Stories from Friday, July 9, 2010

Herald-Tribune NEVADA -- The Nevada Neptunes had a very successful weekend at the Neptunes Invitational, finishing second behind the defending league champion Joplin Stingrays. A total of 300 swimmers from 12 teams across the area participated in the two-day meet held July 3 and 4, at the Walton Family Aquatic Center. The Neptunes brought 71 swimmers between the ages of 4 and 17 years to the meet...

Herald-Tribune JOPLIN, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation is scheduled to host the Discovery Nature Families Introduction to Archery workshop. The workshop is scheduled to be held at the Walter Woods Conservation Area just south of Joplin, Mo., on Tuesday, July 20. The program will be open to the public and the workshop will take place from 6-8 p.m...

Herald-Tribune NEVADA -- The Nevada Griffons have officially added another name to their ever-growing list of former players who have gone on to play professional baseball. With the 1,275th overall pick in the 2010 draft, the Minnesota Twins took former Griffons pitcher Brett Carroll in the 42nd round...

Jack Thompson, Bolivar, Mo., is happy to see the Fourth of July come and go because that is when he starts getting serious about going after the catfish in area lakes and ponds. Last year, on July 6, Thompson landed a 47-pound blue catfish and that was just the beginning of a lot of catfish hooked by this catfisherman last year...

Missouri State Representative Barney Fisher said Friday that Governor Jay Nixon has signed a "conveyance bill" relating to the Nevada Hab Center, one step in the process of completing a plan to build group homes that would house some of the center's residents...

The Vernon County Youth Fair continued Thursday, highlighted by rabbit and poultry judging and topped off by swine shows. The weather was cooler than normal. Scattered showers fell throughout the day but events carried on as usual. Local pork producer Steve Brier noted that swine exhibitors learn valuable lessons from caring for and showing the swine. "They learn where their food comes from. And they learn what it takes to raise a hog and keep it healthy and lean."...

By Steve Moyer Herald-Tribune Nevada lost a link to the past and one of its most colorful characters Thursday with the death of 76-year-old Patrick Brophy. Known far and wide as the town historian, Brophy was considered by many to be the keeper of Vernon County history...

On Friday, Delbert Johnston and Melanie Richardson hitched up this restored stagecoach for the inaugural run of the "Delbert Johnston Stage Coach Line." Richardson, who's driving the coach, is a summer employee of Johnston's and helped him strip the coach of old paint and repaint it. Delbert plans to add four more ponies to the team of ponies...