Stories from Saturday, August 6, 2011

Joan Marie Johnson, 79, Mexico, Mo., formerly of Nevada, died Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011, at the Audrain Medical Center in Mexico, Mo. She was born May 11, 1932, in Leavenworth, Kan., to William Ross Gist and Anna Bolsenga Gist. She was married July 25, 1952, in Nevada, to William L. (Bill) Johnson, and he survives of the home...

Joseph A. Ida, 96, of Fort Scott, Kan., passed away on Friday, Aug. 5, 2011, at home after a long illness. Joe was born on Aug. 2, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pa., the son of Matthew and Adele Ida. Joe lived his early life in Springdale, Pa., and graduated from Springdale High School in 1933. He received his bachelors of arts degree in Arts and Science (engineering) from Pennsylvania State University in 1938. He was active in the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and the Army ROTC...

George "Don" Sinn, formerly of Merriam, Kan., passed away on Aug. 3, 2011, in Fort Scott, Kan. Born in 1931, Don married Shirley Louise Bowen in 1956. Together they raised two children, Terry Sinn (Janet) of Lane, Kan., and Sandy Smith (Russell Raines) of Platte City, Mo. They were the grandparents of Nick Smith (Shala), David Smith, Brandy Branstetter (Jon), Christina Sinn and George "Danny" Sinn (Jaime); and great-grandparents to Barrett, Hudson, Jacob, Colby and Alexa...

Darwin Raymond "Ray" Badders, 54, Nevada, passed away on Sunday, July 31, 2011, at his home in Nevada. He was born Feb. 27, 1957, in Iola, Kan., to Darwin Ray Badders and Pauline Ruth Bruner Badders. Ray was raised in Bronson, Kan., and attended Uniontown High School and graduated from Marmaton Valley High School. ...

Scott and Ashley Shelton of Fort Scott, Kan., are proud to announce the birth of their son, Ty Michael Shelton. Ty was born at 10:45 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011, at Mercy Health Center, Fort Scott, Kan. Ty weighed 7 pounds, 11 and 1/2 ounces at birth...

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- The local Boy Scouts of America Troop 114 will be represented during a project Saturday to help the city of Joplin recover from a devastating May 22 tornado. More than 900 Boy Scouts from various states across the country are scheduled to be in Joplin Saturday to provide a day of service by assisting the Joplin School District. ...

While farmers have welcomed recent rains, the damage has already been done for several crops. USDA Farm Service Agency County Executive Director Doug Niemeir said some of the corn in the area was planted early enough and had a short enough maturity season that it was able to beat the heat, but the rest of the crop was not so lucky. With nightly temperatures well exceeding the needed 70 degrees, the corn's pollination process was not able to occur in many areas...

Fort Scott, Kan. -- Mercy Health Center will hold a series of chronic disease self-management sessions starting Sept. 7. Developed at Stanford University, the "Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop" has been offered at hundreds of locations throughout the country, a news release said. The program helps participants with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety and others to:...

HUME -- Dubbed "The Biggest Little Fair" and living up to the appellation, the 69th Annual Hume Fair & Rodeo wraps up with Saturday events from 8:30 a.m. to late at night. Unswayed by temperatures popping 100 degrees, a goodly assemblage of celebrants gathered at mid-afternoon Friday in the well-shaded City Park to see a colorful array of pets and children in the 4 p.m. pet show...

The Vernon County Ambulance District is conducting a series of training exercises aimed at making the staff, first responders and a cadre of community volunteers more prepared for all sorts of emergencies. Wednesday, at about 7 p.m., the scenario went into play. ...

Community members unite to continue relief project for Joplin after teen's death.

NEVADA -- Cottey College Comets softball coach Shelli Stanley is pleased to announce the signing of Rachel Kennedy for this season's team. Kennedy, a 2010 graduate of Nevada High School and daughter of Scott and Belinda Kennedy, is transferring from Northwest Missouri State University...

WICHITA, Kan. -- If the Nevada Griffons are going to win the National Baseball Congress World Series, they're going to have to do so from the losers' bracket and they're going to have to start bright and early this morning. A 9-4 loss to former MINK League rival Topeka Golden Giants Friday night forces the Griffons to play the Austin Gold Sox in an elimination game at 8 a.m. this morning at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium...