Stories from Friday, August 17, 2007

The Vernon County Commission met with David Clyman, District Conservationist for the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service to discuss the Emergency Watershed Protection Program. The purpose of the Emergency Watershed Protection program, according to the USDA's Web site, is "to undertake emergency measures, including the purchase of flood plain easements, for runoff retardation and soil erosion prevention to safeguard lives and property from floods, drought, and the products of erosion on any watershed whenever fire, flood or any other natural occurrence is causing or has caused a sudden impairment of the watershed.". ...

Andrew Gene Fritts was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in a Vernon County Circuit Court on five felony counts of stealing, one felony count of tampering with a witness, and one felony count of tampering with a motor vehicle. The charges stem from a string of incidents from March 15 to March 22 of this year and from a seperate incident on July 17...

Workers from Sapp & Sons works to clear up a problem with their paving machine Wednesday evening so they can start laying the new concrete runway at the Nevada Municipal Airport. The plan was to work all night Wednesday to lay a strip of concrete 2,500 feet long and 37.5 feet wide and to then repeat the process Thursday night. After the first half of the runway cures for seven days they will come back and lay the other side of the runway...

Courtney Bennett recently realized her dream of homeownership and received the keys to her new home in Nevada, Mo. This dream was made possible to her through the cooperation of several partners in the community. Courtney contacted local realtor, Diane Earll, of McCaffree Real Estate, who has been working with a local builder, James McKenzie of McReed Construction...

The Nevada Public Library Board will conduct its regular meeting on Thursday, Aug. 23, at 5:15 p.m., in the meeting room at the library, located at 212 West Walnut, Nevada. Reports from various committees, a treasurer's report and the director's report are on the agenda. The 2007-'08 budget also will be discussed...

Commissioners will be busy meeting with other regional groups next week. Monday through Wednes-day, Aug. 20-22, Presiding Commissioner Bonnie Mc-Cord plans to take part in RC&D area planning, via Internet conference and conference calls. On Wednesday, Aug. 22, she will meet with West Central Missouri Community Action Agency Audit Committee in Clinton, Mo.; and on Thursday, Northern Commissioner Neal Gerster will meet with the West Central Community Action Agency board in Clinton, at 6:30 p.m...

Jonne Dee Carpenter, age 82, resident of Kansas City, Mo., died of complications resulting from Alzheimer's on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007, at the Seasons Care Center in Kansas City, Mo.. Jonne was born Aug. 14, 1925, in Rich Hill, MO, the daughter of Arch T. ...

MILWAUKEE -- The way thing are going for the Milwaukee Brewers right now, even Yadier Molina is a power hitter against them. Molina hit two home runs and the Cardinals beat the Brewers 8-0 on Thursday, completing a three-game sweep and closing to within 2 1/2 games of the NL Central lead for the first time since April 20...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs probably aren't much closer to naming a starting quarterback than they were before Thursday's game with Miami, an 11-10 loss in their preseason opener at Arrowhead Stadium. Veteran quarterback Damon Huard and second-year player Brodie Croyle, battling for the starting job vacated by the trade of Trent Green to the Dolphins in the offseason, made their second appearances of the preseason with mixed results...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Those few Kansas City fans who booed Trent Green in the first quarter Thursday were probably ready to beg him to come back in the fourth. Green looked sharp in his first appearance in Arrowhead Stadium since insisting on a trade to Miami during the offseason. The Chiefs, on the other hand, mostly looked lifeless for the second straight week while trying to find a new quarterback and limp along without holdout running back Larry Johnson...

Kansas City Chiefs GM Carl Peterson refuted reports earlier in the week that Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson and the Chiefs' front office have narrowed their contract negotiations gap. Based on Kansas City's anemic offensive performance last Saturday night in a 16-12 preseason-opening loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Chiefs need to rework the disgruntled holdout's contract, get him back on the field and put him in the elite contractual company with San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson where he belongs.. ...