Stories from Friday, July 1, 2011

Eric and Rachel Fast of Appleton City, Mo., are proud to announce the birth of their baby son, Quentin Matthew Fast. Quentin was born at 7:04 p.m., Thursday, June 23, 2011, at Nevada Regional Medical Center. He weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces, and measured 19 inches...

Paul Edward Peterman was born on Nov. 17, 1922, near Rich Hill, Mo., the son of Joe Peterman Jr. and Clara (Hall) Peterman and passed away June 28, 2011, at the age of 88. He graduated from Rich Hill High School in 1940. He served in the Signal Corps of the Army Air Force during World War II, collecting weather data for the military. ...

Getting people to come to meetings is hard, JD Kehrman, Nevada city manager, said in response to a comment from local builder Bill Erwin during Wednesday's public forum on the renewal of the city's parks sales tax. Although about half of the approximately 30 people attending Wednesday's public forum on the proposed changes in the city's 1/2 cent sales tax either worked for the city or were on the parks board or planning commission, there were about a dozen people who had no affiliation with the city, including several who were opposed to the tax, in attendance.. ...

A spokeswoman for the Vernon County Fireworks Fund Committee said Thursday that the group's $3,000 Fourth of July goal has been met and the annual free holiday fireworks show will happen on schedule beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday. Local musicians Doug and Matt Harper will perform and a concession stand will be operated before the first skyrockets whizz high and explode at the County Fairgrounds Rodeo Arena in Centennial Park...

People interested in seeing one of the greatest symbols of the vanishing tallgrass prairie can take a guided bison hike July 9 at Prairie State Park near Mindenmines. Participants will join the park naturalist at 10 a.m. for a trip back in time to see bison, one of the area's most magnificent mammals, on its native prairie habitat. The event is free and open to the public...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Missouri's first big Civil War battle started at dawn on Aug. 10, 1861, and a lot had changed for the North and South when it was over six hours later with a number of Vernon County men having played an important role. Having happened near Springfield, it's known by three names -- officially it's the Battle of Wilson's Creek but from the Southern view the Battle of Oak Hills and Bull Run of the West...

Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission Chairman Rudy Farber of Neosho reported Thursday that more than $80 million in projects to turn U.S. 71 into Interstate 49, including $15.7 million in Vernon County work, should be completed on schedule by the end of 2012...

Canyon Highley, 5, foreground, checks out the smokebombs Thursday at Jake's Fireworks east of U.S. 71 on Austin Boulevard, where proceeds benefit the Nevada High School Band. With Canyon are his 7-year-old brother Kartman and grandmother Sonya Highley...