Stories from Sunday, February 4, 2007

By Lynn A. Wade Herald-Tribune Nevada, Mo. -- Friday was Groundhog Day. Nevada has no official representative of that species to consult, but chances are, we're in for another six weeks of winter, since mostly sunny skies probably meant if the shy creatures ventured outdoors, they saw their shadows...

By Lynn A. Wade Herald-Tribune Nevada, Mo. -- "It saves lives." Missouri Department of Transportation Director Pete Rahn repeated the words, leaning forward in earnest, willing his words to have impact on the listener. Rahn was in Nevada on Friday, promoting the idea of legislation that would make non-compliance with the state's seatbelt law a primary offense. ...

By Brett Dalton Herald-Tribune Fort Scott, Kan. -- On March 30, 1944, George Frederick, a captain in the 5th U.S. Army Air Force during World War II, was killed by a Japanese sniper while leading a group of Australian and British forces on a patrol mission on the Admiralty Islands in the South Pacific theater...

By Michael Glover Herald- Tribune FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- A grand jury on Friday issued 12 indictments stemming from a five-month investigation into allegations of criminal activity by Fort Scott city officials. They also devised a list of recommendations and comments that city officials may find beneficial to improve the functioning of the city...

Emma Lavon Schilling, age 82, resident of Presbyterian Village, Fort Scott, died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at the Golden Living Center in Pittsburg, Kan. She was born April 10, 1924, in Arcadia, Kan., the daughter of John Dallas Davidson and Ester Ellen Maxwell Davidson. ...

Hi neighbors. Has anyone seen my groundhog? It doesn't have a name because I've never figured out if it's a boy or a girl. I watched closely Thursday to see if it appeared in the alley behind my house. But I didn't see it. Most of the day was sunny so I assume we‚ll have six more weeks of winter. Looking out my window, or wading through snow to dig out the car, I didn't need the groundhog's opinion...

As a 12-year-old kid, I thought I'd turned out to be a pretty good softball/baseball player. True, I'd recently had my two front teeth snapped off while wrestling with Jimmy Egan, the older son of one of my father's lawyer-friends (and, incidentally, a Yankee fan), and the dentist who'd fitted me with porcelain caps had warned me seriously against playing any sport that would jeopardize them...

The recent sleet and ice storms have created an epidemic of falling and yours truly was no excetion to the rule, as I succumbed to the slippery footing and the pull of gravity. The first was the worst. I was downtown and going back to the pickup. As I reached for the door, suddenly I found myself landing on my right shoulder and then banging the side of my head on the ice. ...

By Joe Warren Herald-Tribune NEVADA, Mo. -- The Nevada Lady Tigers took control early and never let Lamar back into it as they cruised for a 70-44 victory Friday, at Wynn Gymnasium. Nevada used a 13-1 run in the first period to take a 17-5 lead, then used an 11-2 effort to start the second period, leaving little doubt from then on...

By Scott Nuzum Herald-Tribune INDEPENDENCE, Kan. - Fort Scott High's boys scored a season-high point total in defeating Independence, 73-37, in Southeast Kansas League play at Losey Gymnasium Friday night. The Tigers (3-0 SEK, 11-4 overall) won their fifth straight game, allowing 50 points or less in each one. Zach Smith made five out of eight three-point field-goal attempts on his way to a 17-point night. Zach Quick added 12 points and Alex Barner had 11 points...

By Joe Warren Herald-Tribune NEVADA, Mo. -- Jordan Kerbs scored 11 of his 14 points in the third quarter as the Nevada Tigers took control of a close game to beat the Lamar Tigers, 50-42, at Wynn Gymnasium Friday. Kerbs fueled an 11-0 run that broke a 29-29 tie midway through the third period, scoring seven of the team's points during that span...

By Scott Nuzum Herald-Tribune INDEPENDENCE, Kan. -- Fort Scott High's girls took advantage of Independence's tendency to commit turnovers and fouls and rallied from seven points down with five minutes to go in regulation, prevailing 60-56 in overtime in a Southeast Kansas League game at Losey Gymnasium Friday night...

By Joe Warren Herald-Tribune NEVADA, Mo. -- Cottey College sophomore and Nevada High School graduate Lacy Leonard has chosen the University of Saint Mary, in Leavenworth, Kan., to continue her education this fall. An NJCAA Division II all-american basketball player for the Comets, Leonard will play for the Lady Spires and pursue a degree in elementary education...

I'm having a difficult time ascertaining just which, the players or the commentators, have taken the enjoyment from me that I used to get from viewing televised football games. It almost gets to be a bidding war in the crowded television booths where the announcers find it necessary to prattle incessantly while the actual game takes a back seat to their chatter. ...

Thousands of outdoor minded people passed through the doors at the second annual Quad Lakes Expo held in Clinton last weekend. This regional event showcased the four lakes, Truman, Lake of the Ozarks, Stockton and Pomme de Terre, as well as displays by area taxidermists, places to stay, things to do this spring and summer, as well as sporting good dealers...