Stories from Saturday, February 21, 2015

James and Carol Miller, of Nevada, Mo., announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Dr. Wanda Miller, to Eric Perkins. Eric is the son of John and Barb Perkins, of York, Neb. He graduated from Red Cloud High School in Red Cloud, Neb., in 1993. ...

LaMae (Neas) Bryant, 72, Nevada, Mo., passed away on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015, at her home in Nevada. LaMae was born Jan. 13, 1943, in Fort Scott, Kan., to Cawood I. and LaNelle (Duncan) Neas. LaMae was raised in Nevada and attended Nevada R-5 schools graduating with the Class of 1961. ...

Donald Lee Gordon, 85, Nevada, Mo., passed away on Friday, Feb. 20, 2015, at Freeman West Hospital, in Joplin, Mo., following a brief illness. Donald was born Feb. 13, 1930, in Nevada, Mo., to James W. and Audrey L. (Duncan) Gordon. He was united in marriage to Della M. Weakley on Aug. 19, 1951, in Nevada, Mo., and she survives of the home...

Leonard Paul Lafata, 69, Nevada, Mo., died Feb. 18, 2015, at the Nevada Regional Medical Center, in Nevada. He was born Aug. 17, 1945, in St. Louis, Mo., to Frank Sal and Anna Marie (Pagano) Lafata. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, Feb. 23, at Ferry Funeral Home, in Nevada, with the Rev. Mark Mitchell officiating. Interment will follow in Moore Cemetery, Nevada. Friends may call now and until the hour of service at Ferry Funeral Home, Nevada...

Nevada Daily Mail With just two people filing for seats on the Hume School Board, there will be no election this year. Current board member Josh Rogers filed for re-election and Bryice Cannon, who attended the Feb. 11 board meeting, also filed. Rogers will remain on the board and Cannon will join the board in April...

Nevada Daily Mail Northeast Vernon County's high school principal Chris Hudson told the NEVC Board of Education during Thursday's meeting about the first intruder drill held at the school Wednesday during the lunch shifts. "We just wanted to see how vulnerable we are," Hudson said of the drill. "I feel good about the way it went."...

Nevada Daily Mail Five years after the crime occurred, the book may soon be shut in regards to a kidnapping five Vernon County residents were involved with, Jan. 8, 2010. The trial of Douglas Stangeland, of Nevada, and Lonnie Swarnes, of Rich Hill, will begin Tuesday with jury selection according to Sussex County First Assistant Prosecutor Greg Mueller...

Awhile back someone asked me what they needed to start studying if they wanted to get into law enforcement someday. I named off a few of the obvious subjects, criminal law, civil law, the Constitution, but was quick to also add, English, grammar, and math to the list. I then explained how much writing a law enforcement officer does, and how much of our attention is placed on some type of numbers every day...

Hi neighbors. Although the weather is cold and maybe a little icy now and then, there is a lot to see if you get out and about this coming week. Tonight at Cottey College enjoy "Nightfall with Edgar Allen Poe" presented by the Cottey College Theatre Department. It is in the Haidee and Allen Wild Center for the Arts auditorium. Also featured is a costume contest for the best Steampunk contest; so attendees are encouraged to dress up...

Last weekend, as I looked out my kitchen window, I saw several deer feeding on acorns under a big oak tree. Several of the deer stood out as their antlers gleamed in the sunlight. This signified to me that it was time to start looking for shed antlers. Now that most of the hunting seasons have ended, including rabbit and squirrel, antler hunting gives hunters a winter diversion that has its rewards...

Kansas City ---- The Nevada Lady Tigers thrashed Kansas City Center 77-50 Friday night. With the victory, the Tigers record improves to 18-4 (8-2 West Central Conference). Four Lady Tigers scored in double-figures, led by senior Mikayla Bartlett, who scored a game-high 19 points. Fellow Nevada senior Morgan McNeley dropped in 18, while center Rilie Good scored 13, and Megan Payne 12...

Nevada junior Dayton Miller defeated Brett Shull of Odessa in the semifinals of the 126-pound division at the 2015 Missouri Class 2 State Wrestling Tournament, Friday night in Columbia. With the victory, Miller advances to the title match for a second year in a row, this time facing Shawn Kavadas of Oak Grove...

Nevada Daily Mail WEBB CITY ---- The Nevada Tigers eighth-grade basketball team was unable to avenge their lone loss of the season, falling 50-38 to the Carl Junction Bulldogs in the Tri-County championship game Friday night. "We didn't lose because of lack of effort, we lost because shots didn't go down," Nevada head coach Lance Sargent said. "I told them before the game, if you play and give everything you have, you'll win either way. And I think we played hard. We got some tough calls."...