Stories from Thursday, January 3, 2008

Dear editor: "One of these things is not like the others. One of these things doesn't belong." Remember that song from Sesame Street? Four items walk onto the screen, one of which clearly doesn't belong with the others. For nearly a century the general practice doctor hung up his "shingle" (small wooden sign for us younger folks) and practiced in communities through out the country. ...

Once upon a time, not that long ago, I was an all-purpose political commentator, geysering opinions on world affairs, global warming, the price of oil. I was really something. Now I just write about religion, mainly. Who's Christian, who's not. Who believes in God more; less...

I have titled my columns Middle Age Plus to refer not only to the advance of years past middle age, but also to point out the pluses of this age. There are many pluses. But today I am speaking of minuses. Even if you live a healthy, happy life into the upper decades there is one thing that keeps these later years from being completely on the plus side...

Dr. Marie Lamore, died at Christian Health Care, Nevada, Dec. 30, 2007, at the age of 91. Mrs. Lamore was born Marie B. Leportois in Cherbourg, France, Nov. 8, 1916, to Maurice and Louise Leportois. Her family moved to Algeria in 1921, and she graduated from the high school of Algers, in Algeria. She then studied medicine and natural science at the University of Algers. She returned to live in Paris during the occupation of France during World War II...

Colleen Bonn Callahan, 87, Nevada, passed away Jan. 2, 2008, at Nevada Regional Medical Center, Nevada, following a recent illness. She was born Dec. 2, 1920, in Middletown, Ind., to William Treat Piety and Leona Josephine Yeager Piety. She was married Nov. 24, 1940, in Denver, Colo., to Hick Callahan and he preceded her in death March 1977...

Cecil L. Smith, 85, Nevada, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008, at Moore-Few Care Center, Nevada, following a lengthy illness. He was born Aug. 27, 1922, in Milford, Mo., to James Benjamin Smith and Mary M. Bridgewater Smith. He was married July 30, 1948, in Milo, to Flossie Juanita Snead and she preceded him, in death on Oct. 15, 1975...

Billy Mac Bales, 87, Bronaugh, died Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008, in Memorial Herman Hospital in Houston, Texas, following a lengthy illness. He was born Feb. 1, 1920, in Bronaugh, to William James Bales and Bertha Estelle McReynolds Bales. He was married May 5, 1951, in Nevada, to Juanita Wilson and she survives in Houston, Texas...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Gov. Matt Blunt today praised the University of Missouri Tigers on their impressive thrashing of theUniversity of Arkansas Razorbacks at yesterday's Cotton Bowl. The Tigers handily defeated the Razorbacks 38-7. Gov. Blunt, First Lady Melanie Blunt and their son William Branch attended the game and cheered on the Tigers in their tremendous victory over the Hogs...

Those who want to be in charge of who gets assets, have concerns about what the estate left behind will cost heirs or are looking for the best tools available for estate planning can find the answer to these questions and more at the Farm and Small Business Estate Planning Workshop series that is being held on Jan. ...

Landowners interested in learning to conduct prescribed burns should make plans to attend a Prescribed Burn Workshop being held on Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Rinehart Christian Church in rural Richards, Mo. This workshop will be especially useful for landowners interested in wildlife management and grassland management...

Consumer complaints about financing, credit and debt collection were the number one category of complaints to the Consumer Protection Division of Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon's office in 2007. Nixon today released his annual "Top 10" list of consumer complaints from the approximately 100,000 calls, letters, e-mails and online complaints that came into his office in the past year...

Eight-year-old Taylor Strat-ford has shown true holiday spirit this year by getting her long locks cut to benefit children with medical hair loss, all across the nation. Stratford sat down in the hair dressing chair of Perry Green on Dec. 28 to have 10 inches of hair cut so it could be donated to Locks of Love, a not-for-profit organization producing hair pieces. ...

Tasha and Steve Geer, of Lamar, Mo., are proud to announce the birth of their son Colton Wilson. Colton was born at 6 a.m., Jan. 1, 2008, at Nevada Regional Medical Center. He weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and measured 20 inches.