Stories from Friday, June 13, 2014

Each night when I go to bed, I try to stay awake until the weather person gives the report. I don't always make it, but I always try. Why should I care so much about what the weather is going to be like? Sometimes, it is to think about what clothes I should wear the next day. Sure, it's June, so I want to wear summery clothes. But will the weather be too cold for that tomorrow?...

Last Friday, June the 6th, was the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion on the beaches of Normandy. I arose early to watch the ceremonies, and was amazed at how many still living veterans had made the return trip to France. It is a day that transformed America and the world, but more importantly it forever changed the young men who were part of that war...

Take a moment and ask yourself who the last person in your family to farm was. Was it Dad? Grandpa? Great-grandpa? How many generations has it been? While the vast majority of the population today is not involved in agriculture, we all depend on it for basic needs...

Claude Dwight Vance, 53, of Bronaugh, Mo., passed away Wednesday, June 11, 2014, at St. Luke's Hospice House, in Kansas City. He was born April 30, 1961, in Visalia County, Calif., the son of Ted Dwight and Ora Christine (Triplett) Vance. On May 1, 1981, he was united in marriage to Deanna Lea Price and she survives of the home...

Harold Leon Shumaker Sr., 91, a long-time resident of Nevada went to be with his Lord Jesus Tuesday, June 10, 2014, after a long struggle from the aftermaths of pancreatitis and a broken hip. Even in immense pain, his special kindness and warmth showed through to all. We miss him so very much and are so very blessed by having known him...

Robert E. Butler, 52, of Nevada, died on Friday, June 6, 2014, in Nevada, following an illness of several months. He was born on Dec. 30, 1961, in Fort Scott, Kan., to Kenny N. Butler Sr. and Betty J. (Gire) Butler. Robbie was raised in Nevada and was a member of the Nevada High School class of 1980. ...

Dalton Evan Chadd, 22, of Nevada, Mo., passed away June 9, 2014, in Sheldon. He was born May 21, 1992, in Nevada, the son of Douglas Lyn Chadd and Deanna Star (Carpenter) Cullison. On July 28, 2012, he was united in marriage to Chelsea Marie Poe and she survives of the home...

Russell Lane Pierson, 82, died Tuesday, June 10, 2014. He was born Jan. 18, 1932. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m., today, at Lamar United Methodist, with Don Keithly officiating. Interment will be in Memory Gardens, of Lamar. Military honors will be held at the graveside following the committal service...

Nevada Daily Mail Nevada native Marci Mitchell opens for Crystal Gayle at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Mitchell began performing at the age of 8 while singing for customers in her mother's beauty shop and calling for a local square dance club. She graduated in the top 10 of her class and earned a full ride to play volleyball in college in nearby Kansas. ...

Nevada Daily Mail "Volunteers will be the core of the success of our program," Carol Braham, Healthy Nevada board of directors president, said during its' meeting Wednesday. Branham noted the board needed to continue to bring in members of the community as partners in the Healthy Nevada initiative...

Nevada Daily Mail The Nevada Police Department and Vernon County Sheriff's Office have partnered to investigate a burglary at a storage unit. Sergeant Steve Bastow said Tuesday in a Nevada Police Department press release that the storage unit held household items that belonged to a family in the county. Investigators think the suspect broke into the unit on East Austin Boulevard several weeks ago, changed the lock on the door and began regularly stealing property...

Members of the Missouri Osage Territory Muzzleloaders officially open the 2014 Bushwhacker Days with a volley from their muzzleloaders. Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail

Nevada Daily Mail Bushwhacker Days started off with a few barks Wednesday evening. Dogs from around the county appeared on the courthouse lawn to strut their stuff as part of the Vernon County People for Pets dog show. Nearly 20 canines participated in the annual event, taking home honors for a variety of skills, features and outfits...

Special to the Daily Mail On Thursday, Cottey College announced the hiring of Stephanie Beason as its new athletic director and head basketball coach. She replaces Dave Ketterman, who left Cottey to accept a position as assistant women's basketball coach at Northeastern State University, in Oklahoma...

By Eric Wade Daily Mail Sports Editor After an unexpected three days off, the Nevada Griffons baseball team got back into action Thursday night, hosting the Omaha Diamond Spirit, out of the MINK League's North Division. Originally, the Griffons were scheduled to have one day off Monday and another Wednesday, with a game on Tuesday, but the first rainout of the year for the Griffons turned that into a three-day break, as Tuesday's game at Sedalia was called off. ...

A warrant has been issued for a subject who assaulted a Sheriff's Deputy late Wednesday night. A felony arrest warrant was applied for early Thursday by the Vernon County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and issued by the 28th circuit court for Charles Allen Hart for Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer in the 1st degree, a class A felony...

This week we had an incident where a deputy was in danger at a call and needed assistance. We get used to deputies asking for assistance on calls every day, and the nearest deputy always responds from wherever he is. These calls, even though life threatening and dangerous, could be called "normal" because of how often backup is called. ...

Hi neighbors. What a weekend! The Bushwhacker Days celebration ends with a big bang with lots of good music, good food, good friends and neighbors having a good time. It is our annual remembrance of a bitter war, homes lost to fire and family lost in battles. Not intended to stir up old animosities, the Bushwhacker Days celebration is meant to remind us all that whatever our differences, we are all one people...

There's not a more international game than soccer. And for fans of the "beautiful game," as South and Latin American audiences call it, the most anticipated month in sports has arrived. This event, which occurs every four years, is being played this year in Brazil. The month-and-a-half long tournament draws a larger worldwide audience than any other televised event. Only the summer Olympics can compare to the 3.2 billion who watched four years ago...