Stories from Sunday, August 6, 2006

By Ralph Pokorny Herald-Tribune Nevada, Mo. -- When Nevada voters go to the polls Tuesday they will have to decide whether they want to renew the city's 1/2-cent transportation sales tax for another five years and continue having annual street improvements or to let it expire and end most, if not all street construction for the foreseeable future...

By Colette Lefebvre Herald-Tribune The fall semester is right around the corner and school supplies are in demand. For this year's crop of college freshman, there are some great new technological developments available. However, the majority of the time parents are the ones with the purchase power and many are neophytes to the entire technology game...

By Brett Dalton Herald-Tribune Fort Scott, Kan. -- In Monday's regular board meeting, Fort Scott USD 234 Board of Education will continue, from last month's meeting, discussion on a variety of issues. Among the issues are the sale of the old middle school building, facility rental charges and a catastrophic insurance program...

Herald-Tribune Cottey College, in partnership with Heartland Hospital and the Jason Foundation, is committed to increasing awareness and prevention of youth suicide by offering training for Cottey employees, students, and members of the surrounding community. On Monday, Aug. 7, Cottey will host a three-hour training session, titled "A Promise for Tomorrow: Life, Awareness and Prevention of Youth Suicide."...

By Steve Moyer Herald-Tribune In the middle of a closely-mowed field of 210 acres a white tent stood in the sun, chairs for more than 200 people set up in the slight shade it offered. After a year and a half of preparation, it was finally time for Prairie Pride to break ground on their new soybean oil extraction biodiesel facility, located about one mile north of U.S. Highway 54 on Highway T...

By Jason E. Silvers Herald-Tribune FORT SCOTT -- Tri-Valley Developmental Services is preparing to conduct a fund-raiser in order to construct a new greenhouse near the Fort Scott facility. Officials at the center, which provides services to about 64 people with developmental disabilities in Bourbon County, need to raise $150,000 to build the proposed 2,160-square-foot facility that would house the center's horticultural therapy program, TVDS Community Relations Specialist Betsy McReynolds-Griffith said.. ...

Mr. Fay Howard LaFarge, 86, of rural Fort Scott, Kan., passed away Monday, July 31, 2006, at his home. He was born April 17, 1920, in Bloomfield, Neb., the son of Floyd Allen "Bud" and Ella L. Clark LaFarge. He married Edith L. Main, March 29, 1941, in Butler, Mo...

Hi neighbors. I hope some of you have been watching the news. Not that I have any opinions about the news -- local or otherwise. It's just that some of you ought to be keeping an eye on what's going on in the nation and the world. I'm not. Not for the last two weeks at least...

The family vacation with six grandkids, four parents, and two grandparents lived up to its advance billing. The trip north to Canada was marred only by the all too frequent stops at the gas stations. After two days of travel, we arrived at the Provincial Park...

Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Pointer of Rogers, Ark., and John Holt of Kingston, Ark., announce the engagement of their daughter, Tisha Lea Gallaher, to Brock Douglas Shelton, son of Charles Shelton and the late Linda Shelton of Uniontown, Kan. The bride-elect is a 1998 graduate of Kingston High School in Kingston, Ark. ...

Gary and Randa Reed, Joplin, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Heather Reed, to Eric Day, son of Leland and Danette Day, Nevada, Mo. The bride-to-be is a graduate of Southwest Missouri State University and is employed with the Missouri Grocers Association. The groom-to-be is a graduate of Southwest Missouri State University and is employed with the Springfield Cardinals...

Herald-Tribune NEVADA, Mo. -- Depending on the outcome of Saturday afternoon's fourth-round contest, the Nevada Griffons will continue their play in the National Baseball Congress World Series early this week. Nevada took on fellow Jayhawk League member Derby Saturday afternoon, with the winner playing again Monday in the winner's bracket semifinals...

Mary Regan tosses the first pitch of the Kansas State 14-Year-Old Babe Ruth Tournament, held at Lions Field last weekend. Regan was honored by tournament organizers for her role as a parent, grandparent and aunt to two generations of Fort Scott baseball youth. One nephew, Adam LaRoche, plays for the Atlanta Braves; another, Andy LaRoche, in the Los Angeles Dodgers' minor-league system; and a third, Morgan Regan, for Purdue University...

Herald-Tribune PLEASANTON, Kan. -- The Pleasanton High School fall sports teams will kick off the season with the Third Annual Midnight Madness event Aug. 13. Midnight Madness is a pep rally to give the teams a chance to introduce themselves to the parents and fans of the Blu-Jays. This is also an opportunity for those involved in the summer strength and conditioning program to demonstrate some of the skills they have been developing...

The Vintage Vets softball team recently won second place in the Fort Scott Division 3 Slow-pitch Softball League. These players are also preparing for the Missouri State Senior Games in Columbia, Aug. 19-20. Front row (from left): Albert Klotz, Kenny Snead and Marvin Klotz. Middle row: Jim Hardin, Kenny Jones, and Jim Liley. Back row: Bill Wetter, Rocky Caldwell, Gary Pirch, and Don Wehmeyer. Not pictured are: Wayne Gibbs and Joe Dobson...

I suppose by the time Charles Oscar Finley drew his last breath on Feb. 19, 1996, three days short of his 78th birthday, he'd had plenty of time to ponder what a great mistake he'd made in fleeing the city he'd termed too small to support major league baseball...

Within Missouri's borders are enough miles of fishing rivers and streams to reach from Washington D.C. to San Francisco six times. During the hot summer months is an excellent time to float on some of the 19,000 miles of moving water, including one of the 37 major float streams in the Missouri Ozarks...

Nevada Modified driver Kevin Morrow was back in the Winner's Circle for the fourth time this season at Nevada Speedway on July 29. Morrow is also the points leader in the Modified Division.

William Stevens "Steve" Garr, 68, Tyro, Kan., passed away Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006, at his home in Tyro following a brief illness. He was born Nov. 1, 1937, in Coffeyville, Kan., to Clarence Oliver Garr and Margaret Lucele Stevens Garr. He was married to Betty Catherine Pittman on May 16, 1956, in Caney, Kan., and she preceded him in death on Aug. 18, 2005, He later married Wydene Smotherman Finney on June 10, 2006, in Caney, and she survives of the home...