Stories from Sunday, January 15, 2006

By Lynn A. Wade Herald-Tribune Tony Moore lost the sight in one eye at age 32. He has detached retinas, and other problems left him substantially vision-impaired, with fluctuating ability to see from the left eye. Nevertheless, he sees one thing clearly -- visually impaired people can live complete, full lives and owe it to themselves to do so...

Herald-Tribune Nevada, Mo. -- During a Nevada/Vernon County Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Friday, State Rep. Barney Fisher, R-125th District, commented briefly on state issues before the legislature this session. "I've got so much good news from the capitol, there's no way I could tell it all to you," Fisher said, but with a grin and a broad gesture, he went on to announce that "for the first time in five years, the state of Missouri is in the black!"...

By Michael Glover Herald-Tribune Fort Scott, Kan. -- When Terry Woodbury was a young boy, Sunday was special. After church, the family would travel to a neighbor's house or invite someone over for what he called "Sunday dinner." He recalled how adults visited. Children played. It lasted all afternoon, until they went home to do chores...

Herald-Tribune Nevada, Mo. -- Before a crowd of about 60 people gathered at the Nevada/Vernon County Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Sunrise restaurant on Friday, State Representative Barney Fisher announced that he intends to run for re-election for a second term in the Missouri Legislature -- a statement that brought raucous cheers of support from most of those in attendance...

n Cat saves family from fire. By Mitzi Shead Herald-Tribune What could be worse then watching your home and all your belongings burn in a fire only days before Christmas? Not much, according to the Lawrence family. But, then, there are the blessings that five lives were saved by the family pet, and so many in the community donated to help them recover from the devastation...

Nevada High School senior Lisa Pendrak is crowned as the 2006 Courtwarming Queen by 2005 queen Audrey Conway, during ceremonies held prior to Friday night's basketball game with the McDonald County Mustangs.

Mary Louise Dodson Ray Stewart, 85, of Lebanon, Mo., died Saturday, Jan. 14, 2006, at her home following an illness of several months. She was born Dec. 22, 1920, in Burkburnnet, Texas, to James Henry and Josephine Alice Cassell Dodson. Mary, at a young age, moved to Jackson County, Mo. ...

Sometimes your past comes back to haunt you; I remember one year when my brother and I were both young, we pooled our money at Christmastime and bought Dad a No. 10 scoop shovel with the hope of making his work a little easier. Then later, we decided Mom needed a new iron. ...

Hi neighbors. I don't know how many of these nice days we will have, but I'll take everyone I can! Isn't it great to have 60 degree temps in January? There is more reason to celebrate of course. The new season of Monk started on Friday. I hope all fans of the show caught the first episode of 2006...

By Charles C. Nash This past Christmas, daughter Jessica gave me a copy of Frank McCourt's memoir, "Teacher Man," the third part of his history of coming to America and finding long-term work as a high school English teacher in New York City. I'd admired and enjoyed "Angela's Ashes" (Pulitzer Prize) and "Tis" the first two parts of his work, and fully expected to enjoy, as a former college English teacher myself here at Cottey College for three decades, the confessions of a man who had faced perhaps similar challenges and rewards in the classroom, and for roughly the same length of time. ...

By Joe Warren Herald-Tribune NEVADA, Mo. -- It took a while, but when the Nevada Tigers finally started hitting open shots, they had little trouble with the McDonald County Mustangs Friday, winning 49-29. Nevada went 1-for-9 to start the game as the Mustangs built a 6-2 lead with two minutes remaining in the first quarter, but then Nevada got on track...

By Scott Nuzum Herald-Tribune UNIONTOWN, Kan. -- Once again, Kaity Smith helped Uniontown's girls win a game with time running out. On Jan. 6, Smith hit the game-winning shot with less than five seconds left to give the Eagles a win over Erie. Friday night, she made the right pass, finding Carissa Fink for the winning jumper with eight seconds left to give the Eagles a 57-56 victory over Southern Coffey County here in Three Rivers League play...

By Scott Nuzum Herald-Tribune UNIONTOWN, Kan. -- Uniontown's boys may not have had any business coming back to give Southern Coffey County a late scare in Three Rivers League play before falling 79-62 here Friday night. The Eagles, with Chad Hays on the bench most of the night in foul trouble, trailed by 17 points at the half and went into the fourth quarter still down by 15. ...

By Joe Warren Herald-Tribune NEVADA, Mo. -- McDonald County's Melanie Bowers hit two free throws with 10 seconds left in the game to lift the visiting Lady Mustangs over the Nevada Lady Tigers Friday, 42-40. Playing their first game since losing leading scorer Afton Baldwin for the season with a torn knee ligament, the Lady Tigers looked like a team trying to redefine itself against a scrappy McDonald County squad...

By Joe Warren Herald-Tribune While a 10-win season can't be considered a complete wash, it's hard to call 2005 a success for the Kansas City Chiefs, since their sights were firmly set on making the postseason. As the only team left out of the playoffs this season with double-digit victories (and only the fourth team to do so since the league went to a 12-team postseason format in 1990), the Chiefs were left wondering what might have been in a year full of near misses and exciting finishes...

Herald-Tribune ERIE, Kan. -- Jayhawk-Linn's boys outscored Erie 14-7 in the fourth quarter here Friday night but that effort wasn't enough to prevent a 48-47 loss to the Red Devils in a non-league contest. Ian Sutherland and Josh Beckman each scored 11 points for the Jayhawks (3-6), who will take on Frontenac in the first round of the Southeast-Cherokee Lancer Classic Monday night at 6:15 in Cherokee, Kan...

What will 2006 hold for the Missouri outdoor-minded persons? What did the year 2005 have to offer? In looking back over the past year, there were many things that affected the sportsmen in the state. There were highs and lows for hunters, anglers, campers, boaters and other outdoor active people. For the outdoor sport enthusiasts, last year was filled with moments to remember including a few listed here...

It no longer matters how many times I asked myself the question, "Is Bruce Sutter a Hall of Famer?" The point is, as they say, moot. For 16 years now, I have been among the members (a record 520 this time cast ballots) of the Baseball Writers Association of America who have been entrusted with the responsibility of voting former baseball players out of or into the Hall of Fame...

Are you trying to tell me Bruce Sutter is Hall of Fame material? Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. It's not the fact that he got elected to the Hall that makes no sense. It's the fact that he got elected on his 13th year of eligibility. What makes his candidacy any different this year than it was last year, the year before that, the year before that and so on?...

Mary Katherine Lawhorne and Michael Wilson were married Dec. 22, 2005, at sunset on Smathers Beach in Key West, Fla. A wedding dinner followed for those in attendance. Following a honeymoon in Key West, a celebration reception was held for family and friends on Dec. 30, 2005, in Fayetteville, Ark. The couple reside in Fayetteville...