec. 16, 2003...

Last month, I made a decision so momentous, so powerful, it must be shared. I'm growing my hair out, and don't try to stop me. My hair hasn't garnered widespread critical acclaim since the late 1980s, when the style was to grow as much overbleached, overpermed hair as possible, shellacking the bangs almost vertical and using a blow-dryer/hairspray combination to create large wings on either side of your head...

Here are excerpts from recent editorials in Missouri newspapers: March 23 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, on high school graduation rates: A recent study by the Manhattan Institute says that high school graduation rates in Missouri ... aren't improving, and that about one-third of the students who do graduate don't have the course credits to apply to a four-year college. .....

100 years ago: Feely jury failed to reach a verdict The Feely murder trial came to a close this afternoon when the trial jury reported to Judge Fox that they could not agree on a verdict. The is the second trial and resulted the same as the first. No doubt Mr. Feely and his devoted wife and indulgent father were disappointed. They expected a verdict for acquittal. However a hung jury twice is very favorable to Mr. Feely...

By Joe Warren Nevada Daily Mail The Nevada Tigers ran into a steamroller Thursday in their tennis home opener. The steamroller went by the name of the Joplin Eagles. Joplin swept all nine varsity matches and both junior varsity contests in defeating the Tigers...

By Joe Warren Nevada Daily Mail The Nevada Lady Tigers swim team was in Carthage Tuesday, competing in a quadrangular meet against Carthage, Joplin and Lamar. The Lady Tigers beat Lamar, 104-59, but fell to Carthage 96-73, and Joplin 118-51. The Nevada swimmers did have some success in the pool as freshman Kristen Badgley won both the 100-yard butterfly and the 100-yard backstroke, coming within striking distance of state qualifying times in each...

By Joe Warren Nevada Daily Mail The Nevada Tigers ran into a couple of pitching buzz saws Thursday in Carthage as they lost their third consecutive game, 7-0. Nevada was held to one hit, as they were shut down by Carthage starter Bryan Patrick and then dominated by reliever Shane Housh...

Associated Press SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Ryan Drese, the Texas Rangers' opening day starter, threw five scoreless innings Thursday to help the Rangers defeat the Kansas City Royals 3-0. Drese, who was the last Rangers' player cut in 2004 and began the season with Triple-A Oklahoma, held the Royals to four singles, walked one and struck out four in his final tune up. He went 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in four spring training starts...