Stories from Saturday, January 14, 2012

Dorothy "Pudgie" Ogle, 72, Afton, Okla., formerly of Nevada, parted this world on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, at her home following a lengthy illness. She was born on Oct. 7, 1939, in Nevada, Mo., to Artie Ephland Wescoat and Mary Agnes Brick Wescoat. She married Gary Ogle on June 14, 1959, in Nevada, Mo., and he survives of the home...

Mary Jane Ayers, 76, resident of Fort Scott, died Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012, at the Mercy Health Center. The Revs. Paul Rooks and A.F. Collins will conduct funeral services at 10 a.m., Friday, Jan. 20, at the Grace Baptist Tabernacle. Burial will follow in the U.S. National Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Grace Baptist Tabernacle and may be sent to Cheney Witt Chapel, Fort Scott...

Loosely paraphrasing the English poet John Donne (1572-1631), do not ask for whom the road tolls; it tolls for thee. That is if the Missouri Highways & Transportation Commission gets its way. For now wanting only to consider turning the east-west-running Interstate 70 from St. Louis to Kansas City into a stop-and-start road like some in Kansas and Oklahoma, the commission is stirring a good deal of skepticism from the Missouri General Assembly, where no related bills were pre-filed this year...

Members of the Vernon County commission have finished the 2012 Vernon County budget, and by all accounts, the work seemed easier this year. The commission has spent nearly two weeks meeting with all the elected officials and crunching numbers to get the budget done on time. The document will be available for public viewing Tuesday...

Redistricting and the budget are two of the must-do items Kansas lawmakers face in this year's session. But taxes, school finance, Medicaid, gaming and state employees' retirement revisions are also top concerns. Sen. Bob Marshall and Reps. Caryn Tyson and Bob Grant expect some shifting to occur in their districts as a result of redistricting, because Southeast Kansas has lost population...

Two Fort Scott High School sophomores will learn more about leadership after being chosen to attend a special seminar this summer. Madyson McColm and Mark Garner have been selected to represent the school and community at the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Seminar June 14-17 in Manhattan, Kan. Both students were selected through an application process that was open to all FSHS sophomores...

2010 NHS Courtwarming Queen Katie Bunch crowns Nikki O'Bryan, 2011 NHS Courtwarming Queen between the girls and boys basketball games Friday night against the McDonald County Mustangs.

Nevada boys score 20-straight in 61-53 win

Mac County 41, Nevada 38

Christy Lang of Goodwell, Okla., and Chuck Salisbury of Woodward, Okla., announce their engagement. A June 22, 2012, wedding is planned in Las Vegas, Nev. Christy is the daughter of Jeannie Swan and Scott Swan, Spearman, Texas, and Cliff and Debbie Lang, Perryton, Texas. She is the granddaughter of Mary Jane Lang, of Beloit, Wis., formerly of Nevada, Mo., and the late Ted Lang...

Betsy Leighninger and Michael Wood announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Betsy is the daughter of Judy Leighninger, Neosho, and retired Air Force Lt. Col. David Leighninger, Springfield. Michael is the son of Ricci Wood, Nevada, and the late Michael L. Wood...