Stories from Friday, September 28, 2018

She was the first graduate of mental health court. She was recently the first speaker to receive a standing ovation at the Rotary Club’s Citizen of the Year ceremony. She is in the process of purchasing her first home, is mother to her first child and has hope for herself for the first time...

Nancy Jane Laning passed away on Sept. 22, 2018, at the age of 70. She was born Nov. 5, 1947, to Harland and Norma Swope in Carbon Center, Mo. She attended all 12 years of school in Rich Hill, graduating in 1965. Nancy lived in Wichita, where she was a wife and soon became a mother. ...

Janet Engrid Birkestrand, 83, Nevada, Mo., passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018, at Nevada Nursing and Rehab in Nevada. Janet was born Aug. 17, 1935, in Colon, Mich., to Clarence and Edith Azanka (Merica) Swanson. On Feb. 24, 1973, she married Robert Clark Birkestrand in Nevada and he preceded her in death on June 23, 1997...

Mike Thompson, Tim Judd, Tyler Judd, and Mark Gayman — representing American Family Shelter Insurance’s Nevada, Missouri office, participated in the American Charities Golf Tournament — held Sept. 17 at Staley Farms Golf Club in Kansas City, Missouri. The event raised approximately $25,000 for the Show-Me Christian Youth Home. Nevada’s local golf quartet, placed 15th at the event, which featured 140 players and 35 teams...

A five-play 67 yard drive with less than one minute remaining, punctuated by Trey Moore’s 18-yard scamper on the final play of regulation, lifted the Nevada Tiger junior varsity gridders to a 34-32 triumph over Big 8 Conference foe McDonald County Mustangs Monday night at Logan Field...

A pair of Cottey Comet golfers hit the links Monday and Tuesday for the Missouri Valley College Fall Invitational at Indian Foothills Golf Course in Marshall. It was Cottey’s first 36-hole competition of the season, and third event overall. Evangel University’s Emma Oathout and Allison Weiderman of Bethany (Kan.) College finished in a tie for first, each carding a final 36-hole score 14-over-par 158...

The Nevada Middle School cross country team showcased its skills at Tuesday’s Lamar Invitational 1.5 mile event. A trio of Nevada eighth-grade distance runners medaled, with Kaden Padgett blazing to a fourth-place finish in the boys’ division, clocking an official time of 8:27. The boys’ division individual champion was Joplin’s Hobbs Campbell, with a time of 8:06...

The Nevada Lady Tiger volleyball team dispatched the visiting Monett Lady Cubs in a quick two-set match Thursday, on the school’s annual “Dig Pink Night” at Wynn Gym. Nevada, donning pink jerseys, took the first set in decisive fashion, 25-10, and then put away the visitors with a 25-20 second-set triumph...