Stories from Thursday, December 20, 2007

Shyla Rae Brannan, 23, Nevada, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007, at St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin. She was born June 21, 1984, in Nevada, to Walter David Beebe, Sr. and Terri Lynn Beisley. She married Zack Brannan on Jan. 25, 2007, in Oklahoma, and be survives of the home...

During this holiday season we often see some nice sentimental movies or TV shows that either take place in the past, or that feature life in a small town at Christmas. Usually the scenes take us back in memory to a happy time or place that seems almost magical using our selective memories. We remember gatherings that were fun and loved ones that were very special. Usually we can even describe some specific gift that was very meaningful...

Here are excerpts from recent editorials in Missouri newspapers: Dec. 18 Springfield News-Leader, on higher education funding: Gov. Matt Blunt's announcement that he will once again seek a more than 4 percent increase in higher education funding should be welcomed by parents wondering how they're going to fund their children's college tuition...

The Bronaugh boys and girls basketball teams added wins to their season totals when they both beat the Sheldon Panthers to make up conference games originally set for Dec. 11, but postponed by weather. The Lady Wildcats easily beat the Lady Panthers 62-29, outscoring them in all but the second quarter when the Panther's made a run scoring 13 points to the Wildcats 12 points...

The city of Hume received a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant for water department improvements. Cecil McKinley, who is semi-retired from the city, said the grant would help put in new lines and equipment from the tower to business and residence customers...

Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder has spearheaded a new project called Missouri Veteran Stories. The program is intended to honor the states Veterans by capturing their stories on DVD. In 2006 the Veteran stories program was moved from the Veteran's Commission to Kinder's office and received $300,000 in funding to get the project moving...

A Grandby man remains in critical condition after receiving a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head yesterday after police found his ex-girlfriend, Kelly Dawn Wolfe, 33, had been shot in the head in her Lamar home. Wolfe died from her injuries. According to a report from the Lamar Police Department, at 11:13 a.m., Lamar police responded to a woman yelling for help at the 1700 block of Cherry Street in Lamar. ...