Stories from Sunday, February 12, 2006

Nevada, Mo. -- On Friday, Nevada City Manager Craig Hubler announced the promotion of the city's senior fire captain, Billy Jeffries, to fire chief. "I am very happy to be able to promote such a nice and truly qualified person" Hubler said. "Nevada is lucky to have a strong leader like Bill who is willing to accept this challenging and important position of trust."...

Fort Scott, Kan. -- Red Cross has again gone above and beyond the call of duty. The time has come again for the Bourbon County Red Cross to undergo a rigorous review process. "Every few years we have to be recharted," Patty Gorman, local chapter manager said...

Nevada, Mo. -- Many of Nevada Regional Technical Center's 2005 graduates, according to a recently completed follow-up to determine the paths the graduates had taken. The technical center has both high school and adult students. Ninety-four percent of the high school students were employed, continuing their education or in the military; and 100 percent of the adult students were employed in the area of their training, according to a press release...

Editor's note: Parts of this story are graphic in nature and reader discretion is advised. --- Fort Scott, Kan. -- A former employee of a Fort Scott nursing home was placed on 36 months probation Friday for the sodomy of a senior citizen at the facility that took place nearly two years ago...

Nevada, Mo. -- Third graders in Vernon County are receiving a special book -- a tool to help them navigate all of the other books they'll encounter throughout life. It's a book that can help them use language better. It's a tool of understanding and knowledge...

Geoff O'Brien of A and O Graphics in Pittsburg, Kan. stands in front of the Fort Cinema, 224 W. 18th St., Fort Scott. The company recently completed all lighting work inside and outside the new theater, including the neon Fort Cinema sign above. The theater is set to open on Feb. 17. For more photos, see page 3A...

Mary Louzetta Akins, 85, Nevada, Mo., died Friday, Feb. 10, 2006, at Nevada Regional Medical Center following a lengthy illness. She was born May 3, 1920, in Centralia, Okla., to Walter Henry Mistler and Evelena Lawson Mistler. She and Charles Clyde Akins were married on May 3, 1941, in Harrisonville, Mo. He preceded her in death on March 22, 1997...

Roger Allen Lukenbill Jr., 49, of Nevada died at his home on Feb. 10, 2006. He was born on June 16, 1956, in Nevada, Mo., to Roger Allen Lukenbill and Eunice May Adkins Lukenbill. Roger grew up in Nevada and later St. Joseph, Mo., and graduated from St. Joseph Central High School. Roger was retired due to a disability. He was a master gardener, amateur photographer, and an avid bird watcher...

William Alvin Burris, 54, Nevada, Friday, Feb, 10, 2006, following a lengthy illness. Family information and funeral arrangements will be announced later by Ferry Funeral Home, Nevada

Tom and Alisha Rogers, Mound City, Kan., are proud to announce the birth of their twin sons, Rylan Thomas Rogers and Dylan Rae Rogers. Rylan and Dylan were born on Oct. 12, 2005, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center in Overland Park, Kan. Rylan weighed 1 pound, 12 ounces, and Dylan weighed 2, pounds 2 ounces...

At the recent community-wide Visioning meeting, forty-four participants were asked to list one thing they appreciated about this community. Following are their comments in brief form: Brick streets Victorian homes Chamber breakfast Fourth of July parade...

Hi neighbors. Have you written your "howdies" to our favorite uncle yet? Good ole Uncle Sam of course. It's the time of year he expects those cards, letters (and checks) to start floating his way. Although you might be one of those procrastinators who wait till April 14 to get your taxes done, and then don't mail them off until almost midnight the next day, other folks can't seem to wait for any thing...

It's shortly after midnight, and I've chosen to play the third movement of Johannes Brahms's third symphony in my study. The soaring strings and burnished brass, on this matchlessly crystal clear CD recording, once again perform their magic. None of his other four symphonies does quite the same. This third symphony, for reasons I can't quite fathom, calls up a vision I don't even will. And it has for literally close to half a century...

ANDERSON, Mo. -- J.R. Mills tied a state record with eight 3-pointers in the first half to carry Nevada over McDonald County 57-27 Friday night. Mills, who scored 29 of his career high 31 points before the break, had four treys in the first quarter and four more in the second, to go along with a two-point field goal and three free throws as the Tigers built a 43-14 halftime lead...

PARSONS, Kan. -- Damon Odom's 16-foot jumper with one second remaining allowed Parsons' boys to escape with a 47-45 Southeast Kansas League victory over Fort Scott High at Harold C. Johnson Gymnasium here Friday night. The Tigers fought and stayed in the game despite the fact that they shot poorly in the second quarter, making just one of 11 field-goal attempts after missing their first eight shots of the period...

PARSONS, Kan. -- Fort Scott High's girls shot just 13 percent from the field here Friday night as they were held to their lowest point total in 10 seasons by Parsons in Southeast Kansas League play at Harold C. Johnson Gymnasium. The Vikings avenged a Monday loss in a non-league game at Fort Scott with a 47-24 victory in which they had as many assists as the Tigers did field goals...

ANDERSON, Mo. -- The Nevada Lady Tigers had a third starter go down with injury late in the first half and had a turnover plagued second half as they just couldn't hold off the conference-leading McDonald County Lady Mustangs Friday. Already playing two starters short the rest of the season, Nevada lost its lone senior, Lisa Pendrak, just before halftime when she sharply jammed her thumb on her right hand...

It was with mixed emotions that I made what I knew would be my final trip to watch the Nevada Lady Tigers compete in December's basketball tournament at Joplin High School. As most of us are aware, the Tigers won't be returning to the competition next year after having been a part of it since the beginning. ...

Now that the Super Bowl is behind us, it's time for many hunters, like Bob Harris, to go hunting. Not the kind of hunting most people would think of, especially without a gun. The activity is antler hunting. Harris said, "With the hunting seasons all but closed and cabin fever setting in, it's a great time to head for the fields and woods to seek out shed antlers. Hunting for the shed antlers is an invitation to venture outdoors and can be very rewarding."...

Mr. and Mrs. Rex Hensley of Republic, Mo., formerly of Fort Scott, Kan. and Nevada, Mo., celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Feb. 10. They were married at the First Baptist Church of Milo, Mo., by the Rev. Kenneth Nichols. The groom had just returned from the Army at the end of World War II. The Hensleys have one daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Dale (Sharon) Bailey, Springfield, Mo...

Megan Kathleen Cass and Jimmy Morris were married Oct. 15, 2005, at First Baptist Church in Nevada. Parents of the couple are Doug and Theresa Cass of Metz and Jim and Ann Morris of Joplin. Paul Gingerich, minister, officiated the ceremony. The couple were attended by nine bridesmaids and groomsmen. Flower girl and ring bearer are the niece and nephew of the bride...

The parents of Tonya Frank and Justin Wadel announce the couple's engagement and approaching wedding on March 4, 2006, at Rinehart Christian Church.

Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Ast, of Nevada, Mo., announce the engagement and upcoming marriage of their daughter, Kaila Cecilia Ast, to Justin Cory Earnest, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Earnest of Milo, Mo. The bride-to-be is a 2005 graduate of The Texas Massage Institute, Plano, Texas, where she received a degree in massage therapy. She is currently self-employed...