Stories from Sunday, April 2, 2006

Fort Scott, Kan. -- Ever since he was a young boy, Stewart Gulager has known he wanted to be a cowboy, and earlier this year, his determination paid off. The Fort Scott resident recently won the World Championship Steer Wrestling title at the 2005 International Professional Rodeo Association Finals Rodeo held in Oklahoma City, Okla., in January. Rodeo competitions are held throughout the year, then the finals are held at the beginning of the following year...

Voters in Nevada will go to the polls on Tuesday to decide who will hold three city council seats and two seats on the Nevada R-5 Board of Education. In the city races, voters will choose two of four candidates -- Russ Kemm, Brian Leonard, Bill Gillette and Robin Fisher -- for two three-year terms. The two-year seat appears as a separate issue on the ballot. For this seat, voters will choose between Dick Meyers and Larry Bradley...

Nevada, Mo. -- The top ten places to live in Missouri, Nevada placed ninth and Springfield, Mo., placed number one. How were these figures generated and who conducted this research? The magazine, 417, based out of Springfield, Mo., gathered together statistics on 34 Missouri towns and based their findings on the quality of life in each town. "417-land" as the magazine calls it, encompasses the whole of the 417 area code in Missouri...

Fort Scott, Kan. -- High school students poured onto the campus of Fort Scott Community College Friday, during the annual Aggie Day event hosted by the college. High school and some middle school students from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas participated in livestock judging as well as backing up their decisions in interviews with the judges...

Nevada, Mo. -- Since the year 2000, 214 Missouri Department of Transportation employees have been injured and four have been killed in work zones. In 2005, 15 motorists died and 940 were injured in work-zone crashes, which was a reduction from 2004 when 28 motorists died and 1,167 were injured. ...

Nevada, Mo. -- Questionnaires were presented to each candidate seeking election to a seat on the Nevada R-5 school board. Following are their answers. I hope that the board and administration are focusing on addressing the three areas of the state's MAP targets for the district that were not met in the last testing period. The challenge will be ongoing as the state's target numbers continue to increase in the years ahead...

Nevada, Mo. -- The six candidates running for seats on the Nevada City Council were each given questionnaires relating to current city issues and other information. Those seeking the two-year seat did not participate in a primary election, so their questionnaires for this election were more extensive than those given to the four candidates seeking three-year terms. Here are their responses:...

Daisy Mae Sherrick, 86, Nevada, Mo., passed away Friday, March 31, 2006, at the home of her daughter and son-in-law. She was born Oct. 25, 1919, in Nevada, to Andrew Bone Matthews and Helen Alida Terry Matthews. Daisy married Frank O. Sherrick on Dec. 25, 1940, in Lamar, Mo., and he survives of the home...

Jeanne Elinor Boyd, 85, of Fort Scott, Kan., died Thursday evening, March 30, 2006, at the Medicalodge Nursing Home in Fort Scott. She was born Jan. 31, 1921, in Fort Scott, the daughter of Charles Arthur and Georgianna Sophia Harris Ottey. She married Glenn Albert Boyd Sept. 22, 1946, at the A.M.E. Methodist Church, and in later years joined Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church. He preceded her in death Feb. 28, 1975...

Pansy Pearl Comstock, 84, of Fort Scott, Kan., died early Friday morning March 31, 2006 at her home. She was born June 7, 1921, in Fort Scott, the daughter of Edward and Carrie Pearl Hayden Harris. She married Mack F. Comstock, Dec. 7, 1939 in Stockton, Calif...

Joseph Acri, age 57, Fort Scott, Kan., died Thursday, March 30, 2006, at the Olathe Medical Center Emergency Room in Olathe, Kan., where he was transferred earlier. He was born Jan. 19, 1949, in Detroit, Mich., the son of Joseph Acri and Blanche Andolini Acri...

Having watched a lot of western movies, I recall there were often scenes where a parched cowboy and his horse were struggling to get through the desert. As he would look toward the horizon, he would see a "mirage." Often it appeared to be like a shimmering pool of water, and he and old "Paint" would forge ahead to this promised relief only to find out it was an illusion...

Hi neighbors. I hope you didn't think someone was "April Fooling" you when they suggested you turn your clock forward an hour before you went to bed April first. Yes, they showed up together this year; April Fool's Day and the day we all get fooled, the first day of Daylight Saving time...

