Stories from Thursday, January 10, 2013

Randy Lee Maki, 42, of Princeton, Minn., died Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, in the University of Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis. He was born July 15, 1970, in Virginia, Minn., the son of Russell and Marjorie (Brajkovich) Maki. He graduated from Cherry High School. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Randy served in Iraq during the Gulf War. He was a Bronze Star recipient...

Donald W. Marti, 80, Lamar, Mo., died Jan. 8, 2013, at Cox South Hospital, Springfield, Mo. Visitation will be today, from 5-8 p.m., at Konantz-Warden Funeral Home, Lamar. Service will be Friday, Jan. 11, at 2 p.m., at Konantz-Warden Chapel, with burial at Lake Cemetery, Lamar...

Andrew and Charity Sparks of Sheldon, Mo., are proud to announce the birth of their son, Elias Bentlee Sparks. Elias was born at 5:20 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012, at Mercy Health Center in Fort Scott, Kan. He weighed 9 pounds and 1 ounce. Maternal grandparents are Ruben and Melissa Luevano and David Carter. Maternal great-grandparents are Rodney and Karen Dobias. Maternal great-great-grandmother is Ilita Thompson...

Dear Editor: Those involved in seeking truth remind us the first step in making good decisions is to ask the right question. On an Internet search, Stephen Wunker, contributor to a Forbes site, makes the following statements: "We are trained to be solution-finders. ...

Dear Editor The protests of my children as we put up our Christmas decorations reminded me of how much I needed to write this thank you letter. If they had their way, we would keep the decorations up all year. As the next Christmas season rolled around, I am sure it would lack some luster in our home, as they would be used to seeing it every day for a whole year. ...

Dear Editor: This new year is a start for everyone to look out for each other. The citizens must challenge the actions of all lawmakers. It's everyone's duty to police the police and everyone on our payroll. If our local law group gets as out of control as our federal lawmakers, the honest citizens of this great nation need to all get on line and clean it up. ...

Cottey College announced Tuesday that their Defining Moment Campaign has passed the $26 million mark with a total of $26,166,851. A Defining Moment is the college's $35 million, five-year comprehensive campaign that launched in September 2009. It is the first comprehensive campaign in the college's history...

Nevada Daily Mail The P.E.O. Foundation Art Gallery at Cottey College will host Hunger Pangs by Brianne Fulton from Jan. 14 to Feb. 9. The artist's work focuses on the desires of women through the template of the traditional, ceramic collectible. Due to adult subject matter and iconography, viewer discretion is advised...

Nevada Daily Mail The Community Council on the Performing Arts will hold open auditions for their upcoming production of "The Ladies of Harmony" by Ron Hill tonight at 5:30, Saturday, Jan. 12, at 3 p.m. and Monday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. at the Fox Playhouse, 110 S. Main...

Mayor Brian Lee Leonard is a lifelong Nevadan who applies a philosophy developed from a variety of sources, some novel and some a little surprising, to his multitude of interests. His parents, Willis and Brenda, still live at the house he was raised in just west of town on Haletown Road, and he took a varied and somewhat circuitous road to his work with the city and as Nevada High School's golf coach and industrial technology teacher...

High school industrial arts instruction is not what it used to be. It's a great deal more. Nevada High School industrial technology teacher Brian Leonard has four classes a day of 12 to 15 students each, mixing grade levels and partnering them in individual learning modules for hands-on training in computer-aided design, flight simulation, four-stroke lawnmower engines' operation and repair, paper roller coasters and Ping-Pong ball launchers made of paper towell tubes...

Samuel Remington Brooks III, 52, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, at his home in Richards, Mo. He was born Oct. 9, 1960, in Topeka, Kan., to Samuel R. Brooks Jr. and Wilma J. Zeller Brooks. He married Lianne D. Mills on Dec. 24, 2002, in Mound City, Kan., and she survives of the home...

Dr. Charles C. Nash, 72, of Nevada, died on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, at his home. Additional obituary information will be announced later. The family will receive friends at Charles' home, 320 N. Spring, Nevada, on Sunday, Jan. 13, from 2-4 p.m. Arrangements are under the direction of Ferry Funeral Home, Nevada, MO...