Stories from Saturday, December 24, 2011

Mary Charlotte Ruth Likely, 84, a resident of Bronson, Kan., died Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, at the Iola Nursing Center, Iola, Kan. She was born Nov. 12, 1927, at Mildred, Kan., the daughter of William Joseph Martin and Birdie Pearl Collins Martin. Mary graduated from Kincaid High School. She married George Noel Likely on April 12, 1947. He preceded her in death on June 16, 1985...

Cole and Traci Vap of La Crosse, Kan., are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Danica Hazel Vap. Danica was born at 12:18 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011, at Hays Medical Center, Hays, Kan. She weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces, and measured 21 inches...

Michael Lawrence Tinsley and Kayla Sue Bishop exchanged wedding vows on Oct. 8, 2011, in an outdoor ceremony at the home of the bride's parents. Mike is the son of Larry and Mary Tinsley of Ark City, Kan., and the grandson of Lawrence and Jackie Tinsley of Paola, Kan., and the late Vicente and Rose Morales...

Janie Schlup of Nevada and Bill Schlup of Schell City announce the engagement of their daughter, Verlinda Timmons, to Bill Woods, of Huntsville, Ark., son of Carolyn Wilcox of St. Louis, and Carol and Jan Woods of Goodman, Mo. Verlinda is employed by US Bank Home Mortgage. She is a 1991 graduate of Nevada High School...

In commemoration of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, Cottey College in conjunction with the Nevada Community Center is hosting a Children's Performance Fair on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, from 1-4 p.m. The Children's Performance Fair will offer free performing and visual arts classes to area third, fourth and fifth grade children with a public performance and art gallery viewing following the workshops...

The Kansas Highway Patrol is sending a message of safety out to motorists this winter and has issued some travel advice. KHP Technical Trooper Rick Wingate said one of the most important winter weather driving tips to remember is to "make sure the vehicle is ready for travel" by checking the car's fluids, making sure the radiator is winterized, the windshield washer fluid tank is full and the fuel tank is at least above one-quarter tank or fuller...

Bird watchers recently counted a record number of avian species -- 102 types -- in one day at the Four Rivers Conservation Area in Vernon and Bates counties. That's 102 distinct species of birds, both residents and migrants. Volunteers, including members of the Burroughs Audubon Society of Greater Kansas City, fanned out across the almost 14,000-acre area on Dec. ...

Along with presents for people you had almost forgotten or put off providing for, last-minute Christmas shopping Friday in Nevada also entailed a good bit of food procurement for scrumptious Saturday and Sunday dinners. Gail Wysong was stacking up vegetables, bread and potatoes at Woods Supermarket with her daughter Gara and son-in-law Gilbert Orme of Chandler, Ariz., to complete their menu of baked and smoked turkey with dressing...