Today's column is not funny. It's about real life, which has its humorous moments. This isn't one of them. I am writing as fast as I can. In addition to the routine pressures of doing a job and getting by in the world, there are several new twists. My mother went to the hospital Sunday -- she got to fly in a helicopter -- after her right side stopped functioning and she found herself on the kitchen floor of the house where she lives alone...

Dear editor: I am not a prostitute that you can yell "How much for a night?" to via your car window. I do not think that my sexuality is anyone's business nor should your opinion of what it is be screamed across Austin. I couldn't care less about how attractive I look from a moving vehicle 20 feet away. I am not interested in your revving engine and your offers of 'free male genitalia' (I'll edit the exact phrasing for the sake of appropriateness) disgust me...

GIRARD, Kan. -- Fortunately for Fort Scott High School, its pitchers were in the zone Friday night. The Tigers scored just six runs in a non-league doubleheader with Girard but pitchers Drew Lawson and Cole Pruitt held the Trojans to two runs in a 4-2, 2-0 sweep...

As a team sport swimming, much like track, is a numbers game. The teams with higher numbers generally score more points than the teams without. That's why Nevada's swim team will be focusing more on individual goals within the team concept this season...

Jessica Langford, Sr. Bronaugh Ashley Danner, Jr., Sheldon Darci Baer, So., Northeast Vernon County Janine Castillo, Sr., Hume Lauren Eye, Jr., Montrose Girls' second team: Jerri Moore, Sheldon; Kelsey Hancock, Sheldon; Leanna Brooks, Hume; Randi Carter, Northeast Vernon County; Stephanie Engeman, Montrose...

When does a quest become an obsession? I suppose anyone who knows me is aware I have this penchant for baseball caps. After all, a lot of people wear baseball caps. My dad had quite a collection of caps, but none of them represented a baseball team. When he died nearly four years ago, I gathered up his collection of about 200 and gave them to Corey, his oldest grandson, who now has them on display in his Independence home...

"Better get with it," said Fred Phillips as he cast a stickbait near the shoreline. "It ain't going to last too much longer." Phillips was referring to the use of jerkbait lures that catch big fish in Missouri impoundments from Smithville to Bull Shoals. ...

Lester and Maxine Koch, Fort Scott, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Friday, April 7. Lester Koch, Fredonia, and Maxine French, Beaverton, Mich., were married April 7, 1946, in Bell, Calif. Lester served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II from October 1942 to March 1946. ...

The engagement of Kimberly Lynn Moore to Marshall Nienstedt is announced by the couple and their parents. Miss Moore is the daughter of Dale and Janet Moore, Topeka, Kan. Mr. Nienstedt is the son of Richard and Rita Nienstedt, Fort Scott. The bride-to-be is a graduate of Anderson County High School, Garnett and Emporia State University, with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. She teaches third grade at St. Patrick's Elementary, Parsons, Kan...

Fred and Susan Hixon of Fort Scott, Kan., are delighted to announce the engagement of their daughter, Jill Hixon, to David Hensley of Nevada, Mo. The bride-elect is a Girard High School graduate and earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Management from Southwest Baptist University. In 2004, she graduated with a Master of Business Administration from SBU. She is the employment specialist for the Mercy Health Center...

Mark and Debbie Stewart, Bronson, Kan., are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Megan Stewart, to Kenny Felt, son of Rick Felt, Erie, and Dena Felt, Uniontown, Kan. The wedding is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday, June 3, 2006, at First Missionary Baptist Church in Uniontown. A reception is planned to follow...

Terry and Patty West, Fort Scott, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Chrystal West, to Joshua Cowan, son of Billy and Pam Cowan, Fort Scott. The couple's wedding is planned for 2 p.m., Saturday, April 22, at Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church with a reception to follow at the Elks Lodge...

Tom and Pam Earnest of Milo, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Sara Earnest, to Tyler Parrack, son of Gary and JoLynne Crowe of Springfield, Mo., and Tim and Brenda Parrack of Kimberling City, Mo. Bride-elect Earnest graduated from Nevada High School and is currently attending Pittsburg State University majoring in elementary educatin and minoring in early childhood...